Reference: Matthew 3:11
The verse of scripture above found writtenin the book of Matthew plainly reveals the fact that John the Baptist is theone doing the talking as he refers to himself as having a baptism. Now Johnhere is also referring to someone else that would also have a baptism and thisperson that he is referring to is of course the Lord Jesus Christ.
These two baptisms are very much differentone from the other, but they both are performed in the very same way. Now inorder to understand how the two are related in the way they are brought about,then we must first have an understanding as to what a baptism is and how thesebaptisms are brought about.
Now the word of God tells us that John'sbaptism is called and referred to as a baptism of repentance, andChrist's baptism is called and referred to as the baptism with the HolyGhost. Now the baptism of John consisted of more than just being baptizedwith water. John did not just baptize people in water, he also taught thepeople the truth concerning repentance from sin. John would not baptize aperson who did not bring forth fruit meet for repentance.
Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees cameto his baptism and he told them to prove their need for baptism before he wouldbaptize them. Now to analyze or to determine the nature of John's baptism as towhat it is and how it's brought to pass and applied to a person, then it couldbe summed up by saying that John preached his baptism of repentance bytelling the people what to do concerning repentance from sin and to be baptizedin water. To preach means to teach or instruct the people in what must be done.In order to preach then it stands to reason that a person must use a vocabularyof words in order to get the people to know and understand what they must do.
John taught the people what to do and sothis lets us know that his baptism consisted of him orally instructing thepeople with his mouth using the word of God being inspired of the Holy Ghost.Now I'm quite sure that many people understand that John preached his baptism,but I also know for a fact that Christ's baptism is also a baptism that isaccomplished in the same way and manner as John's baptism is, but very fewpeople are aware of this fact.
John said that Christ would baptize, notwith water as he did, but rather he said that Christ would baptize with theHoly Ghost and with fire. John's baptism went no further than repentancefrom sin and being baptized in water, but Christ's baptism went further bybeing baptized with the Holy Ghost and also with fire.
All that John's baptism consisted of wasjust enough knowledge of teaching the people how to repent and to be baptizedin water, but Christ's baptism consists of a vast storehouse of knowledge andwisdom and this knowledge and wisdom baptizes a person into his body makingthem an entirely new creation in Christ that the word of God reveals and speaksabout.
What most people are not aware of is thatthe baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire is also a baptism that ispreached and taught in the very same manner as the baptism of repentance ispreached and taught. John could not baptize with the Holy Ghost because he didnot possess the knowledge that Christ possessed. Christ was full of grace andtruth, but John only possessed enough truth that led a person to repentance.John was a man sent from God to prepare the people for the coming of Christ.John openly admitted the fact that he was not the Christ, but he rather toldthe people that he was yet to come. John told the people that he baptized withwater unto repentance, but that Christ would baptize them with the Holy Ghostand with fire. Before a person can be baptized with the Holy Ghost they mustfirst come to the knowledge of John's baptism of repentance. This baptism willperpare a person for Christ to perform his baptism with the Holy Ghost and withfire.
John introduced Christ to the people asthe Word of God in the form of flesh. The Word became flesh and dwelled amongthe people. Christ in the form of flesh taught his twelve disciples themysteries of the kingdom of God. These mysteries are the very truths that willspiritually baptize a person into the body of Christ making them new creaturesin Christ.
The Word of God (which was Christ in theflesh) taught the disciples the mysteries concerning the kingdom of God. TheWord will yet teach us the same mysteries, but this Word is not Christ in theflesh, but is rather the revealed Word of God revealed by the Holy Ghost thatis given to us as the promised gift referred to in God's word of the gospel ofChrist. Christ the revealed Word of God baptizes the believer with the HolyGhost meaning that the revealed Word and the Spirit baptizes the believer intoChrist's body making them entirely new creatures in Christ.
We are told that by one Spirit we arebaptized into one body, as stated in ICorinthians 12:13. This oneSpirit is the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost) that we receive as the promised giftupon our obedience to repentance and water baptism in Christ's name as sostated in Acts 2:38. In order to be baptized with the Holy Ghost then one mustfirst receive the Holy Ghost. Christ the Word is the baptizer, but the Wordcannot baptize without one possessing the Holy Spirit. It is therefore by oneSpirit by the revealing of the Word that baptizes a person into Christ's body,which is the church. If a person repents from sin and is baptized in water inChrist's name, then God is duty bound to give the believer the gift of the HolyGhost just as he promised in his word. The receiving of the Holy Ghost is donethrough and by faith. Since God said that the Holy Ghost would be given uponobedience to his command of repentance and water baptism in Christ's name, thenbelieving you received it will cause God to give you ample assurance that youdid receive his Spirit.
The Spirit will lead you into all truthrevealed in the gospel and it is this truth that baptizes you into Christ'sbody in a daily process. The Spirit by the revealed Word of God will wash andcleanse you making you a new creature in the Lord Jesus Christ. The fire thatwe are baptized with is the fire of the word of God that does the cleansing.God's word is like the fire of a refinery that removes all dross from the metalor any other product manufactured at a refinery. A baptism of fire wrought bythe revealed word of God will spiritually transform a believer into the sameimage of Christ.
The religious world today has been led tobelieve that the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is accomplished in a splitsecond evidenced by a fleshly sensation accompanied with the speaking intongues, but this can't be further from the revealed truth of the matter. Thebaptism of the Holy Ghost is taught and preached in the same manner as thebaptism of repentance is taught and preached.
John preached his baptism and so didJesus. John's baptism baptized a believer unto repentance, but Christ's baptismbaptizes a believer into his body making them a new creature. Believing thepreached truth of God's word will baptize the believer and save them, but todisbelieve the truth of God's word will cause you to be damned as so stated in Mark 16:15-16. Your belief ofthe truth will baptize you into Christ's body, but to reject the truth willseal your eternal doom forever.......