Eze:36:25: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

Eze:36:29: I will also save you from all your uncleannesses:

Eze:36:33: Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities:

There is always the question of Baptism in the biblical circles, some take it serious some think its thing of the past, and some are just confused about it.

The origin of Baptism is an interesting piece of history, and it is carried out in many ways with different acts, but always pointing in the same direction and indicating the same thing.

I will start by referring to scriptures in the NT referring to occasion in the OT

1Pe:3:20: Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
2Pe:2:5: And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

The key words here are

ark was a preparing.......eight souls.....saved by water.....spared not the old world....Noah the eighth person......preacher......of righteousness....flood....world of the ungodly.

God decided to do away with ungodliness by the... water of the flood.....but in order to save the righteous and creatures, he caused them to build the ARK, which took 120yrs in preparing. This time of preparation is also the period where the word had gone out to cease from ungodliness, and there was a time to repent, and join the ARK because of repentance from unGodliness, but off course they thought Noah was mad, because it had never rained on the earth yet in those days Ge:2:5...and Ge:2:6

The water became the punishment for the sin and because the water level rose, the ARK rose and the righteous that were in the ARK were saved .....by the water.

This whole picture was duplicated in type as we look at John the Baptist. John was Jesus cousin because Elizabeth was Marys sister and Elizabeth was pregnant with John of about 6 months . John was Baptizing before Jesus came to get Baptized in the Jordan, and PREPARING the way of the Lord

Johns Ordination

Lu:1:39: And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
Lu:1:40: And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
Lu:1:41: And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
Lu:1:42: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Lu:1:43: And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Lu:1:44: For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
Lu:1:45: And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Lu:1:46: And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
Lu:1:47: And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

John was filled with the Holy Spirit before Jesus was born, and he was chosen by Jesus before he (Jesus) was born a man child." Joh:1:30: This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

M't:3:2: And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Joh:1:6: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Joh:1:7: The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all menthrough him might believe.

Joh:1:15: John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

h:1:23: He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

Joh:1:26: John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

Joh:1:29: The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Joh:1:30: This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

Joh:1:31: And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

Joh:1:33: And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

The key words concerning John

Repent ye...sent from God.....for a witness, to bear witness...bare witness of him....Make straight the way of the Lord...... I baptize with water.....Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world......he of whom I said....he was before me...be made manifest..., therefore am I come baptizing with water....I knew him not....he that sent me to baptize with water

John was baptizing people that heard his message of repentance, and God told John in his spirit to start Baptizing "he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me".

The Israelites were familiar with baptism, because they used to go out of the city to wash because of religious laws

The word is Greek and has the following meanings.....

Baptism......baptizo...a washing, to wash, to dip

But this Baptism was not the cleaning of the dirt off the flesh it was unto repentance a cleaning of the soul. The reason it was the "SOUL" was because men could not stop sinning it was the fallen nature of mans flesh it was a Law in the Body. Many churches don't know the difference between Soul and Spirit, so I suggest reading my other hub on "Death what now" where I do a more detailed description of this.But notice in these the word soul

There has been discussions of, does Baptism save and some have tried to split the Baptism of water as the saving or is it the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The truth is, it is the Baptism of the water, for the following reasons.The water is the blood of Jesus, it is also the grave, it is also a sign of repentance, and dying to self. It is the Steps that John was told to start and it is also the steps Jesus followed and these are the scriptures.

M't:3:11: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance.

M't:4:17: From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

M't:3:6: And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

M't:20:23: And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with:

M't:9:13:......., but sinners to repentance.

M'r:1:5: And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

M'r:16:16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Joh:3:23: And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

Ac:2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins

Ac:2:41: Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Ac:8:12: But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women

Ac:8:36: And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Ac:8:37: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Ac:8:38: And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Ac:16:30: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Ac:16:31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Ac:16:32: And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Ac:16:33: And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Key words here are

baptize you with water unto repentance.....Repent....baptized....confessing their sins....baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with........sinners to repentance...all baptized.....confessing their sins......believeth.... baptized....saved....much water.....and were baptized.....Repent, and be baptized......for the remission of sins......were baptized.......Repent, and be baptized......for the remission of sins.......were baptized.....three thousand souls....... they believed........concerning the kingdom of God......name of Jesus Christ.....baptized, both men and women.....what doth hinder me to be baptized?......If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest......I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God......into the water.......and he baptized him......do to be saved...... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ......thou shalt be saved.......and washed their stripes; and was baptized,

The water Baptism covers many areas. It is the door of salvation, the Door to the Kingdom, the baptism is also a garment that covers you to allow you to enter eternal life, it is the Gift of salvation. It is being baptised into Christs death and being resurrected when coming out the water. It is the only way to be saved....Note also that it is ADULTS being baptized not children, because the Adults cover the children with their faith read 1Co:7:14

Some received the Holy Spirit before they were baptised in water, because God new their hearts and had decided to receive the truth about Jesus, just like the man on the cross that Jesus acknowledged, but they still were baptised in Jesus Blood later

Ac:10:43: To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Ac:10:44: While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Ac:10:45: And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Ac:10:46: For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
Ac:10:47: Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Ac:10:48: And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Re:7:14: And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Re:1:5: And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Have a look at this phrase......"made them white in the blood of the Lamb." This is how God sees us that are Baptised into Christs blood."washed us from our sins in his own blood,"

Psalms:103:12: As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Its important to note here that he says "east is from the west," if you walk west you will never get to the west and vise versa

God wants us to see ourselves as clean before his eyes, he holds nothing against us.

Our old man crucified with Christ
Ro:6:1: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Ro:6:2: God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Ro:6:3: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Ro:6:4: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Ro:6:5: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Ro:6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Ro:6:7: For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Ro:6:8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Ro:6:9: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Ro:6:10: For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Ro:6:11: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro:6:12: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Ro:6:13: Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

M't:28:19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

But I encourage the Baptism of the Holy Spirit also, and will continue this in my next hub called

"He baptizeth with the Holy Ghost"