18/07/2021 - THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS

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Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2.38

After hearing the explanation that the apostles were not drunk, but filled with the Holy Spirit, people came to them asking how to proceed. It was the birth of Christ’s Church. The New Covenant was being inaugurated in Jerusalem, and from that day on, citizens anywhere in the world could be born again and be part of the divine family. The promise of the Comforter had been fulfilled! Hallelujah!

The apostle’s words were simple and precise: no longer would anyone be a slave to the head of the kingdom of evil. The promise made in Eden had just been accomplished, and the sign that times would change was the outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord. The people understood how to proceed to be saved and soon made their decision. What makes one leave darkness and go into the light is the revelation of the Scriptures, and this happened on that day.

Peter summarized everything in three main steps, starting with repentance, which is not simple remorse for the wickedness of man, but the act of realizing the evil done and being saddened by it. It is a gift granted to the individual to undo the error, through confession and the forgiveness that will be given to him. Only in this way, he will be justified. 

The second step to be saved includes water baptism, which is not to be done by sprinkling, but by immersion. In the Greek language, the word baptizo means to dip, to immerse. In baptism, the old man is buried and there is the putting off of the body of the flesh and the body of sin, the circumcision of the heart, and the remission of sins. In this way, the baptized person has to walk in the newness of life.

Baptism is performed following the formula that Jesus gave: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Some misunderstand this theme and start preaching that baptism must be done only in the name of Jesus, despising the orientation that came from the Master’s mouth. It is necessary to obey this command of the Lord.

The third step is to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For this, it is necessary to be forgiven of your iniquities. Then, by faith, as it is done to receive healing, forgiveness, and other blessings, the person believes and is filled with the fullness of the Spirit. It is not the pastor who does this, but Jesus, even though God’s minister lays his hand on the one being baptized. This filling is for every saved person!

With the gift of the Spirit, you are able to begin serving the Lord. Prudence is a virtue that must be present in our attitudes and much more in the divine work. To try to go out into the world and preach the Gospel without the anointing of God and with no fellowship with Him is to despise the Master’s guidance, and this is not good! 

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares