Free Bible Commentary
“Ephesians 4:1-6”
Categories: Ephesians“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
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There is only “one baptism”. It is not the baptism of John (Acts 19:3). John’s immersion was a “preparatory” baptism that was administered while he was making ready the way for the Lord to come preaching the Good News (Mark 1:3). It is not “Holy Spirit” baptism. Not counting Jesus, there are only two instances recorded in the New Testament of people being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5), and that is when the Apostles received “power” from on high (Acts 1:8) on that special day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). And the second was about ten years later when the Holy Spirit “fell upon” some Gentiles gathered in the house of Cornelius, to confirm to Peter and the rest of the Apostles that the blessed Gospel is for all people, not just the Jews (Acts 10:44-48).
The “one baptism” that unites all Christians into the “one body” of Christ is immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 8:36-39). This one baptism is in the “name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:6), and in the “name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Water baptism is the act and the place that we come in contact with the precious blood of Jesus (Romans 6:3-6) that figuratively “washes away” or sins (Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5), but literally removes them from our lives so that we are forgiven and no longer held accountable for them. This is the baptism that “now saves us” (1 Peter 3:21), when it is accompanied with belief and repentance (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).
Have you been fully immersed in water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in order to have your sins forgiven? If not, then you are not a part of the one, blood-bought body of Jesus, and you do not have access to “every spiritual blessing” that can only found “in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Please don’t wait another minute to obey the Gospel and make your life right with God!
Please read Ephesians 4:7-13 for tomorrow.
Have a great day!
- Louie Taylor
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