RBC

.....In a confrontation with the chief priests and elders who were questioning His authority, Jesus countered their questions with one of His
own: "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?" Matthew 21:25.

.....There is a baptism today which is from God, and there are baptisms today which are from man. Therefore, this question becomes as
relevant today as it was when Jesus baffled the chief priests. Surely we all want to have the assurance our baptism is from God - has been
administered by the authority from God.

.....John's baptism was from God because God's Word says, "There was a man sent from God whose name was John." John 1:6. The Scripture
also states: "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of him." Matthew 3:13. Jesus placed great importance in receiving His
baptism by the one whom God had sent to baptize, the only one to whom God had given this authority.

.....In Luke 6:12-13 Jesus chose twelve from His disciples whom He called apostles. According to John 4:1 the apostles had been empowered
and perform the ordinance of baptism. Jesus who was God in the flesh sent them to baptize as God had sent John - John 1:6; 32, 33. These
called out disciples constituted the Lord's church even before John the Baptist had been cast into prison.

.....Still later, when Jesus was about to leave this world and return to the Father's side, He commanded His church (the one He began) to
continue making disciples and baptizing them. Since that hour no one else has given that authority. That authority has remained in the Lord's
New Testament churches. Therefore, for one's baptism to be from God, it must be by the authority which Jesus left with His church.

.....In the beginning God created only one family, Adam and Eve, and commanded them to populate the world. As Jesus started only one
church, He also commanded it to go into all the world and produce other churches. Just as Adam and Eve produced other families, the church
that Jesus started begat others from that day to the present.

.....If your baptism is from God it must have been administered by one of these churches which God has preserved in every age, back to the
first one in Jerusalem.
Matthew 28:18-20.

.....Baptism, which was from God, was for believers only. John demanded that the Pharisees produce evidence of repentance before he would
baptize them. Even today for baptism to be from God there must first be a repentant heart. Paul said: "with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:10.

.....Furthermore, that baptism which was from God was by immersion. The word "baptize" meant "to dip, plunge or immerse." John did not
baptize Jesus with water from the Jordan; he baptized Jesus in the Jordan.

.....Lastly, that baptism which was from God was an act of righteousness. John protested to Jesus that he should be baptized by Jesus rather
than Jesus by him because he was completely unworthy. Jesus explained to John it was necessary for Him to be baptized by him (the one with
God's authority to baptize). Paul calls our baptism a burial with Christ and says we are to rise up to walk in newness of life Romans 6:4 a
demonstration of righteousness.

.....To summarize, if baptism is from God it will be done to show the world we have died to sin, been buried with Christ, and risen up to walk
in a new life. We will recognize God as Lord by making sure our baptism is from the one Jesus authorized to baptize - His church. If our
baptism is from any other authority, any others means or mode, or any other purpose, it is not from God, but from man. And man's baptism is
not acceptable to God.

.....May God help us to maintain the purity of this great truth.