BD.8643
October 13, 1963

COMMENTS ABOUT BAPTISM WITH WATER

You still do not comprehend the spiritual meaning of My Word. You interpret it literally with your intellect and this does not give you the right results. You cannot understand what I meant to tell you when I said: 'Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost'.

By baptism you only understand the immersion in water, an external formality performed by men to demonstrate their obedience to the command of baptism which, however, does not even come near the actual core of My command. Baptism with water as such does not accomplish any change in man, as you will have to admit. Only the influence of that which emanates from the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, which is proved by the love of the Father, the wisdom of the Son and the power of the Holy Ghost -that can change man and is the true baptism which everyone must have received to be able to reach his goal on earth: to attain perfection so that he can unite with Me everlastingly. The Father-love.... is an eternal fire from which goes forth the light of wisdom -the Son - and then also the power of the Spirit must manifest itself. Man, as a weak being, must be filled by love and wisdom to such an extent that he achieves power and freedom.

He must be filled with My Spirit and love: wisdom and spiritual strength must distinguish him as a divine being that has returned to perfection. Man must become 'immersed in the sea of My eternal love; he must be guided into all truth, and this will happen thanks to My will, My strength and My very great love.

Baptize them in the name of the Father.... present them lovingly My Word which is wisdom, thus rendering the working of the Spirit within man possible which is subject to the activity of love, because the manifestation of My Spirit is the offering of My love expressed in the conveyance of wisdom, a true knowledge.

Love, wisdom and strength -about these you should be properly enlightened and this enlightenment is the 'true baptism of the spirit' which cannot be replaced by immersion in water.

Comprehend this, men, that you must not bind yourselves to external formalities, that I truly do not demand each of you, but at all times consider only that which is done 'in Spirit and in Truth'.

And if you, in order to justify your thinking, refer to 'My baptism by John in the Jordan', then I must draw your attention to the fact, that the people in those times knew very little about Me, that 'external formalities' used to be most important to them and that it required a certain degree of maturity of the individual to be able to explain to him the spiritual meaning of baptism. Besides, by their willingness to be baptized by John, men indicated their change of heart and their desire to get closer to their God and Creator.

In those times this was already a noteworthy spiritual gain, and so I, too, submitted to this formality in order to make the activity of My Forerunner John legitimate. It would have been futile to explain to people this external formality as insignificant for they would have been unable to comprehend the pure spiritual truth. The baptism with water was in no way detrimental for them, but it could become beneficial only when the y accepted the Word of God, which John conveyed to them.

And thus also now man will receive 'baptism' when he accepts My Word conveyed to him by My infinite paternal love, lives in accordance with it, gains wisdom through love and the awakening of My Spirit within him which again provides him with light and strength.

All this cannot be replaced by the baptism with water but the latter will always remain a 'symbol', an external formality which men do not want to relinquish because they have the tendency towards outward demonstration instead of being satisfied with the benefit of a purely 'spiritual experience'.

I can only repeat again and again that all the external performances and rites have no merit, that I never judge a person by what he is doing 'outwardly', but solely by his inner attitude toward Me and My Word. One who accepts My Word and changes his way of life in accordance with it can attain perfection still on earth.

My Word is the 'water of life', rising from the 'primary source', and in this water you shall immerse yourselves!

This water will flow from within you and you shall experience spiritual baptism as the Spirit within you awakens to life, when you are permeated by love, wisdom and strength and become once more the original being that you once were, when through the living water you win eternal life that can never again be lost.

AMEN