Were you baptized into love and joy?

“While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.” (Acts 19:1-7)

Which gospel did you hear? Which Jesus were you preached? Which God were you told to believe in?

“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” (Matthew 10:27)

Whatever Jesus spoke in the dark, he commanded the disciples to speak in the light. Whatever he spoke in parables, he commanded them to speak clearly with understanding, the understanding that the Holy Spirit provides.

“he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:45)

I was once baptized in the baptism of fear of death. My water baptism was my way of saying that I feared hell and hope to make it to heaven. I was baptized in the script. Yet, the mindset I had to maintain following my baptism is none other than one of a cult: do or die.

It wasn’t until I heard the true gospel, the true simple gospel, the true basic gospel, that I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. Once I heard the gospel, many years after my water baptism, every former teachings fell flat on their faces. The hope that the basic gospel instilled in me could not be taken away from me by any means whatsoever. It satisfied my intellect passed the brim. Even when I was dared to give up my reputable religious standings, I was more than ready to do so because the truth set me free and I couldn’t deny that even if I tried.

When no one wanted to side with me, including those I aspired to become, I found myself physically alone but not for long because by then Jesus poured the Holy Spirit over me to convinced me once and for all that what I have heard and cherished is true and He is in me to never leave me alone.

Were you baptized into fear of sin and death or into love and joy of God?

Were you baptized into the simple fact that God loves you no matter what?

Was I saved in the hearing of the many reasons to fear or the one reason to not fear?

Was I saved in the hearing of the one reason, the one cause to not fear but rejoice? Yes. The gospel spoke Christ Jesus to me. Christ spoke God to me. God spoke joy, everlasting peace to me, something I never thought ever existed.

Overfilled. Overpoured. Overjoyed.