Living Above the Sun Ministries

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the  Lord : I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.   And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the  Lord ,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the  Lord . For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more...I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean from all your uncleanlessness, and from your idols I will cleanse you.  And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you." Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 36:25-26 It is thought that John's practice of baptism may have originated with the Old Testament idea of purification.  There are two big things that come to mind when thinking of things that purify, water and fire.  We see both in scripture.  Baptism is a symbol

" Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.   Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,   and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.   “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.   Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.   John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”   But Jesus answered him,  “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. ”  Then he consented.   And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;   and behold, a voice from