Immersion | What is it and What Does it Mean for Believers?
Immersion can be described as a spiritual circumcision of the heart. It cuts away the desires of the flesh and revives the spirit. An immersion activates the light, so you no longer walk in darkness.
What is Immersion?
Immersion is often performed in ceremonies for cleansing, repentance, and as a symbol of conversion, but it is an act with meaning extending far beyond those.
By fully immersing oneself in water, a person can truly symbolize a total commitment to God and his or her faith. This is one of the reasons it’s used in conversion ceremonies — it expresses a drastic, all-encompassing change-of-heart and commitment to a lifestyle.
What are the Roots of Immersion?
Immersion in Hebrew is mikvah, which means the collection or gathering of water. Major moves of God were made at the water.
Mikvah is used for the first time in Genesis 1:2…
- “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
The Earth was immersed before you could inhabit it.
John the Baptist, or Yochanan the Immerser…
John the Baptist was known as “Yochanan the Immerser” in Hebrew. Although John came preaching an immersion of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, he, and the community of people around him, regularly prayed and immersed in the mikvah for ritual purification and rededication.
Thousands received the Lord in a single day…
- “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”—Acts 2:41
How were 3,000 baptized or immersed? Because the mikvahs were close by them in Jerusalem. In-fact, today, they can still be found under Robinson’s arch, a monumental staircase that stood at the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount.
From this information, you can infer that immersion is an act of dedication and reception of the Word from God. Therefore, when Believers are immersed in the water, they are rededicating themselves to God’s purposes, which are recorded in His heavenly books.
How do Immersions and Baptisms Differ?
Baptism is associated with salvation and is typically considered a once in a lifetime experience. Immersion is not. The practice of immersion is not about salvation but rather a rededicating and renewing of your relationship with God. It’s about cleansing and new beginnings.
What does Immersion do for Your Spirit?
Immersion births sonship. It kills slavery and false identities. Immersion removes confusion so you can understand the light of the revelation.
Immersion turns on the light of revelation. Genesis 1:3 says…
- “Then God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light.’”
The light kills the darkness. What is darkness? Confusion.
In other words, immersion removes confusion so you can understand what the Spirit is revealing to you. This is why you immerse yourself more than once. We live in a confusing world. We need revelation and light to walk in our identity. We must adopt the principle of renewing our minds so that we are protected against this physical world (Romans 12:2).
Immersion opens Heaven. Luke 3:21 says…
- “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.”
Transition, revelation, and promotion happen at the water.
Immersion releases your assignment. John 15:4-5 says…
- “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
When the Spirit of God fully immerses you, you are abiding in Jesus and bearing much fruit. Producing godly fruit nourishes others. This is your assignment!
Biblical References of Water and Immersion
Looking through biblical history, we repeatedly see revival and healing happening at a meeting by the water.
Immersion is not a new concept. Immersion was part of Jewish culture and was often performed during ceremonies for cleansing, repentance, and conversion.
Water is important to God. Jesus gives you living water (John 4:10)!
He healed the blind man with the water…
- “When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”—John 9:6-7
He healed a lame man at the water…
- “In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had… Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.”—John 5:3-4, 8-9
Was Jesus Immersed?
Yes. Matthew 3:13-15 says…
- “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’
“But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.”
Many refer to Jesus’ immersion experience in the Jordan River as His baptism.
On the surface, it seems Jesus did this solely an illustrative example of how our old life of sin is washed away. But let’s take a closer look. Yes, Jesus’ immersion was about being obedient to the Father, but, like anything in the Bible, you need to read and study the scriptures as a whole—both the Old and New Testaments.
Immersion Releases Miracles
Something happens in the water. There is a Kingdom connection and an encounter with Jesus.
Read the testimony of Pastor Tod Smith as he immersed and witnessed miracles…
Why is Immersion a Life-Changing Experience?
When you accept Jesus as your Savior and believe He consumed your debt, your sins are removed. The immersion promotes you into your destiny. Jesus didn’t need to be baptized to wash away His sin—He was sinless! Take note of what He did after His immersion; He began His assignment—changing the world with His ministry.
“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”—Matthew 3:16-17
Being promoted into your divine calling and position means embracing your Father, your new home, and your new identity—completely. And thus, begins the journey of a lifetime.
The act of immersion activates your assignment and changes your life. It washes away the old and ushers in the new. When you step into your assignment as a completely new creation in Jesus, we are no longer citizens of this Earth. Our home is in Heaven.
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”—Philippians 3:20-21
This revelation changes you. Immersion releases the revelation.