5. Baptism and Purification by Ritual Bathing
World Scripture
Wash away, Waters, whatever sin is in me, what wrong I have done, what imprecation I have uttered, and what untruth I have spoken.49
Rig Veda 10.9.8 (Hinduism)
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2.38
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6.3-11
Teachings of Sun Myung Moon
By making the indemnity condition of baptism by water, we can be spiritually born anew through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, by taking a piece of bread and a cup of wine at the sacrament of Holy Communion, we receive the precious grace of partaking in Jesus’ body and blood. All these are examples of conditions of lesser indemnity.
(Exposition of the Divine Principle, Restoration 1.1)
Baptism with water is for purifying the body, soiled by sin. It is the next stage after purifying the sexual organ by circumcision. Yet the issue remains, how to connect the people purified in this way to the path of love.
(277:265, April 18, 1996)
Holy water is the water of victory, the water of sanctification. Its sanctifying power removes Satan’s blood and introduces Heaven’s lineage.
(215:347, March 1, 1991)50