Water is Life

A while back I noticed a bumper sticker that said, "Water is life." And indeed it is! Many
people know water's chemical description is H2O. It is one atom of oxygen bound to two
atoms of hydrogen. The hydrogen atoms are "attached" to one side of the oxygen atom,
resulting in a water molecule having a positive charge on the side where the hydrogen
atoms are and a negative charge on the other side, where the oxygen atom is. Since
opposite electrical charges attract, water molecules tend to attract each other, making
water kind of "sticky." The side with the hydrogen atoms (positive charge) attracts the
oxygen side (negative charge) of a different water molecule.
All these water molecules attracting each other mean they tend to clump together. This is
why water drops are, in fact, drops! If it wasn't for some of Earth's forces, such as gravity,
a drop of water would be ball shaped into a perfect sphere. Even if it doesn't form a
perfect sphere on Earth, we should be happy water is sticky.
Water's Physical Properties
Water is unique in that it is the only natural substance that is found in all three states --
liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam) -- at the temperatures normally found on Earth. Earth's
water is constantly interacting, changing, and in movement.
Water freezes at 32o Fahrenheit (F) and boils at 212o F (at sea level, but 186.4° at 14,000
feet). In fact, water's freezing and boiling points are the baseline with which temperature
is measured: 0o on the Celsius scale is water's freezing point, and 100o is water's boiling
point. Water is unusual in that the solid form, ice, is less dense than the liquid form,
which is why ice floats.
Water has a high specific heat index. This means that water can absorb a lot of heat
before it begins to get hot. This is why water is valuable to industries and in your car's
radiator as a coolant. The high specific heat index of water also helps regulate the rate at
which air changes temperature, which is why the temperature change between seasons is
gradual rather than sudden, especially near the oceans.
Water has a very high surface tension. In other words, water is sticky and elastic, and
tends to clump together in drops rather than spread out in a thin film. Surface tension is
responsible for capillary action, which allows water (and its dissolved substances) to
move through the roots of plants and through the tiny blood vessels in our bodies.
Here's a quick rundown of some of water's properties:
Weight: 62.416 pounds per cubic foot at 32°F
Weight: 61.998 pounds per cubic foot at 100°F
Weight: 8.33 pounds/gallon, 0.036 pounds/cubic inch
Density: 1 gram per cubic centimeter (cc) at 39.2°F, 0.95865 gram per cc at 212°F
Here are some water volume comparisons:
1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 128 fluid ounces = 231 cubic inches
1 liter = 0.2642 gallons = 1.0568 quart = 61.02 cubic inches
1 million gallons = 3.069 acre-feet = 133,685.64 cubic feet
Passages and Quotes Related to Water Baptism
"In Christianity, baptism (from Greek βαπτίζω baptizo: "immersing", i.e. ritual washing)
is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which a person is admitted to membership of
the Church (body of believers). The New Testament reports that Jesus himself was
baptized. The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the candidate
to be immersed totally. As John the Baptist's use of a deep river for his baptism suggests
immersion.
Pictorial and archaeological evidence of Christian baptism from the 3rd century onwards
indicates that the normal form later on was to have the candidate stand in water while
water was poured over the upper body. Other common forms of baptism now in use
include pouring water three times on the forehead.
Baptism was seen as in some sense necessary for salvation, until Huldrych Zwingli in the
sixteenth century denied its necessity. Martyrdom was identified early in Church history
as 'baptism by blood', enabling martyrs who had not been baptized by water to be saved.
Later, the Catholic Church identified a baptism of desire, by which those preparing for
baptism who die before actually receiving the sacrament are considered saved.
Some Christians, particularly Quakers and the Salvation Army, do not see baptism as
necessary, and do not practice the rite. Among those that do, differences can be found in
the manner and mode of baptizing and in the understanding of the significance of the rite.
Most modern Christians baptize infants. Most Christians baptize 'in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit' (following the Great Commission), but
some baptize in Jesus' name only." Source: Wikipedia
The words of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour on baptism from 30-33 A.D. John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Peter wrote, “Baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the
flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21). Paul also wrote, “As many as have been baptized into Christ have
put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." (Romans 6:3-5)
Both books were written by around 65 A.D.
"Moreover, the things proceeding from the waters were blessed by God, that this also
might be a sign of men's being destined to receive repentance and remission of sins,
through the water and laver of regeneration,--as many as come to the truth, and are born
again, and receive blessing from God." Theopilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, 2:16 (A.D.
181).
Jerome, To Oceanus, 69:7 (A.D. 397). "Time would fail me were I to try to lay before
you in order all the passages in the Holy Scriptures which relate to the efficacy of
baptism or to explain the mysterious doctrine of that second birth which though it is our
second is yet our first in Christ. All of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have
been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism
into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (from Romans 6:3-4)."
"Moreover, from the time when He said, 'Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;' and again, 'He that loseth his life for my
sake shall find it; ' no one becomes a member of Christ except it be either by baptism in
Christ, or death for Christ." Augustine, On the Soul and its Origin, 1:10:9 (A.D. 419).
In 420 A.D. Augustine wrote, "(They shall) be called sons of the water though they are
called sons of God (through baptism by belief) the father. For, setting aside the grace of
baptism, which is given as an antidote to sin, so that what our birth imposes upon us, our
new birth relieves us from (this grace, however, takes away all the actual sins also that
have been committed in thought, word, and deed): setting aside, then, this great act of
favor, whence commences man's restoration, and in which all our guilt is washed away."
"One generation and another generation; the generation by which we are made the
faithful, and are born again by baptism; the generation by which we shall rise again from
the dead, and shall live with the Angels for ever." Augustine, Psalms,135:11 (A.D. 433).
"Thus we see what a great and excellent thing Baptism is, which snatches us from the
jaws of the devil and makes God our own, overcomes and takes away sin and daily
strengthens the new man, always remains until we pass from this present misery to
eternal glory. ... As we have once obtained forgiveness of sins in Baptism ... To put it
most simply, the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of Baptism is to save. No one is
baptized in order to become a prince, but as the words say, to 'be saved.' To be saved, we
know, is nothing else than to be delivered from sin, death, and the devil and to enter into
the kingdom of Christ and live with him forever." Martin Luther (Quoted from The Large
Catechism) "Luther attached great importance to his baptism. When the Devil assailed
him, he would answer, 'I am baptized'" (Here I Stand, Roland Bainton, p. 287).
The fact is that water alone has no magical qualities in it. It does give life in the natural
realm, and it's the most available substance in the world. It overs over sixty percent of the
earth's surface. Baptism was a command of Christ to be done in faith in His name. Belief
apart from action is completely worthless and dead (John 6:29, 14:15, 15:14; James 2:15-
26; 1 John 3:16-18). In the Old Testament, baptism was used to purify or cleanse
individuals. Naaman was baptized seven times in the Jordan River (as was Jesus in that
very same river by the hand of John, and Jesus did so to complete or fulfill all
righteousness) by the command of God through His servant Elisha, and he was healed
from the skin disease of leprosy. (2 Kings 5:1-15) Many trinitarians refuse the whole
council of God; therefore they know not the power nor the wisdom of Jesus Christ. This
is given freely to all the people who are baptized in His name. Anyone who's been
sprinkled in the titles (father, son, and Holy Ghost) will not be infilled nor receive the
Holy Ghost afterwards by it. All the apostles including Peter (the apostle to the Jew) and
Paul (the apostle to all the rest or Gentiles) baptized in the name of Jesus alone. They all
knew that the name of the father was Jesus. (John 5:43) The name of His son being Jesus
as well. (Matthew 1:18) And the Holy Ghost was sent in the name of Jesus. (John 14:26)
The whole family of God is named Jesus. (Ephesians 3:14-15) The apostles never
changed nor compromised the message. (Galatians 1:6-10) Christ never changes.
(Hebrews 13:8) God has never changed. (Malachi 3:6). This message of repentance, with
baptism in Jesus' name by belief was changed in 325 A.D. by the Catholics. And today
many still follow their formula(s). I say formulas because they later revised baptism
(from the Greek word baptizo; which always is interpreted as immersion, dipping, or
washing by liquid, i.e. water) to be sprinkling (rantizo; which can't even translated as the
same) of infants (who are too young to believe in anything anyway). Still, let God be true
(and His word is the record) and every man be seen as a liar, even those who come
against His words of life. (Matthew 4:4; Romans 3:4; and Revelations 22:18-19)
New Testament references to water baptism occur in the following verses: Matthew
28:19; Mark 16:15-17; Luke 24:45-47; John 3:5, 10:9, 14:6; Acts 2:38, 4:10-12, 8:16-18,
9:18, 10:36-48, 16:15, 16:31-33, 18:8, 19:5, 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians1:1-24;
Galatians 3:26-28; Colossians 2:10-12, 3:17; Ephesians 4:5; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 6:2,
10:22; I Peter 3:21.