For this study we will only use a few to see the cycle for the believer but before we do that we will start to open up some of these Biblical patterns.

The pattern which we are using is the line below with two valleys and a peek.

The next diagram is a plan view of the nation of Israel on the journey from Egypt where they had been in captivity to the time they entered the Promised Land.

As can be seen in the map above there are Seven major steps which the Israelites took.

A Rite of Passage is a ritual or ceremony to signify an event in a person's life that indicates a transition from one stage of life to another.

Without progressive Rites of Passage young Christians may find it hard to gain clear direction in life.

Here are the steps or Rites of Passage the Nation of Israel had to follow.

Israelites needed to follow these Rites of Passage to gain entry into the Promised Land, which is a picture of us moving from salvation to having the promised living the Bible offers us.

Act & Process of Rites of Passage

Rite of Passage is an act as well as part of a process.

It is important for us as Christian to be aware of this act and process so that we can best help young ones to progress in their Christian life and also for our own children so that they can see clearly the progress with fluidity and continuity through the passage of their life.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you will receive my words and hide my commandments with you, 2 so that you attend to wisdom, you shall extend your heart to understanding; 3 yea, if you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding; 4 if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures, 5 then you shall understand the fear of Jehovah and find the knowledge of God. 6 For Jehovah gives wisdom; out of His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. 8 He keeps the paths of judgment, and guards the way of His saints. 9 Then you shall understand righteousness and judgment and honesty, every good path. 10 When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasing to your soul; (MKJV)

Back to the Israelites:

The first six books of the Bible are covered here from the end of Genesis where the Israel went into captivity in Egypt. Exodus deals with the Israelites coming under the leadership of Moses, followed by Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and finally the book of Joshua deals with the nation taking the Promised Land from those who inhabited it.

The line above with two bodies of water, one the Red Sea and the other is the river Jordan. Mount Sinai is represented by the peek.

We have seven major occurrences listed below for the Israelites which started with the ACT of submitting to Moses leadership, then followed by six more steps in the process of total salvation.

0. Pre time

1. Coming under the leadership of Moses

2. Pass through the Red Sea

3. Seven weeks coming to Mt Sinai / no turning back

4. Received the Law at Mt Sinai

5. 40 years in the wilderness

6. Pass through the River Jordan / Death / Death to self

7. Promised Land / Promised living / Heaven

In this study we will only look at the 1,2 and 4 compared to our Christian walk. If you desire to study these and more of these patterns please contact me for my book Rite of Passage.

1. Coming under the leadership of Moses / Salvation

1. Salvation

Salvation can and only come about by the leading of the Holy Spirit. A person born into a Christian family is not a Christians by a birth rite. Salvation is a Rite of Passage into the Kingdom of God only when the sinner comes to the place where they can see the depth of their sins and the loving grace of a Holy God and then repent. The Rite of Passage is gained by repentance for sin with the revelation His blood washed them away and a belief in Jesus, that He is the Son of God and He rose from the dead.

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he who keeps the law, he is blessed. (MKJV)

To set in place a certain age that a person can come to repentance is identifying the need but it removes the heart felt repentance brought about by the Holy Spirit. To set an age is religion and not faith.

The Rite of Passage into heaven doesn’t come at the end of a person’s earthy life, but somewhere on the road of life. If a person rejects the Rite of Passage that can be found in Jesus, they will not ascend at the conclusion of their earthly life but descend into the pit of hell.

The Rite of Passage into hell is easy to achieve, all you need to do, is do nothing and reject the gift of salvation from God through Jesus.

Romans 10:8 But what does it say? "The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart"; that is, the Word of Faith which we proclaim; 9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. (MKJV)

2. Pass through the Red Sea / Water baptism

2. Water baptism

Water baptism is not required for salvation although references are made to it in scripture by Paul but with further study you will come to see that it’s Jesus blood that washes us clean. Water does not have that power, the water baptism is a public demonstration of whom do we belong to and fulfills Mosaic Law (Exodus 40:11-13) in regards to Priesthood, this is the act of fulfilling righteousness Jesus mentioned at His baptism.

Here in Acts 9:17, 20 we see that the order can change and time also can elapse between each step proving that water baptism isn’t a prerequisite for the act of salvation, but is part of the ongoing process of salvation.

A. Saul (Paul) meets Jesus on the road and believes.

B. Ananias come and lays hands on him and he receives the Holy Spirit.

C. Then Saul gets baptized, but it does not say into water. “And rising up, he was baptized. 19 And taking food, he was strengthened”. The “And” used here implies that they were still in the home.

Please Note:

i/ Salivation

ii/ The Holy Spirit couldn’t enter an unsaved person.

iii/ Water baptism came later and isn’t mentioned.

Acts 10:44; 48. Here again in the house of Cornelius the order is as above the water baptism comes later.

Salvation comes first and the other important baptism come at a later time clearly showing salvation is an act and that water baptism and Holy Spirit Baptism are part of the process of salvation.

If we have no water should we reject a person from making a confession of faith based on Romans 10; 8 to 10. To place a requirement of water baptism for salvation again is religion and not faith.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (MKJV)

Dedication of Children is for the children of believers and has nothing to do with their salvation. A child does not need to be baptized their soul is protected by the faith and covering of the parents and this is not a requirement by the Church, but is only done when the parents are led by the Holy Spirit to do so. Regulations are religion not faith. This practice is more Biblical.

Jesus was not baptized as a child but after the period of forty days of ceremonial cleansing by His mother He was dedicated to God. He was not sprinkled or submerged into or by water; it was a prayer of dedication.

Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, So, then, separate Barnabas and Saul to Me for the work to which I have called them. 3 Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they let them go. 4 Then these indeed sent out by the Holy Spirit went down to Seleucia. And from there they sailed to Cyprus. (MKJV)

4. Received the Law at Mt Sinai / Baptism in the Holy Spirit

4. Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues is for the empowerment and not for salvation as some have stated. To make speaking in tongues a requirement for salvation again this is religion and not faith.

Acts 8:17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (MKJV)

Act 19:11 And God did works of power through the hands of Paul, (MKJV)

The boldness of sharing the Gospel is not a prerequisite to salvation it is only regarded by God as being wise.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he who takes souls is wise. 31 Behold, the righteous shall be rewarded in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner. (MKJV)

The Soul-winner’s Crown is for the wisdom of going out into the entire world and winning of souls.

Proverbs 14:24 The crown of the wise is their riches of wisdom; the foolishness of fools is folly. 25 A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies. (MKJV)

Religious Formality

Religion weighs people down with its formality on the other hand faith is to trust in a loving God who is a lamp unto our feet who will bring us through to His full glory of freedom by His Holy Spirit. Don’t be mistaken the Holy Spirit is not a spirit of confusion, but of order, not man’s order but Gods order.

As we follow the Old Testament Typology of the Nation on Israel with it’s outworking through Jesus in the New Testament. We can implement these Rites of Passage in our lives and then we can move quickly into victory.

The greatest Rite of Passage is our salvation, which is when we are justified by faith in Jesus plus nothing. The action of a prayer of confession and repentance clears the way back to a full relationship and fellowship with God. The prayer is bringing the golden treads of truth found in the word of God together in utterance to God to secure us into Gods heart.

The prayer of salvation meets all the requirements of the dynamics of Divine Law and brings assurance of the rite of salvation to the one saying the prayer and opens the door to God.

Danger

The dangers of over formalization of the Rite of Passage by churches have caused the removal of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church and the believer.

A process or ceremony of confirmation which is set in place by man and at a certain age is not a thing of God? This process is hyper faith it appears to be faith, but God is not in the picture He is only in the process.

After birth, the traditional churches have these major progressions in church life set at certain ages.

• The rite of infant baptism

• The rite of reconciliation or penance follows at about age seven, confesses and makes restitution for his or her own sins

• Rite of first communion,

• The rite of confirmation takes place at about twelve years of age more mature stage marked by the indwelling of the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit.

• And more

The Jewish tradition use the bat mitzvah to symbolizes the transition from childhood to adulthood. The meaning of bat mitzvah they are sons and daughters of the commandments. Although the children are not obligated to follow the commandants they are encouraged to study them so that when they become adults they will follow them. This obligation will fall upon them when they turn 12 for girls and 13 for a boy. The ceremony formally marks their obligation to the law. It also gives these young the right to take part in leading religious services automatically when they become adults.

Rites of Passage will let you know who you are.

If you know who you are, then it is more difficult for the enemy to bring confusion into your life.

Proverbs 4:1 Sons, hear the instruction of a father, and listen in order to know understanding. 2 For I give you good teaching; do not forsake my law. 3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He also taught me, and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not; nor turn away from the words of my mouth. (MKJV)

If you can say:

I am, Born-again, Son or Daughter of the most high God, Spirit Filled, tongue talking, fire breathing, Christians who defends the Faith.

I am the one, who has authority to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all that will listen in every corner of the world and you can call me?????

Then you know who you are.

You will need to get my book Rite of Passage to learn more or 3,5,6 and 7

3. Seven weeks coming to Mt Sinai / no turning back

5. Wandering in the wilderness for 40 years

6. Pass through the River Jordan / Death / Death to self

7. Promised Land / Promised living / Heaven