I Remember the Water. I Still Wait for the Fire.
On the three stages of baptism — water, spirit, and fire — and why attending church after water baptism does not guarantee salvation. A reflection on Dr. Hawkins, the Gospel of Thomas, and what true awakening might require.
On May 30th, I attended the funeral of my wife's uncle in LA. Every time I go to a funeral, I notice the same thing. Those gathered say to the deceased, "Rest in peace in heaven now." I hope that is true for all who have passed. But that is only the wish of the family and friends assembled there — what actually happens, no one truly knows.
Dr. David Hawkins argued that every person carries a different spiritual level, and that while alive, one lives according to that level — and after death, one goes to the place that corresponds to it. He emphasized that we must practice love and diligently raise our spiritual level while we still can. This idea of differing spiritual levels runs parallel to the three stages of baptism proposed by Professor Kang-nam Oh in his commentary on the Gospel of Thomas.
Professor Oh divides spiritual development into three stages: water baptism, spirit baptism, and fire baptism. The stage of water baptism is one of reading scripture literally, at face value. With spirit baptism, one moves beyond the letter of the text and begins to perceive its symbolic and metaphorical depths. Fire baptism brings complete awakening — a mystical union with the divine.
In verse 10 of the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says, "I have cast fire upon the world, and look, I'm guarding it until it blazes." Professor Oh interprets this fire as fire baptism.
The same current runs through the canonical Gospels. Luke 12:49 reads, "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled." In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist declares, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I — he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
Water baptism is a ceremony any pastor can perform. It is nothing more than an entry point. Attending church faithfully after water baptism does not guarantee salvation — though most assume it does. True salvation, I believe, requires fire baptism. I remember the day I received water baptism. But the day I receive fire baptism — that day has not yet come.