The only word used in the Greek NT for baptism is “baptizo”
In the Greek, this word translated means immerse.
Baptism is spoken about in three ways in the New Testament
BAPTISM BY
THE SPIRIT into the body 1 Corinthians 12:12,13; Ephesians 4:4,5
BAPTISM BY WATER also known as believer’s baptism
BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT for power
and ministry
So WHY baptism?
Baptism by water immersion is
commanded by Christ.
It is out of obedience to Jesus’ command that we take the step of baptism.
Baptism by water is an outward
display of Christ’s ownership of us and love for Jesus. In His name I am baptized with Him. I am a Christ –one, a follower of Jesus, a
little Christ. It is a symbol of my new
love, my new life in Christ!
Baptism is a recognition of our
identification with other Christians. It is a symbol of me being a
new member of the body and family of Christ.
Baptism is an outward sign of
repentance. Acts 2:38 ‘repent and be baptized’ A
turning to Christ is a turning away from sin, a 180 degree of my perspective
from being a slave to sin to being instrument for Jesus.
WHEN did baptism take place?
Baptism took place in the NT very
shortly after coming to faith in Jesus Believers did not wait until they were
mature enough to prove their commitment to Jesus Christ by years of faithful
service. Their baptism was a badge of
witness that they chose to put on very shortly after coming to faith in Jesus
Christ.
WHAT did baptism represent?
Baptism is a picture of our death,
burial and resurrection with Christ. It is an expression of what
took place when a person becomes a Christian I am buried with him, dead to sin and
raised with Him to walk in newness of life.
So,
because of Jesus, the power sin has over us has been
broken. Romans 6
The same power that raised
Christ from the dead now lives in us!
Philippians 3:10. On that day,
Jesus defeated death and we have a new nature, new life, new freedom in
Him. Out of His death, we have new
life. We also go through a death, burial
and resurrection where we die to self.
In our burial and death, we recognize
that we are sinners and that we need Jesus.
In order to have new life, we must first die to our own will, our own
selfishness, knowing that God is good and has a much better plan and purpose
for us.
The burial represents the
fact that our old life is done. I just
did a funeral yesterday. We don’t dig up
a person that has just been buried. Our
past was meant to stay in the past. We don’t dig it up. It is gone, it’s been
buried. We don’t own our past, Jesus
paid for that. He paid the price for our
forgiveness and we are now to focus on the present and what He wants to do in
us.
The water is a picture of us being cleansed with Christ.
It
means that we understand we are forgiven of everything in our past and God
cleansed us and made us whole people, holy.
Your sins are paid in full. We
are forgiven that we might forgive and share His ultimate forgiveness.
What does it mean to be
resurrected with Christ?
There are new
experiences to discover in Jesus. We are
given spiritual gifts. We see the world
differently, we have hope, we aren’t afraid of death. There is no more reason for fear. We are
given God’s Spirit and He can heal every hurt, break any addiction. There is incredible power to live a life on
purpose. We can discover incredible
peace that goes beyond human understanding.
This is the
incredible picture that baptism represents.
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