|
NEW TESTAMENT BAPTISMS Baptism in Water By Larry Kreider Baptism In Water Shows We are Dead to Sin and Alive to Christ A second reason why water baptism is so important is that it shows we are dead to sin and alive to Christ, according to Romans 6:4. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Water baptism is a sign of being buried to sin and resurrected to new life. Jesus was buried and resurrected two thousand years ago. We are buried with Him by baptism in a spiritual sense. We must be dead to ourselves before we can have new life. When we come to the cross, we die to our old way of living so that we can have the new resurrected life that God has promised. When you go to a funeral and see a dead man, you ,know that he cannot respond to anything. He cannot be hurt physically or emotionally. He cannot feel pain. He is dead! When we are buried in Christ, our old nature no longer can do its own thing; it is dead. So then, spiritually speaking, our old life is dead. Here's an example: Joe was a former ganster with the Mafia, who gave his life to Jesus. His lfe was permanently changed. A few weeks after he gave his life to the Lord, one of his Mafia brothers called him on the phone and said, "Hey, is Joe there?" Joe answered, "No, Joe died," and hung up the phone. The truth is, Joe had died. He was a brand new Joe and was living a brand new life. The old Joe was dead, a new Joe had come, and Jesus Christ now lived in him. Water baptism is a sign that we have died to self and, with the power of God's glory, now walk in a new life. Sometimes people ask, "How should a person be baptized?" The Greek word for baptize is baptiso, which means to immerse. We encourage people to be immersed in the water. Going into the watery grave of baptism is symbolic of dying to self, being buried and then resurrected as we come up out of the water. You have been crucified with Christ. Your old "man" (evil nature) is dead. Through water baptism, you become dead to sin and alive to Christ. REFLECTION What is the spiritual explanation of going under and coming back up out of the water? Can you truly say that your "old self" is dead? _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
|
