Chapter 1 What is Water Baptism? Part 1 of 1-- 10/31/13 Water Baptism is like marriage, in that should not be taken lightly and should be entered into with an understanding of its significance. To be baptized without understanding its meaning is tantamount to taking a dip in a pool or merely being immersed in water. Baptism shows multiple pictures, which all point back to its central biblical definition: Identification with Christ. In this chapter we shall give an overview of baptism’s main definitions, some of which are: 1. An open display of obedience to Christ’s command in the Great Commission. Those performing the baptism are fulfilling Christ’s intent, and those baptized are lining up with Christ’s wishes for the newly regenerated, (Matt. 28:19-20) as well as following His example (Matt. 3:13-17). 2. It signifies the believer’s death, burial and resurrection with Christ. Romans 6:3 says that we were baptized into His death; verse 6:4a says, “we are buried with Him through baptism,” The same verse asserts, “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” In these verses we see death, burial and resurrection. Entering the water shows death, the act of being immersed shows burial, the believer is engulfed or consumed by the water; hence they are now identified with it. Just as dead bodies are covered with soil, so are the dead to sin covered by water baptism? Finally, coming up out of the water exemplifies the resurrection. In fact the Greek word for resurrection may be translated to stand up again. The believer having been buried through baptism into Christ’s death now stands again, after being lifted out of the water. We must note that the recipients of baptism do not perform the act upon themselves. They are dependent on another who has gone before them to do so. In like manner, the believer is dependent on Christ, as without Him there would be no substance for baptism’s significance. 3. Baptism publicly proclaims to the world as individual’s identification with Christ and His Church. It serves to outwardly demonstrate an inner personal reality, which is the personal application of God’s grace in the believer’s life. In baptism the person standing on the water’s bank are in an unclean state. They are immersed in the water so as to be cleansed by it and identified with its cleansing effects. The result is that the person arises now cleansed and lives a life consummate with their newly obtained state. Such is a picture of God’s grace and Christ’s blood applied to the sinner, who now is made a new creature and proceeds to walk in newness of life. Water baptism advertises to the world the inner workings of God’s grace, God does it and we display it. 4. Water Baptism further shows that a believer now has a heavenly citizenship. It publicly affirms that we are no longer of this world but belong to Christ and His Kingdom. It tells that we are members of Christ’s church, and as such we are now emissaries to earth, on behalf of heaven’s interests. 5. In being baptized the believer tells the public to observe their life, as it will display the walk of new life and the Spirit’s fruit, in keeping with being identified with Christ. Using these points as a foundation, we shall now venture into the specifics of our treatment of Water Baptism. About the author—Dr. Kevin Storr is a Professor of Condensed Matter Physics and Pastor of the forthcoming Impact Center in Cypress Texas. For more information about Prof. Storr visit kevinstorr, look us up on facebook/storrkevin or facebook/profstorr twitter/storrkevin email at storr@kevinstorr.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:54:13 +0000
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