Baptism

Baptism is the first step of obedience as a Christian.  Baptism shows the world that we now belong to Jesus Christ.  We have repented of our sins and accepted Him as our Lord and Savior.  Baptism is a picture or symbol lesson.  There are three things that Baptism symbolizes, first what Jesus Christ did for us on Calvary, next what occurred when we were saved, and what happened when the Holy Spirit indwelt us. 

First, Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried for three days, and rose again. (Matthew 26,27,28) Water Baptism shows the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible says “we are buried with Him by Baptism.” Romans 6:4.  Burial involves complete submersion.  When we bury a dead animal we don’t sprinkle just a little dirt on its head, we dig a hole and completely cover the carcass.  When our Lord Jesus was buried He was completely entombed.  So when we baptize we completely submerse in water.  Baptism involves being completely submersed and then coming back up out of the water that shows what Jesus went through for us.  The person being Baptize proclaims the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ through Baptism.

Next, Baptism shows what occurred when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Romans 6:1-5.  We died to our old sinful way of life and rose to newness of life in Christ Jesus.  We are made alive by the Holy Spirit.  We are new creatures in Christ Jesus.  The old things have passed away, behold all things are become new.  We proclaim to the world by being baptized that we no longer serve sin, but now we belong to Jesus Christ and serve Him.  By being obedient to God through being baptized we show the world we now belong to Him.  We invite our friends and family and in doing so we witness to them and proclaim what God has done for us.  Romans 10:9-11.

Finally, Baptism shows what the Holy Spirit did at our salvation.  The Bible says that anyone who doesn’t have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is “none of His.”  At salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells us.  He completely baptizes us in Him.  At salvation, we are totally equipped for all that we need in Christ Jesus.  Some people pray for more of the Holy Spirit or for a “second work” of the Holy Spirit, but that is not necessary.  Jesus proclaimed on the cross “it is finished.”  Salvation is a complete package.  When the Holy Spirit does His work it is complete.  The Holy Spirit is a person as He is a member of the Trinity.  You can’t ask for more of a person to be in the room.  Either they are in the room or they aren’t.  The same is true of the Holy Spirit.  Either the Holy Spirit indwells you or He doesn’t.  Either you are saved or you aren’t, there isn’t any middle ground.  The Holy Spirit baptizes us into Christ at salvation.  We are completely filled with the Holy Spirit at salvation.  The Holy Spirit is shown in our life through the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:22, 23.   The gifts of the Holy Spirit are different than the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  The evidence of the Holy Spirit is a changed life.  If we want more of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, then we must surrender to God resist the devil and he will flee from us.  James 4:7.  Baptism shows that at salvation the Holy Spirit completely covers us.  We are sealed in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  Ephesians 1:13, John 1:26, 33

Baptism is the first step of obedience as a Christian.  We show the world a symbol lesson of the death burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We show the world we have died to sin and have risen to a new life in Christ Jesus.  We show the world a symbol lesson of what the Holy Spirit has done for us at salvation.  Through Baptism we proclaim to the world our Lord Jesus Christ and prove ourselves to be obedient to Him.

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