“Baptism – Entry Into A New Life”
By: Mike Dorrell
What is baptism? What is it for?
It is a way that we enter into a personal relation with God and Jesus Christ. When I was a young boy it was so I could eat the little bite of bread and drink the juice. The older I became, the more I learned that it is a very important part of my salvation.
There are a lot of religions that do not believe that baptism is part of the salvation steps. So, who first brought baptism to us? – John the Baptist.
In Luke it tells us of the priest, Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth. Zachariah, while he was in the temple of the Lord, (burning incense which was usually a once in a life time chance chose by drawing lots) had a visit from an angel telling him his prayers have been answered. He will have a son and he will call him John. Zachariah and Elizabeth were getting up in years, so this did not seem possible. The angel Gabriel told Zachariah that John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time of birth. He will bring back many Israelites to the Lord their God. Zachariah did not believe, so he could not talk ‘til the baby was born. Zachariah was told to name him John by the angel; no one in his family had the name John. When Elizabeth was six months with child, her relative, Mary, had a visit from the angel to tell her about her baby, the Lord Jesus Christ. The baby John leaped for joy and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Zachariah was asked to write the name of his son and when he did, he spoke for the first time since the angel had come to him. He said the boy’s name is John.
After that, he said John is to go before the Lord to prepare the way for Him; to give his people KNOWLEDGE OF SALVATION through the forgiveness of their sins.
Luke 3:2-6 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, son of Zachariah, in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (as is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, 40:3-5)
A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see GOD’S SALVATION.
John was sent by God to teach us about baptism. Jesus came to John to be baptized. Why? He had no sins to confess. John did not want to baptize Jesus; he thought Jesus should baptize him. Jesus replied: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.” – Matt. 4:15
John 1:33 “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me. ‘The man on whom you see the spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”
Who were the first disciples of Jesus (Andrew and Peter) They were John’s disciples first; then they were most likely baptized by John.
MARK 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Does the Bible say this anywhere else? YES ACTS 2:38-41 “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and three thousand were added to their number that day.”
It is important to be baptized right away; or can you do it later?
ACTS 8:34-39 “The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.”
What would you do if the person that baptized you left as soon as you were out of the water? Would you still believe in what he said, or go back to the old ways that you just said “goodbye” to?
Paul was in jail converting other souls in the jail that would listen to him, when this sort of thing happened to him. ACTS 16:29-33 “The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and all your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then IMMEDIATELY he and all his family were baptized.”
In the martial arts, people always ask what if this or that happens. Paul was in jail and was told when and what to eat, but God found a way to baptize the jailer with water.
Acts 18:7-8 “Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titus Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.”
When talking to Saul ACTS 22:14-16 “Then he said: The god of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the righteous one and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
Why is water used? Why not just pour water on their heads?
1 Peter 3:20-22 “long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
John 3:5 “Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”
“Baptism” in Greek (baptizo) means to dip, immersion; not to have water thrown in our face or dropped on us. It is the only symbolic form of baptism that conveys what Jesus went through to bring us everlasting life.
GALATIANS 3:26-27 “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
COLOSSIANS 2:10-12 “You have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.”
ROMANS 6:3-7 “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, the we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”
To cloth yourselves with Christ, we must go through the same as Jesus: not in the being nailed to the cross ourselves, but in dying to one’s self, then buried, then raised again to a newness of life in Christ Jesus.
Christ arose from the dead: possessor of a new and endless life! AMEN!
EPHESIANS 4:3-6 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
1 CORINTHIANS 12:13-13 “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
MATTHEW 28:18-20 The Great Commission –“Then Jesus came to then and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
So, what is baptism? It is a washing away of our sins, taking us into a newness of life in Jesus through faith. We know that it is given to us by God for us to fulfill all righteousness. (Jesus told us that, when John did not want to baptize him)
Do we need to do it now, or can we do this later? No, we must do it NOW. Is it needed for salvation? We must be immersed completely in water to wash away our sins. We must be buried and raised again to a new discipleship with Christ Jesus. (and receive the Holy Spirit)
So now we know baptism is the true step in walking anew with Christ Jesus as our Lord God!
If there is anyone who has a need to come to a newness with Christ, to put an end to the old self and clothe themselves with Christ, come forward. We will gladly help you in the way of your Lord. He has laid out a plan of salvation through John the Baptist and through Jesus Christ to do this. Come now, as we sing the song of invitation, that you may be baptized, cleansed of your sins, and receive the gift of everlasting life.