Baptism – A Big Deal
From the Scriptures we have come to understand water baptism as the immersion of a person into water, upon profession of personal faith in Christ, as a sacred, symbolic act publicly identifying us with Jesus and His church. His church consists of others who identify in the same way with Him. It’s all about Him and those who belong to Him.
Connecting phrases like ‘in Christ’ or ‘with Christ’ or ‘through Christ’ occur throughout the New Testament hundreds of times. This is the chief way that the Scriptures describe the relationship we have with Jesus as His followers.
Jesus Himself personally explained it this way to His first disciples.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day, you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Jn 14:18-20
“And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one… I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Jn 17:11,20-23
The new life we have in Jesus is all about our connection with Him and water baptism pictures this. It is a union that is pervasive and encompassing. We are in Christ and Christ is in us. In other words, water baptism pictures Spirit baptism.
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” 1Cor 12:13
Water baptism is an all-inclusive imagery that pictures an entire submerging of ourselves and thus a death and a rebirth - a whole new life in Him.
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Rom 6:3-5
Water baptism is a big deal. But the reason it’s such a big deal is that the new life we have in Him and all He means to those who follow Him is a very big deal. (See Matthew 28:18-20)
If you would like to speak with a pastor about baptism, we would encourage you to connect with us here.
Connecting phrases like ‘in Christ’ or ‘with Christ’ or ‘through Christ’ occur throughout the New Testament hundreds of times. This is the chief way that the Scriptures describe the relationship we have with Jesus as His followers.
Jesus Himself personally explained it this way to His first disciples.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day, you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Jn 14:18-20
“And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one… I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Jn 17:11,20-23
The new life we have in Jesus is all about our connection with Him and water baptism pictures this. It is a union that is pervasive and encompassing. We are in Christ and Christ is in us. In other words, water baptism pictures Spirit baptism.
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” 1Cor 12:13
Water baptism is an all-inclusive imagery that pictures an entire submerging of ourselves and thus a death and a rebirth - a whole new life in Him.
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Rom 6:3-5
Water baptism is a big deal. But the reason it’s such a big deal is that the new life we have in Him and all He means to those who follow Him is a very big deal. (See Matthew 28:18-20)
If you would like to speak with a pastor about baptism, we would encourage you to connect with us here.
