Walk
338. Baptism
According
to Strong’s Concordance ‘baptize’
is defined in as follows:
Baptizo. Not to be confused with bapto. The clearest example that shows the
meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who
lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because
it uses both words. Nicander says
that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto)
into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of
vegetables in a solution, but the first is temporary. The second, the act of
baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change.
When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union
and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mark 16:16. 'He
that believes and is baptised shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere
intellectual assent is not enough.
There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the
pickle!
Bible
Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.
Baptism
is the outward physical act of what happened inside of you, that is, death,
burial and resurrection.
Matthew
28:19 says, “Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
This literally means to immerse into the name of, the character of God
Himself.
If you were put into a pool of water and died from
suffocation, and then were born again with the life of God in you that would be
a good example of what happened to you in the spiritual realm. This is why Jesus wants us to be baptized;
in order to show to the world, the demons, our flesh and body and mind what
actually happened to us in the spiritual realm. The actual act of going into the water and coming out really
does not do anything for you, except gives you an opportunity to obey God.
Baptism
does give you salvation.
It is
an act of obedience to take you on to further salvation. Salvation does not just mean the
initial born again experience.
Salvation, or being saved, is from a Greek word that means to be
delivered from danger and made whole.
After our initial salvation experience, we need to move on to further
“being made whole”, or salvation.
The first act of obedience that opens the door for more with God is
baptism. It is very important, but
not vital to our going to Heaven.
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who
does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
Paul talked about us being baptized with Christ when
we were born again. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we were
buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life.”
Colossians
2:12 says, “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him
through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Jesus was baptized. He had no sin but this was a sign that He was going to
identify and absorb our sin.
Matthew
3:13-17 says, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be
baptized by him. And John tried to
prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to
me?’ But Jesus answered and said to
him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up
immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And
suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased.’”
Jesus
spoke about His crucifixion as another one of His baptisms. Matthew 20:22
says, “But Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able
to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism
that I am baptized with?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’”
Some argue about being sprinkled or about being dunked. It is not worth arguing about! All I can say is that in Muslim countries when people come
to the Lord, the ones that are baptized by being immersed into water are the
ones who are killed and persecuted.
You do not need to be baptized by some special religious or
spiritual person. A friend
baptized me in a backyard swimming pool.
I have baptized some of my children in a river.
John spoke about the baptism in the Holy Sprit as
another type of baptism. Luke
3:16 says, “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but
One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
This baptism is covered in another lesson.
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