Baptism 2024 (Sept)

I am so thankful that we are going to join in the joy of Baptism with a few folks. Some young and some young in spirit.

I want to be clear about what baptism is not…it is not something required for salvation. Salvation has already come for each one being baptized today. Baptism is first a public declaration of a believer’s faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Let me give you a quick snapshot of salvation...

First we need to know what we are saved from…if you have a Bible turn with me to Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

God’s standard is perfection. We are all very, very short of that standard. We are all sinners. We see the consequence of that sin in Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 NIV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That word wages means what we’ve earned. As a result of our sin, we have earned eternal death. Even so, Jesus came and died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin and on the 3rd day rose again conquering death once and for all.

What Jesus did for us is a gift. A gift of eternal life instead of what we’ve earned.

We’ve all probably received a gift at some point in our lives. In order to fully receive a gift, we have to open that gift and use what is inside. Romans 10:9-10 tells us how to receive this gift that Jesus gave us.

Romans 10:9–10 NIV

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

All of the folks being baptized have done this. At one point or another in their lives, they have professed and believed.

There may be some here who will witness these being baptized and you may want what it is that they have already received. I would love to talk to you more about that. One of the greatest joys I get to be a part of is walking someone personally through this conversation and helping people understand God’s great love for us.

Please come see me if you would like to talk more about this.

So what then is baptism?

To answer this question, turn in Romans back a few chapters to Romans 6:3-4

Romans 6:3–4 NIV

3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

Paul is teaching here about Baptism and that when we are baptized, we are identifying ourselves with Him in his death, burial and resurrection.

When the person goes under the water we identify with his death and burial and then when raised out of the water, we identify with Jesus resurrection and we are raised to new life in Christ.

Now, I must state again that this new life starts at the moment Christ is received as Lord and Savior, but baptism gives us a symbolic act where we can look back and see where we have publically identified with Christ in his death burial and resurrection. And in Christ we have NEW LIFE. Not just eternal life when we physically die, but new life here and now.