Identify with Jesus

Read 1 Peter 3:13-4:6

Context

end of ch. 2 die to sin and live for righteousness:

Wives win husband over with Godly behavior not looks.

Husbands win wives over by understadning them & honoring them.

In sum be in harmony and humle not revengeful or spiteful, but pursue peace and what is good.

What does our conduct have to do with Baptism?

Do you rememeber your baptism?

Our conduct reveals the status of our heart. Our Baptism is us saying outwardly that our heart belongs to Christ? Baptism is an outward picture of our inward change.

What does it mean to identify with Christ through baptism? Why do We get into the water? Why is it a big deal?

We are saying, “I believe what Christ has done for me and saying I now live for Christ because He loved me, chose me.

He lived, died, and rose again so you and I could live free from sin and totally for Him.

What is Baptism & Why do we do it?

Historically: BF&M 2000 “Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing [picturing] the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.”

For Believers as an act of obedience to illustrtates their death to sin, burrial of old life, and raise to new life in Jesus.

Baptism is an outward picture to our inward change.

Baptism was not a new concept. Often people were told to go “baptize” or immerse in sacrered pools to be cleansed cerimonially, so they could be cleansed from sin. The idea of immersing was to be totally clean, changed, made new.

Biblically:

John the baptist: Mark 1:4 Repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus: Matthew 3 “to fullfill all righteousness by identifying with the Kingdom.”

Peter: Acts 2:39: “repentance and forgiveness of sins

1 Peter 3 Baptisma: “immerision” or identifying with Christ or repentance. why we believe in fully body under the water.

Paul: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

The point is {ask congregation Baptism is... [PAUSE FOR RESPONSE]... an outward picture of our inward change.

Here are 3 changes Christ does in us that we ought to affirm through Baptism. “ANSWERS WHY?”

Christ changes our perspective. v. 13-17

A. Suffering seen as a blessing.

B. Christ recognized as the only Lord in our lives.

That allows us to defend truth with gentleness and reverence.

and live with a clean conscience.

Christ changes our position. v. 18-22

A. Far From God to near Him.

B. Dead to alive

C. Guilty to innocent

Christ changes our purpose. v. 4:1-6

A. World’s will to God’s Will

B. My will to God’s Will

Application:

1 Peter 2:21-24 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

Baptism is an outward picture of our inward change.

Baptism is an outward action that says we have repented of our sins and want to fully follow Christ because of what he has done for us.

Call to Respond.