Baptism is a
beautiful picture of what our Lord and Savior has done for us. Being completely submersed in water
symbolizes the burial of the old man, the washing over top of us with water
symbolizes the washing away of our sins, and the rising out of the water
symbolizes the resurrection of the new man arising and walking forth.
“Or you do
not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into His death? 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.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death,
certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this,
that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done
away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.”
(Romans 6:3-7)
Jesus
Himself was baptized prior to His death and resurrection by John the
Baptist. With His own baptism, He
foreshadowed the death and resurrection that was to come.
Following
Jesus example, we too should be baptized in water. Not only is it symbolic, but it also publicly
expresses the change that has taken place in our lives. Inside of us, we have laid down our old self
and asked forgiveness of our sins. Jesus
blood has cleansed us and made us a new person in Christ. Water baptism allows us an avenue to
outwardly show what has taken place inwardly.
Read John
Chapter 19.
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