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"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:5-6)
I grew up in a Christian environment with parents and siblings who had professed faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. My father, a Presbyterian minister, baptized me when I was less than a year old. In the Presbyterian Church, they believed in sprinkling water as a baptism. My parents made that commitment to raise me in the truth of God’s Word, and the congregation committed also. I didn’t make any commitment, as I didn’t know what was going on. When I grew, I believed in God, and I believed in His Son Jesus. Even Satan and his demons believe that. (James 2:19) Later in life, I was baptized in a Baptist Church in Florida. There was no counseling or any explanation of what I was participating in. I knew, but I thought there should have been some discussion for some confirmation. Baptism is a serious decision to make, and it must be made with a firm commitment.
There has to be more than just answering the call. "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) It must be more than doing what everyone in the church is doing or has done. It must be more than answering a question, “Do you want to be baptized?” It is more significant than being “buried in death and raised to life,” as this just sounds like a definitive statement to move on from. What does that mean, and why do we have to do it? How does that change a life, and what power does that give to do so? Are we supposed to know the answers, or did I miss something when I was eight months old?
In the Old Testament, the Israelite nation practiced circumcision as a commitment to their obedience to the Word of the Lord God. Circumcision was a command the Lord God made with Abraham to be a mark his people would have for their agreement with the covenant made between them and God. I was also circumcised before being eight months old, and I am thankful for that. I am not sure I would want to be circumcised at my age today. "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you." (Genesis 17:10-11).
Today, the Israelites still practice circumcision for that purpose and others for hygiene reasons. For the world of Christianism, circumcision is no longer practiced. With the advent of Jesus, circumcision was no longer needed to endure, as Jesus brought on the New Covenant, the Church age. Circumcision was cutting away the flesh to symbolize the participant was denying the fleshly desires for the world and focused on the world to come God’s Kingdom. Baptism in the New Covenant is cutting away the fleshly desires of the heart, trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and following Him in faith.
Baptism is a symbolic representation of what has taken place in the heart of a believer. Baptism represents the believer’s forgiveness and cleansing from sin by faith in Jesus. The physical act of baptism is a public confession of faith and belief in the gospel message of God’s Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. "In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:11-12)
There are two interesting commands of Jesus given to His disciples after His crucifixion. First was the great commission, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) Here Jesus commands to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. John the Baptist baptized with water, and now the disciples are to baptize with the Holy Spirit.
Second, before His Ascension, instructed His disciples not to leave Jerusalem, as they were to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Unlike the baptism of John the Baptist, they would be baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit. "Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, 'Which,' He said, 'you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:4–5)
The disciples waited in prayer, and on the day of Pentecost, with a rush of wind, the Holy Spirit indwelled them, and they began to preach with great power, and thousands joined the church of Jesus as a result of the Spirit’s power. The power of God’s Word rests in the power of the Holy Spirit. Ministers who prophesy without the Holy Spirit are just babbling. One must have experienced what they are preaching, as Paul teaches in his letter to the Roman Church. "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 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. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection" (Romans 6:3-5)
The disciples did not fully comprehend all Jesus was teaching them before His crucifixion, but it became clear after His resurrection. Even Jesus’ half-brothers James and Jude did not believe until after Jesus rose from the grave. "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:21)
Those who accepted the call of Jesus are united in the power of the Holy Spirit with the body of Christ. They become of one mind in the likeness of their Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:26-29)
When the Pastor baptizes someone, they show their covenant act as a sign entering into the New Covenant of Christ. By confession of faith, their sins have been nailed to the cross of Jesus. Through Christs’ resurrection, they come into a new birth born of the Spirit. The Pastor will baptize them in the name of the Father, as it was the Father who made the first covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-11) and makes the New Covenant through His Son, who removes their flesh by His baptism. "Canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (Colossians 2:14)
The Pastor will baptize them in the name of the Holy Spirit, as He is the power to create the new man born of the Spirit. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
Baptism is a physical act that symbolizes what has taken place in the spirit and a confession of faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Becoming children of the New Covenant by Jesus’ work on the cross. It is done in the power of the Holy Spirit and will of the Father. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
Thomas N Kirkpatrick
First Baptist Church of Durant, November 2, 2021
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