Word for the day by Christian education Forum
Holy
Baptism-Born From Above.
Alex Thomas & Dr. Susan Alex,
Jackson, TN.
20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited
patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few,
that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And baptism, which
this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as
an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ,
The word Baptism is derived from
the Greek word "Baptisma" and it is similar to the Aramaic word,
"Mamodisa", which means, immersion or washing". Christian
baptism is a symbolic illustration of the death, burial, and resurrection of
Christ. Through baptism, "we die with Christ and rise with Him".
It also represents our death to sin and new life in Christ as it washes
our sins away. In baptism we die to sin (Romans 6:11) and are raised to a brand new
life (Colossians 2:12). "Through baptism, you
are incorporated into God's new creation and made to share in Christ's royal
priesthood".
In
John 6:44, we read that, "No one can come to me unless the father who sent
me draws him". Ephesians 2:8, "For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by
works, so that no one can boast". So we have nothing to boast about, but
the blood of Jesus. In Acts 2:47, "the Lord added to their number daily
those who were being saved". Hence salvation is the eternal redeeming act
of God by His grace and love. John the Baptist called the people to repentance
and thereby prepared the way for the coming of the lamb of God, the Messiah,
who came to take the sins of the world away. Though Jesus was sinless, by
being baptized "to fulfill all righteousness", Jesus identified
Himself with and showed His approval for John's baptism. John testified in John
1:32-34 that, "I saw the spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain
on him. I would not have known him except that the one who sent me to baptize
with water told me. The man on whom you see the spirit come down and remain is
he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and testify that this is
the son of God". Mathew 28:19 is very specific that the baptism must be
done in the name of the "Father, Son and the Holy Spirit". So,
the baptism is truly from above.
Baptism,
one of the seven Holy Sacraments, is a topic that has divided the Christian
denominations based on its mode, but all agree that it is an important factor
in the redemptive plan of God. Baptism identifies one with God's family. It signifies
our inclusion in God's family. In Eph. 4:4 we see that, there is only "one
baptism" and we acknowledge that in the Nicene Creed, "one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins". In Mathew 18:2, Jesus said, "unless you
change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven". Acts 2: 39, "the promise is for you and your children".
"Infant baptism rests firmly on the understanding that God prepares the
way of faith even before we request or even know that we need help". The
early church practiced circumcision. In Gen. 17:10-13, we read the covenant
that God made, that all 8 days old male be circumcised. As we can see
from Deut. 10:16, "circumcise your hearts" and also Romans 2:29,
"circumcision is circumcision of the heart"; the importance is in the
"heart" than the ritual itself.
In
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary it is stated that, "Noah's salvation in
the ark upon the water, which carried him above the floods, set forth the
salvation of all true believers. That temporal salvation by the ark was a type
of the eternal salvation of believers by baptism of the Holy Spirit".
PRAYER
Lord, "We are one in the
Spirit, We are one in the Lord, and we pray that all unity may one day be
restored". Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
"for all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ". Gal. 3:27,