Believer’s Baptism
Sign of Spiritual cleansing.
Old Testament
Baptism was not required
Cleansing by washing was however required under various circumstances.
Exodus 19:10-11 – Moses was to consecrate the people which included having them wash their garments in preparation of God coming down from Mount Sinai.
Exodus 40:12-15 – Aaron and his sons were to be washed with water as a part of the preparation for ministering as a priest.
Leviticus 17:15 – After eating an animal which had died or that was torn by beasts.
2 Kings 5:9-14 – Naaman seeking healing from leprosy – Was to bathe in the Jordan
Psalm 51:5-7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Baptism in the New Testament.
Launced by John the Baptist. Matt. 3:1-17.
He preached repentance and baptism.
He baptised Jesus and introduced Him to the nation of Israel as the Son of God.
New Testament: the word Baptism has two principal meanings:
(1) Believing with all your heart that Christ is the son of God, is our Saviour and died on the Cross to Save us from our sins, if we repent from our sins.
(2) Christ Conquered sin and Death.
The Act of Immersion in water – Water Baptism – Physical manifestation of our faith in Christ, our cleansing, and his crucifixion, conquering death, and rising again to save us from our sins, and give us eternal life with Christ.
Significance of the Water: Cleansing by becoming immersed: Death to sin.
Death To Sin – No longer living in Sin – Burial of the Old Life.
Significance of rising from the emersion: Beginning a new life. Empowered by the resurrection of Christ.
Living for Christ – Eternal Life in Christ
The Apostles and Baptism. Acts 2:36-41.
Peter Speaking at Pentecost of Repentance, Belief and Baptism.
Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
The significance of Baptism preached to Gentiles. Romans 6:1-10.
As many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus’s final instruction to His disciples. Matthew 28:18-20. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch who was reading from Isaiah. Acts 8:26-40
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
We are all one in Christ. Galatians 3: 26-29. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
CONCLUSION
Believer’s Baptism by water:
It is only for those who believe that Christ is the Son of God.
That Christ died on the Cross for them, for the remission of their sins.
That Christ rose from the dead and is in heaven.
For those that have trusted in Christ as their personal savior and have repented of their sins, and are thus born again believers.
Below is the message audio.