The Act of Baptism
September 11, 2022
Ordination verses
John 15:5. Jesus Christ said, I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:16. Jesus Christ said, You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
2 Timothy 2:15. Paul to Timothy,Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Baptism
Baptism marks the entrance into the Christian family
A new believer in Christ needs a spiritual family, a family of those who share faith in Jesus.
We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need each other to grow in this faith.
Paul named baptism as one of the things that unify a body of Christian believers:
Ephesians 4:4-6. Being baptized marks a beginning of a journey of faith together with the family of Christian believers.
Baptism seals the Christian union of brotherly love in service to God.
Baptism is a public confession of faith
The nature of baptism is a public act.
When a new believer is baptized, he or she is giving a public testimony of his or her faith in Jesus as others are witnessing this public identification with Christ and the Christian church.
Matthew 10:32-33. Jesus taught his disciples the importance of living the faith in public as well as in private.
Jesus challenged his disciples to confess their faith before others and to walk before others as his disciples.
Baptism presents an opportunity to the new believer to confess before others that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
Peter was the first disciple to do so and did it in front of the other disciples.
Matthew 16:13-17. Baptism presents an opportunity to the new believer to confess before others that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
Matthew 16:24-25. 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
The CJB Matthew 16:25-26a. 25 For whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake will find it. 26a What good will it do someone if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life?
The word translated as life in most versions is the Greek psyche which can mean either life or soul.
The EXB (Expanded Bible) Matthew 16:24-26. 24 Then Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “If anyone wants to follow me, they must deny themselves; turn from selfishness; set aside their own interests. They must be willing even to take up their cross and follow me. 25 Those who want to save their lives will lose their life/soul, and those who lose; sacrifice their lives for my sake will find life. 26 What good/profit/benefit is it to gain the whole world if they forfeit their souls. Or what could they give in exchange for their souls.
Bottom Line: Baptism is a very important public act, an act of total dedication of our lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.