Baptism
What is baptism?
- Baptism comes from the Greek "baptizo" - to dip, to immerse
- Read Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23, Acts 8:36-39, Romans 6:3-4
- Dying to the old sinful way of life
- Burying our sins in the watery grave
- Rising up again out of the water to walk in a new life
How many kinds of Biblical baptism are there?
- Just one (Ephesians 4:5)
- Immersion is the only Biblical method of baptism (see Jesus' example in Mark 1:9-10)
- At the Council of Trent in 1311 AD, sprinkling and pouring officially accepted equal to immersion
What baptism means to us:
- Every sin is forgiven (Acts 2:38)
- The Spirit is given to us (Mark 1:10, Acts 2:38-39)
- We are adopted into God's family (Acts 2:41-42, 47, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 20)
- Baptism doesn't mean that you are perfect; it means that you are committed
- Baptism can give us a new sense of direction, a new freedom, and a new spiritual power
How important is baptism?
- "He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)
- Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
What if a person can't be baptized because of they are too sick from cancer to move out of bed or some other reason that prevents them from being immersed in water?
- God knows our physical limitations - the thief on the cross would have been baptized if he could (Luke 24:39-42)
What steps should a person take before being baptized?
- Repent - a genuine sorrow for sins
- Believe - an acceptance of Jesus as both Savior and Lord
- Learn - instruction in the essential of Biblical faith
Should a person ever be re-baptized?
- Yes, read Acts 19:2-5
- They were once baptized, but departed from Christ
- They are committed Christians who discovered the truth of God's Word, and desire to be part of His Commandment-keeping people
