(Message by pastor Philip Joseph at NLF, Vashi on 18 Oct 2009. Recalled from notes...as usual; but must convey the spirit of the message! happy reading!)
In a short while, we plan to have a water baptism service. There are young adults coming forward for a committed relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, ‘To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God…’ (Mark 4:11).
In the New Covenant, we are called to follow two things that are ‘symbolic’ of our committed relationship with Jesus. One is the water-baptism – a one-time occurrence in a believer’s life (‘one baptism’-Eph 4:5) and the other is the Holy Communion, that is repetitive (‘For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes’-1 Cor 11:26).
If you compare the Old Covenant, there was the ‘symbol’ of circumcision-a one-time occurrence, by which even the Gentiles were accepted. The other was the Passover-a yearly repetitive festival, for remembering what God did to the Egyptians in bringing deliverance to the children of Israel and renewing the covenant with God.
These were outward signs of an inward spiritual grace, of deep significance, in every believer’s life.
Jesus spoke these words in Matt. 28:19 saying “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…” In essence, it means, one needs to be His disciple-willing to be His disciple, and then be water-baptized. This is the order in which things ought to be done; first, be His disciple, then be water-baptized. And I’m NOT speaking about just an ‘interest’ in Jesus. Being His disciple is more than that!
As a young man, you may show ‘interest’ in many proposals for a bride…but, when it comes to ‘choice’, there is only one person that you commit yourself in marriage. Likewise, water-baptism is the time when you’ve decided to commit your life to only one person-Jesus Christ. There are many in this world-who may show an ‘interest’ in Jesus-maybe as a teacher, healer, miracle-worker or a religious leader. But as a disciple, and as you are baptized, you acknowledge the ‘Lordship’ of Jesus Christ in your life; everything else becomes secondary as you ‘cleave’ only to Jesus.
You can check from the Word whether you are really 'ready' to be baptized. Acts 2:38 reads, ‘Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”’
Repentance is the foremost requirement for baptism! Repentance is that U-turn in your life, when you forsake the ways of the world-the sinful and wicked ways and turn to walk the narrow way. It is not going to be an easy way! But we conclude ‘…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me’ (Gal. 2:20). We forsake all sinful paths, all our desires, all other religions, all other beliefs…
If you still enjoy sin, and want to live by your own rules, walk according to your own desires and say ‘I want it this way’, then I say, you are not ready to be baptized.
The other aspect is that you are baptized ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matt. 28:19). Nobody should take this lightly or casually! Baptism is serious stuff! We ‘agree’ for His Lordship over our life. Nobody signs an agreement or a contract hurriedly…nor will anyone take it casually when a printed contract is brought to you on a stamp paper! I urge you to understand this from your heart…and we’re ready here for a baptism service!
Today, let me share with you five things from the Word of God to help you examine yourself, if you are ready to be water-baptized. I trust this message will be useful, not only to those who are to be baptized, but also their parents and friends who can counsel and lead them.
(1) 1 Peter 3:20, 21 says, “…who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us-baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”
If we go to the times of Noah, the world was filled with wickedness; God had warned of the impending destruction by flood and instructed Noah on measurements to build the ark. In the time it took Noah to build that ark, about 120 years, he kept preaching to the people (2 Peter 2:5) to repent and enter the ark. But the people around would only mock him. Entering the ark is symbolic of the water baptism that, now, is given to His disciples. The choice is ours. Peter explains that it is not just outward cleansing; but water-baptism is an appeal to God for a good conscience. Imagine this-no one could have one foot in the ark and the other in the world and expect to be saved from the flood. If you too think you can have some of the world in you and some of Jesus, I say, you are not ready for the water baptism.
(2) 1 Corinthians 10: 1,2 says, “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea…”
This passage talks of the journey of the people of Israel from Egypt (a type of this world) to the promised land, Canaan (a type of the new life in Jesus Christ). As they journeyed, they had to cross the ‘Red sea’ (a type of the water baptism). There was the Egyptian army behind them; the Red sea before. As they crossed over, the Lord drowned the Egyptian army in the red sea. So too in our lives, if there are nagging sins and repetitive habits that are evil, you will find these will drown in the waters of baptism, as you receive new found strength in Jesus Christ, to shake away the things that bogged you down before. It has been not easy in Egypt; and it was never easy in the Promised Land. But crossing the Red sea is an irreversible decision; never to return back again. There can be no ‘double-crossing’ the Red Sea. Remember, Red sea is the waters of baptism, when you decide to be loyal only to Jesus Christ, whatever is the cost-an irreversible decision, never to turn back again. If you love living in Egypt, I say, please stay there.
(3) Romans 6:6 says, “…knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin”
Also see Colossians 2:11,12, which says “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead”
Putting these two portions together, we see that water-baptism is identifying oneself with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Our old sinful self is crucified with Him; from being ‘dead’ IN sins, we come to the point of ‘dead’ TO sins. After this is the burial-people don’t bury a person who is alive. If the sins and wickedness is not crucified-if it is not dead, then you are ‘alive’ to sin. Water-baptism is like the circumcision, made without hands; when the Lord Jesus Christ cuts off the old sinful, fleshly self in our being. We are buried with Him. As we come out of the waters, we identify with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. We come into the newness of life! ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new’ (2 Cor. 5:17).
(4) Ananias says to Saul who would be Paul these words in Acts 22:16 “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord”
Water-baptism is the washing away of our sins, when we call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. (There is a fountain filled with blood; Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains!)
Your sins are washed away! By faith we grasp this day, Proclaim it loud and say, “Jesus, the only way!” Faith is more than our own intellectual understanding-it is from our heart. Even young children may believe in Jesus. They may believe everything written about Him. But faith is KNOWING in your heart. It is a revelation from the Father; faith that is a gift from God.
(5) Galatians 3:27 says “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”
Water-baptism is clothing your-self with Jesus Christ. When there is a 100% commitment to Him. There is no doubt in your heart as to who you are in Christ Jesus (v26).
Mark 16:16 reads “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned”. We have spoken about this order-first believe and then be baptized; that is why we do not practice infant “baptism”. Water-baptism is also not for those who just understand in their minds; but do not believe in their hearts. ‘Baptized’ come from the root Greek word ‘Batizo’ meaning “fully wet” or “make whelmed”; that is why we have an ‘immersion’ water-baptism, that also signifies death and burial (fully under), and not 'sprinkle' baptism.
And as we partake of the Holy Communion, God has spoken to us to judge ourselves-examine ourselves. There can be no one of us here, who can be a better judge of you than you-yourself. God's Word exhorts us, 'If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged'. Think about these things; examine and see if you are ready for water-baptism.
Are you prepared? Have you repented from every known sin and made that U-turn in your life? (You can’t say ‘I’m not sure’ for every motorist will tell you when he has taken a U-turn on the road). Are you ready, like Noah, to enter the ark? Are you willing, like the children of Israel, to cross over the Red sea, never to turn back again? Are you willing to be crucified with Christ, die to self, and live for Christ alone? Have you called on the name of Jesus? Have you been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and have a revelation of who Jesus is? Are you ready to proclaim that Jesus is the only way? Are you ready to be called a child of God and be clothed with Jesus Christ Himself?
Shall we pray?
‘Thank you Father for opening our eyes, that we may have a revelation of who You are. Help us to understand from the depths of our heart of what You have done for us and what You have in store for each one of us. In Jesus’ name. Amen'
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