What is Baptism

What were the practices related to baptism from the Old Testament age. What Jesus and the New Testament teaches us about baptism.

What does the word baptism mean?

The word baptism comes from a Greek word that means:

  • ¨“To plunge” or
  • ¨“To immerse” (go under)

¨Baptism got introduced in Jewish culture as ceremonial washing (of hands before a meal)

¨It later got used for Gentiles ritual bath while converting to Judaism. . The term used to describe the bath was ‘bapto’, meaning “immerse”. Persons desiring to become Jewish would baptize themselves. The “bath” was an outward sign that they were dying to the old life as a Gentile and were being resurrected to the new life as a Jew.

John the Baptist

John the baptist took an ordinary word that meant

to “dip”, “plunge”, “submerge” or “immerse” and coined it for the specific task he was

performing.

It’s an outward demonstration of an inward work.

Soon it became almost exclusively associated with Christianity, and

thus the word baptism appears in the New Testament.

Why is baptism an important sacrament?

¨It symbolizes CLEANSING FROM SIN and renewal in Christ

¨It is a testimony to the world on a person’s identification and commitment to Christ

¨It demarcates the past life of sin and future life of victory in Christ FOREVER

¨It is a command of Christ

What is original sin?

 The reality of:

A.Pain

B.Brokenness

C.Suffering

D.Alienation

In which we are all born into.

God saves us from this reality through baptism – of the Holy Spirit when we ask Christ for cleansing.

Reflection

¨How do we experience the effects of sin in every day life?

¨How does this change when we enter Christ’s new life?

What did Jesus command his disciples to do?

¨To go to all the world.

¨To instruct all the nations

¨To make disciples of all peoples

¨To baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -Matthew 28: 19-20

What does baptism symbolize?

¨Going under water symbolizes our burial into the death of Christ.

¨It also symbolizes our rising up to new life in Christ.

¨Our union with Christ in this life and the next.

Why do we receive baptism?

Through baptism the baptized:

¨Share in Christ’s suffering and death.

¨Share in Christ’s victory and new life.

¨Is called to live on this earth as Jesus lived.

¨Share in one destiny, eternal life with God

¨Becomes a member of the body of Christ.

The Seal of the Holy Spirit

¨The Holy Spirit is referred to as the “deposit,” “seal,” and “earnest” in the hearts of Christians (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).

¨The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on His people, His claim on us as His very own.

¨The Greek word translated “earnest” in these passages is arrhabōn which means “a pledge,” that is, part of the purchase money or property given in advance as security for the rest.

¨.. a down payment on our heavenly inheritance, which Christ has promised us and secured for us at the cross.

¨This seal assures us of our salvation. No one can break the seal of God.

References

  1. Mr. Pablo Cuadra
  2. ¨NICC notes
  3.  ¨www.gotquestions.org

Memory Verse

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

The old has passed away…

“If Christ is not Lord of all he is not Lord at all”

Share experiences of transformation and complete surrender to Christ

Baptism is an outward symbol of an inner reality.

How do we make the reality come true in our lives? How do we make Christ Lord of all? Enact scenarios

Behold the new has come..

Have you claimed your heavenly inheritance beyond this life?

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