Baptism

Rom. 6:2) “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” As we continue on our journey through the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul makes it very clear that once we are saved from the condemnation of our sin we are not to go back to the old sinful life style of our past. Therefore Paul introduces to us in (Chp. 6) “Baptism.” Here, Paul teaches us that baptism is a symbolic ordinance demonstrating not just the gospel of Christ but also our death to our old way of life. Baptism was never meant to save anyone, but it is 1) A symbol of identification. (It identifies us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus). (Ro 6:4) “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:” Water baptism is a symbol of our death to the old way of life, and our coming out of it, alive unto God. “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.” 2) A symbol of surrender. If we are dead to our past sin, then we need to make a decision of the mind and heart to “yield ourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead” (Rom. 6:11-13). Baptism is a surrender of our will to follow God. 3) A symbol of servant hood. (Ro 6:18) “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Baptism pictures a new allegiance to a new Lord. Once saved we are no longer under the power of the old master Sin, but rather now under a new master, Jesus Christ!

The Gospel

(Eph. 1: 4&5) “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will..,” So how can we as Bible believing Christians reconcile the command of God to go into all the world and preach the gospel, with the above verses that seem to indicate that God is the one, and not man, who chooses us for salvation? When Jesus died on the cross, his sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). My Bible still says in (1 Tim. 2:4) that God, “…will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” meaning that his desire is that all men repent and turn to Christ, but also that “ whosoever will…” can still come (Rev. 22: 17). Christian, all men can if they so desire. When any man hears the gospel of God he is faced with a choice to believe it or not. Jesus said himself that many are called but few chosen. God knew us from the foundation of the world whether or not we would believe the gospel or reject it. Jesus was not an after-thought and neither were we. God doesn’t want any to perish. That’s why God sent His Son to save all or whosoever will !