Baptism (Part 1)

Imagine this. You’ve been working hard all day in a dusty, dirty environment. You come home and collapse into a hot bath. As the hot water washes away the grime of the day the heat soothes your aching muscles relaxing you completely.

And it occurs to you, “I wish this bath could take away the sin and ache in my heart.”

Wouldn’t it be amazing if all your sins could be washed away as bathwater washes away the filth of the day? Wouldn’t it be even more amazing if your stresses, fears, and concerns could be soothed, the way bathwater soothes your aching muscles?

The good news is that a “special” bath can do all of that.

Baptism in water is that process. In baptism, we can be cleansed totally and completely.

Baptism is not some kind of initiation as a Christian or into a church. According to the Apostle Peter, baptism is an appeal to God for a clean conscience.

When we are baptized, we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we die and are raised with Christ to become new creations. It is how we are born again, no longer as people of this world, but as children of God.

How important is baptism? Important enough that Jesus Himself was baptized by John the Baptist to fulfill all the requirements of righteousness. It was important enough that in the last words Jesus spoke to His Apostles on earth, He made baptism one of the three key points in the Great Commission.

In Hebrews, we see that baptism is one of the six key foundation teachings that all Christians should learn. So, if you have not been baptized yet, get it done as soon as you are able.

Consider these questions:

If baptism was important enough that Jesus was baptized, how much more important is it for those of us who have sinned?

Do you understand that baptism is really death and resurrection through faith into the death of Jesus Christ? (The reason why this death is important will become clearer in the next few lessons.)

A prayer point:

Spend a moment in prayer to ask the Lord about baptism and that He will lead your search to find the fulness of the truth about this critical part of the Christian walk.