What Does The Bible Say About...

The Saving Benefits Of Bible Baptism?

Before returninJ to heaYen the Lord commanded his disciples to brinJ the Jood news of salYation to the lost world. Baptism was tied in with the Jood news. Both 0atthew and 0ark mention baptism where Luke called attention to the purpose of baptism beinJ ³remission of sins” (0atthew ; 0ark

; Luke . Bible baptism is preceded by hearinJ the Jospel (Romans , belieYinJ the Jospel (Romans , repentinJ of the loYe and practice of sin (Romans , and confessinJ &hrist (Romans .

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Before a person can enter into the kinJdom of heaYen he must be born aJain ³Jesus answered and said unto him, 9erily, Yerily, , say unto thee, ([cept a man be born aJain, he cannot see the kinJdom of God. 1icodemus saith unto him, +ow can a man be born when he is old" can he enter the second time into his mother¶s womb, and be born" Jesus answered, 9erily, Yerily, , say unto thee, ([cept a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kinJdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 0arYel not that , said unto thee,

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Blood has always been connected with atonement for sin (LeYiticus . Before the foundation of the world the precious blood of &hrist was foreordained for redeeminJ man out of sin ( 3eter . Baptism is the point at which the blood of &hrist is applied aJainst the sinful soul and remission of sins occurs (Romans , , , ; &olossians

. Bold is the comparison between the washinJ of baptism and the blood of &hrist washinJ away sins in the book of ReYelation ³8nto him that loYed us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (ReYelation b . ³By the washinJ of reJeneration” salYation comes as an e[pression of the mercy of God (Titus .

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Burial with &hrist in baptism brinJs about a whole new life ³Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as &hrist was raised up from the dead by the Jlory of the )ather, eYen so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans

. Based on beinJ buried with &hrist, the body of sin is destroyed, and the new life with &hrist beJins (Romans .

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Both Bible passaJes that tell how to Jet ³into &hrist” are connected with baptism. Baptism is the point at which a belieYer is brouJht into &hrist ³.now ye not, that so many of us as were bapti]ed into Jesus &hrist were bapti]ed into his death"” (Romans , and ³)or as many of you as haYe been bapti]ed into &hrist haYe put on &hrist” (Galatians . BeinJ brouJht into &hrist means that all spiritual blessinJs in heaYenly places are bestowed on the &hristian ((phesians .

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By the instrumentality of the words of the +oly Spirit, bapti]ed belieYers are brouJht into the body or church of &hrist ³)or by one Spirit are we all bapti]ed into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and haYe been all made to drink into one Spirit” ( &orinthians

. BlessinJs abound in &hrist, eYen as 3aul emphatically stated, ³)or all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him $men, unto the Jlory of God by us” ( &orinthians .

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,n the book of $cts and throuJhout the 1ew Testament baptism is always practiced by DGXOWV who haYe

. +HDUG the messaJe of the Jospel (of the death,

burial and resurrection of Jesus &hrist , . %HOLHYHG that Jesus &hrist is the Son of God and

paid for their sins on the cross,

. 5HSHQWHG turninJ away from their sins, . &RQIHVVHG &hrist as the Son of God,

. %DSWL]HG in water into &hrist and into

a new life.

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($cts .

‡ ,t is done to VDYH us ( 3eter ,

$cts , 0ark .

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Romans .

‡ ,t is done to FORWKH ourselYes with &hrist

(Galatians .

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heaYen (John .

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Galatians , &orinthians .

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When accompanied by IDLWK and UHSHQWDQFH baptism (immersion is KRZ and ZKHQ our sins are washed away. ,f it is not done IRU WKH SXUSRVH RI washinJ our sins away ($cts , it is 127 the 21( baptism of the 1ew Testament ((phesians

and therefore the ³baptism” is inYalid. ,t needs to be done in the correct, scriptural manner.

When Jesus died on the cross, +e, who had no sin, paid the death penalty for RXU sins. ThrouJh baptism we are united, or joined with &hrist in payinJ the death penalty for sin. We are bapti]ed into +is death, into the death penalty for sin. We, who are unable to return from death because we haYe sin, are joined to &hrist²and since &hrist is sinless and was Yictorious oYer death, we, now beinJ united with +im throuJh baptism, are made Yictorious beinJ united with &hrist in +is resurrection.

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1ow if God allows us to participate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus &hrist (an eYent which occurred years aJo , WKURXJK EDSWLVP, it can truly be said we are saYed throuJh faith and God¶s Jrace ((phesians ³,n him we haYe redemption throuJh his blood, the forJiYeness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God¶s Jrace that he laYished on us with all wisdom and understandinJ” ((phesians . ³Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in &hrist Jesus” (Romans .

³But now he has reconciled you by &hrist¶s physical body throuJh death to present you holy in his siJht, without blemish and free from accusation” (&olossians . ³$nd that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus &hrist and by the Spirit” ( &orinthians .

When we are washed, we are sanctified, we are justified. Therefore we are reconciled to God.

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+aYe you been bapti]ed into &hrist" ,f you haYe not been bapti]ed you are still lost in your sins. Jesus says, ³+e that belieYes and is bapti]ed shall be saYed” (0ark . 3aul said; ³)or , am not ashamed of the Jospel of &hrist for it is the power of God unto salYation to eYery one that belieYeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans

. The words of Jesus teach us that to become a &hristian one must

‡ +ear the Jospel (John .

‡ BelieYe in Jesus as the &hrist (John . ‡ Repent of all sins (Luke .

‡ &onfess &hrist as Lord (0atthew . ‡ $nd be bapti]ed to be saYed (0ark . ‡ $fter baptism remain faithful to God.

(0atthew .

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,t is our sincere desire and prayer that you obey the Jospel today and be saYed. Remember the words of Jesus, ³1ot eYery one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kinJdom of heaYen; but he that doeth the will of my )ather which is in heaYen. 0any will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, haYe we not prophesied in thy name" and in thy name haYe cast out deYils" and in thy name done many wonderful works" $nd then will , profess unto them, , neYer knew you depart from me, ye that work iniTuity” (0atthew .

,f we do just what our Lord commanded we know that our salYation is certain and we will hear +im say ³Well done, thou Jood and faithful serYant thou hast been faithful oYer a few thinJs, , will make thee ruler oYer many thinJs enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (0atthew . Let us Jo back to the Bible, back to &hrist and +is church and do e[actly what +e commanded. 3lease let us help you in your obedience to the Jospel before it is eternally too late.

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