Drown the Old Guy
Is your name written in the Book of Life?
Have you drowned your old man?
If you answered “no” to the second question then the answer to the first question is “no” as well.
Now before you go commit murder, so that you can answer “yes,” please consider that I am referring to your old sinful self and not your physical father.
Romans 6:6, “...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.”
In order to no longer be a slave of sin we need to kill our old self.
So how exactly do we kill our old man? The answer is baptism.
What is Baptism?
Baptism is a physical rite with enormous spiritual importance. It is absolutely necessary for one to be baptized in order to inherit eternal life.
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16). ¹
“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” (1 Peter 3:21).
Baptism is spiritual circumcision
The Creator instituted circumcision as a sign of the covenant between Abraham and his descendants in Genesis 17:10–14. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 2:28-29 states that; “…he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”
Although we are no longer required to be physically circumcised as a sign of the covenant, we absolutely must be circumcised spiritually in order to be considered part of spiritual Israel.
It is the removal of our sinful flesh. “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” (Colossians 2:11).
Baptism is the death of our former sinful self, and our resurrection as a new man
“...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. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Colossians 2:12-13).
“...How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:2-4).
At Baptism we are born again
There are three births. When we are born as an actual infant, we are born of water. When we are baptized, we are born of water and the spirit. When we die and are resurrected, we are born of just the spirit. ² “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).
Baptism is a necessary step in order to be resurrected from physical death at the last trumpet
“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 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. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,” (Romans 6:5-8).
Baptism is a covenant with our Creator
In Acts chapter 2, Peter addressed a great assembly of people. In verse 38 he states “...Repent, and let everyone 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 not enough without the sacrifice of our Messiah. When we are baptized “for the remission of sins,” it is not the physical dunking that removes our sins; it is the sacrifice of our Messiah.
Yeshua is our Passover Lamb. In the first Passover back in Egypt, the people were instructed to wipe the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. Upon entry into the house they would be passing between the bloodied pieces of the door.
In John 10:9 Yeshua states: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
In Genesis chapter 15, Yeshua passed between the bloodied pieces of the animals when He made a covenant with Abram. It is in this manner that a covenant was made.
For more information on Biblical covenants, see note ³ at the bottom of this post.
What are the terms of the covenant?
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:16-17).
“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.
As God has said:
‘I will dwell in them And walk among them.
I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’
Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’
‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty’” (II Corinthians 6:14-18).
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.
Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do” (Exodus 19:5-8).
We know from reading the Bible that the Israelites broke the covenant that they made in the previous verses. And that as a result they died in the wilderness. Our Father takes covenants very seriously, and so should we. It is a life and death matter.
Acts 2:38:
“Repent…
In order to be baptized, one must first repent of his sins. Repentance is more than apologizing for bad behavior; it is also ceasing to repeat those sins. If your neighbor steals a tool from you and then returns it and apologizes, you forgive him. But if he steals the tool from you every other day and apologizes for doing so every time he returns it, his apology becomes meaningless. Actions speak louder than words.
Of course we as humans are prone to mess up from time to time, and repeat sins that we have repented of. But our heavenly Father is “...merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalms 103:8). What He is most interested in is our hearts. We may be able to fool those around us, and have them thinking that we are doing our best to refrain from sinning, but He knows whether or not we actually are. And we will give account to Him in the end.
When we repent of our sins, it becomes our mission to “...go and sin no more.”
And let every one of you…
Who can be Baptized? In addition to repenting of one’s sins, it is also necessary that he believe with all his heart that Yeshua/Jesus is the Son of the Living God. “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’” (Acts 8:36-37).
Furthermore, baptism is for one who is ready to dedicate the rest of his life to serving his Creator. Turning back is not an option, no matter how hard life gets (more on that later). It is by far the most important decision and action in one’s life. As such, it is not a decision for babies or children. The Bible, without question, places the age of accountability at 20 years old. It is at this age a man was considered responsible for his own actions. The Bible does not explicitly state that one must be at least 20 years old to be baptized, but considering the gravity of the situation it is not a strange concept.
Be baptized…
Although Yeshua was sinless, He was baptized by His cousin John, in the Jordan river as an example for us to follow. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water” (Mathew 3:16). Notice that He was immersed in the river, and not sprinkled with water as some consider baptism. Baptism is by full immersion in water.
Another example is the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36-39. “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.”
When the Israelites walked through the red sea, that pictured baptism. “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” (I Corinthians 10:1-2).
The waters of the sea “...were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left” (Exodus 14:29). And by this act, the Egyptian army (which represented sin) was washed away.
Immediately after being baptized one should come up out of the water and not be left standing with one foot in the proverbial grave. Take the above example of Yeshua who “came up immediately from the water.” This makes sense because the baptismal waters represent a grave in which our former sinful self is buried. When we are freed from sin, we should not linger any longer in it. “Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you’” (I Corinthians 6:17).
In the name of Jesus Christ…
It is by the blood of the Lamb that our sins can be forgiven; and it is in His name that we are to be baptized. Whether you use the Greek name “Jesus” and the title “the Christ,” or the Hebrew “Yeshua” and the title “HaMashiach” (the Messiah), what is important is that you invoke the Savior of all mankind. The Son of the Living God. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
When we make this covenant, it is not with or through any church, congregation or organization, nor are we owned by any of these. We belong to our heavenly Father.
There is no man or organization that died for our sins, but only our Messiah. And there is no man that we must go through to access our Savior. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).
For the remission of sins…
When we are baptized all of the sins that we have ever committed are forgiven and forgotten by our Creator. It matters not if we committed any of the sins in the following verses: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:9-11).
“For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalms 103:11-12).
Although we may have remaining physical consequences or baggage from our past sinful life, our Father will never hold these forgiven sins against us.
And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"
Upon coming up out of the water, one should have hands laid on him and be prayed over, that he might receive the Holy Spirit.
“Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet it had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17).
At baptism, the two prophecies below are fulfilled for the individual.
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live,” (Deuteronomy 30:6).
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
The New Testament congregation really took off when they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:1, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Now don't be disappointed if upon being baptized you did not hear a rushing wind, and see a flame of fire rest on your shoulder, or the form of a dove as happened at Yeshua's baptism.
It is really not all that dramatic. The giving of the Holy Spirit to the people in the verses above was done that way, so that they would understand what was happening. We can now read the Bible and understand about the Holy Spirit without actually seeing or hearing it. Also, don't be disappointed if you did not receive the ability to speak in foreign languages. The same reasons apply.
What is often noticeable however, is the opening of the mind to understand things about the Bible and our Father's plan of redemption for mankind, a renewed sense of purpose, and a passion for becoming more like our Savior.
Then there is the test. Perfectly tailored to each individual. The onset of this test comes without warning, and is often of our own making, though it can take awhile to realize this. It can start shortly after baptism, or years later. But rest assured, it will come.
It may last for months or years, and will result in the destruction of your pride and self-will. You will learn that you cannot stand on your own strength, but require a Savior to lean on. And you will learn that the mercy and compassion of our Father is greater than you ever would have known had you not been such a knucklehead and created this test for yourself.
You will learn about weakness and strength, mercy and love.
Romans 8:28 will become one of your favorite verses. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Deuteronomy 8:2, “And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”
But all of this, is only if you don't give up and go back to your old way of life.
Which brings us to the next point:
No turning back
Once we make the commitment to serve our Creator and have received the Holy Spirit, quitting is not an option.
“But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:62).
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6).
“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (II Peter 2:20-21).
For one to fall away does not mean to make a mistake; it is a way of life. King David committed heinous crimes and yet once he repented he was declared by Yah to be “a man after My own heart.” If one turns away from the truth and intentionally lives contrary to the law, there is no more forgiveness for sins. That person will be destroyed forever in the lake that burns with fire!
It is for this reason that getting baptized is such a serious matter. It is more than a life and death matter because the death that will be the result of such evil actions is an eternal death. Such individuals will cease to exist forever.
There is a common misconception among “Christians” that once you are “saved” life will be just fantastic! You will be filled with peace and love and joy like a hippy, and won’t have any more struggles or inconvenient occurrences in your life.
Hebrews 11 destroys this idea entirely. Here is verse 35 through 38. And keep in mind that these people are considered to be “saints.” “Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.”
It is going to be hard. Don't turn back!
How often should one get baptized?
As was established above, baptism is for adults and not for children, the person must have understanding of the terms of the covenant he is making with the Creator, and the seriousness of the situation.
Baptism is by full immersion in water, not just a sprinkling. The individual should have hands laid on them, that they might receive the holy spirit, and all this should be done in the name of our Savior and soon--coming King.
If these criteria were not met, then the baptism was invalid and should be corrected.
An example of this can be found it Acts 19:1-6
“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
2. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3. And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4. Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
If a baptism was done correctly, and the person understood the terms of the covenant, there is no need to ever be re-baptized.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
As we saw earlier, baptism is akin to circumcision. How many times can one be circumcised? The answer should be obvious.
Furthermore, Hebrews 10: 28-29 says, “Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”
For a person to be re-baptised is to count the blood covenant that was made at baptism a common thing. It is like trampling Yeshua underfoot, as was stated above.
But what if we feel like we need a fresh start?
Ezekiel 18:21-22 says; “If a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live”
It is not necessary to be baptized again to obtain a fresh start. All we must do is repent of our sins, and turn from them.
Am I good enough to be baptized?
No! You will never be good enough without coming under the blood of The Lamb. That's the whole point. If you could by your own strength defeat your carnal nature and become righteous, then you would not need Him. It cannot be done!
If you are struggling with sinful addiction, or simply recognize that you are a terrible, sinful person, then you are on the right track to becoming better. Do what you can to rid yourself of that addiction, as a way to show that you mean business! But remember that the Holy Spirit is sent as a helper to overcome such things once you are baptized.
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).
“For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:37-38).
Notes:
¹ It is not enough to merely believe that “Jesus Christ is the Son of God” “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19). “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:17-18).
² Should You Be a Newborn Babe?
The Shocking Reality of Being in the Womb.
Comments
Post a Comment