Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Baptism into Jesus Christ means being buried with Him in the likeness of His death. Going down under the water is the burial in the watery grave, and coming up out of the water pictures His resurrection and the believer's rising to new life, which is by immersion. Such baptism must follow dying to sin, self, and the world, for to be baptized while still alive to sin is as burying a live person. Those thus buried are planted to rise in the likeness of His resurrection and walk in newness of life by the power that raised Christ, no longer continuing in sin or serving it. Baptism is a most solemn covenant vow to belong to God, to be dead to the world and live henceforth an obedient life patterned after Christ, while Father, Son, and Holy Ghost pledge themselves to cooperate with the baptized and supply power to overcome.
What Baptism Pictures
To be baptized into Jesus Christ is to be baptized into His death, buried with Him by baptism into death in the likeness of His death. That baptism joins the believer to Christ in His death in union with Him, calling for dying to sin, no longer serving sin but living in newness of life in conformity to God's will and separation from the world through the Spirit's sanctifying work and full consecration. Those so buried are planted together in the likeness of His death to share also the likeness of His resurrection, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so they walk in newness of life. The old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth believers should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin and cannot continue to live in it. Those dead with Christ shall also live with Him, knowing Christ being raised dies no more and death has no more dominion over Him, for in that He died He died unto sin once but in that He lives He lives unto God, so believers reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore sin must not reign in the mortal body to be obeyed in its lusts, nor members yielded as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yielded unto God as those alive from the dead as instruments of righteousness, for sin shall not have dominion because believers are not under law but under grace, and while the wages of sin is death the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This burial and new life is the representation of redemption in and through genuine daily faith, lived by partaking of the divine nature, walking after the life of Christ in regeneration with spiritual life as the constant aim unto formation of the pattern life of Christ by looking unto Jesus, accepting His holiness as the Pattern, and learning His meekness and lowliness of heart to find new life in His spiritual life. The verse lays responsibility on believers to walk worthy of their high calling and properly represent the faith, which requires being intensely in earnest to obtain help and grace from Christ, having pledged the new life unto Christ and belonging to the Lord.
Going down under the water is the watery grave for burial with Christ into His death upon profession of faith, in which the person openly renounces sin before many witnesses and shows deadness to the reigning power of sin. Coming up out of the water is the symbol of resurrection, picturing His resurrection and the believer's rising to new life, and by believing in Christ the baptized experiences in himself the same divine power that raised Christ from the dead. The candidates buried beneath the water and raised from it as Jesus was raised from the dead are called to live a new life devoted to God, crucifying self and imitating Jesus' self-denying life, not returning to sin but no longer belonging to the world. This is by immersion, identified as the scriptural mode of baptism.
Baptism therefore commemorates Christ's resurrection, because believers buried with Him in baptism are raised from the watery grave in the likeness of His resurrection to live a new life.
The water at the wedding feast at Cana symbolized baptism into His death, and rites that point to the Saviour's death nourish the soul only through Christ's power working through faith. That water stands joined to the wine, which is the shedding of His blood for purifying the sins of the world, as part of the means of salvation. The ample provision of water for the wedding guests shows the abundant provision made for blotting out the iniquities of men.
Dying Before Baptism
Baptism into Jesus Christ is baptism into His death as burial with Him, and that burial must follow dying to sin, for to be baptized while still alive to sin is as horrible as burying a live person. Many go through only the outward form of burial with the Lord in baptism without ever having died to sin. Baptism into Christ is baptism into the likeness of His death, which means dying to self by denying self, taking up the cross, and following Christ. Many who are baptized have never died to self, so they are buried alive, still bowing before some earthly idol, far from God, and living in spiritual adultery without knowing it.
Baptism is a burial in which those baptized claim to be dead unto the world and enter a covenant relation to God, and to be baptized and then remain joined to the world dishonors God like burying a person alive. The burial means separating from the world, coming out and being separate, and taking position on the side of God, truth, and righteousness, and those who do this have power to prevail with God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost pledge themselves to work in behalf of the baptized and to supply every deficiency if the covenant is kept. Baptism signifies being buried with Christ and dying to self, and those who undergo it without dying to self remain ruled by old, self-indulgent habits, murmuring, and resistance to God's messages, having been buried alive rather than truly converted. Baptism means death to self followed by burial with Christ, requiring prior conversion with old self-indulgent habits put to death so that the person buried is truly dead to self.
If a person is not dead to self when baptized, he is buried alive and comes into the church unchanged, still full of murmuring and faultfinding, hating reproof because of wickedness of heart and at enmity with God, and that unconverted spirit fills the home and is breathed in by the children. Repentance, faith, and baptism are the requisite steps in conversion, and baptism is a most solemn ceremony where the truly converted are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who behold the scene and accept the vows to walk henceforth in newness of life. Taking the vows unites the believer with the highest powers in heaven to live a life patterned after the life of Christ, with character molded after the divine similitude, fashioned after His life, bearing His likeness and representing Him before the world as a child of the heavenly King and worker together with Christ. Baptism marks repentance for sin and entrance into a new life in Christ, and as a sacred and important commitment it should be received with understanding, not undue haste.
Its significance must be thoroughly understood before receiving it, for it means repentance of transgression and sin and entrance upon a new life in Christ Jesus. Because of this meaning there should be no undue haste to receive the ordinance, and both parents and children must count the cost, with parents who consent to the baptism of their children sacredly pledging themselves to be faithful stewards over them, to guide them in character building and to guard with special interest these lambs of the flock so they do not dishonor the truth they have professed. Baptism comes after conversion, repentance, and faith as steps every sinner turning from sin must take to follow Christ's example and fulfill all righteousness. Baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost in obedience to Christ's command signifies death to the world, burial in the likeness of Christ's death, and rising from the water in the likeness of His resurrection to a changed life connected with Jesus Christ. Baptism in the likeness of Christ's death is a step in conversion, following repentance for breaking God's law and faith in Christ as Savior.
The baptism of children marked their decision to be Christians and their desire to overcome temptation, as a step of faith and a victory over fear. Baptism is putting on Christ by being baptized into the faith of His death and resurrection, identifying with His followers and showing faith in His atonement by words and actions. Even those with faultless outward lives, including children taught to keep the Sabbath who have no outbreaking sins yet feel no conviction of sin or need of repentance, are sinners who must repent, believe, and be baptized that their sins may be blotted out to become children of God and heirs of heaven. Baptism is burial with Christ that cleanses from sin, burying the old life in the likeness of Christ's death and raising to walk in newness of life in the likeness of His resurrection. The old harsh, arbitrary life set in action by passion and governed by carnal feeling must pass away, and those baptized must live the new life in Christ with evidence of cleansing.
For parents this means conversion must bring a great change in home life, putting away faultfinding, scolding, sharp tones and irritating words and showing instead forbearance, compassion and love toward children. Baptism is death to the world and purging from old sins, testified before angels and men. The baptized one pledges before the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to do the will of the resurrected Christ, and rising from the watery grave is forgiven and declared a new creature whose life is hid with Christ in God and who henceforth seeks those things which are above. Remembering this baptismal vow and remaining faithful to it gives the heart-preparation needed to save souls, and any who have failed to live up to it must redeem the past by turning to humble obedience. Going down into the watery grave and rising again declares forgiveness through Christ the resurrection and the life.
Baptism is the washing of regeneration that brings man back into favor with God. The washing is burial with Christ in water in the likeness of His death. It represents that all who repent of transgression of the law of God receive purification and cleansing through the work of the Holy Spirit, and represents true conversion by the renewing of the Holy Spirit. In baptism, a repentant person receives forgiveness and pledges to worship the living God, separate from the world, and keep God's law, while the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are pledged to work on that person's behalf. The baptismal vow must never be forgotten, and faithfulness to it gives the heart preparation needed to help save sinning souls.
Baptism into Christ represents being united with Him in His death, and those baptized without dying to self have been buried alive: joining the church and receiving baptism do not prove that a person has joined Christ. True union with Christ means self dies and the believer rises to newness of life in Him. Baptism into Jesus Christ is baptism into His death, requiring that self die and be buried in order to rise to newness of life in Christ. Joining the church and being baptized is not sure evidence of having joined Christ, for the new birth brings the virtues that are the fruits of the Spirit. When self does not die, the person is buried alive, remaining unsanctified and unholy and failing to rise to new life.
Christ, though wholly righteous and spotless, was baptized to give the example of the steps the sinner must take in conversion, so no one with light should hesitate to submit to God and confess sin. The fact that some who profess Christ do not live as Christians is no excuse to refuse baptism. Saul's repentance is described as dying to sin, followed by faith in Jesus, baptism, and a life of obedience to God's law, and his baptism belongs to this change from sin to service to Christ. Baptism is a burial with Christ, identifying the baptized person with His death, and baptism also follows the example of the Lord.
Rising to Newness
Those buried with Christ by baptism into death are planted together in the likeness of His death to share also the likeness of His resurrection, rising to walk in newness of life just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. This burial and rising is a pledged new life unto Christ, laying responsibility to walk worthy of the high calling and to properly represent the faith, which requires being intensely in earnest to obtain help and grace from Christ and is something to strive for. Repentance, faith, and baptism are the requisite steps in conversion, and baptism is a most solemn ceremony where the truly converted are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who behold the scene and accept the vows to walk henceforth in newness of life. Taking those vows unites the believer with the highest powers in heaven to live a life patterned after the life of Christ, with character molded after the divine similitude and fashioned after His life, bearing His likeness and representing Him before the world, with Christ fulfilling every promise of His Word in behalf of fallen man. This burial and new life is the representation of redemption in and through genuine daily faith in Christ Jesus, lived by partaking of the divine nature, making spiritual life the constant aim unto the formation of the pattern life of Christ by looking unto Jesus, accepting His holiness as the Pattern, and learning His meekness and lowliness of heart to find new life in His spiritual life.
Those who are dead to sin cannot continue to live in sin or live any longer therein, even that grace may abound. The old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth believers should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin. This union with Christ in His death calls for dying to sin and giving life to Him, with conformity to God's will, separation from worldly influences, and a life that honors Christ through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and full consecration to God. Those dead with Christ shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more and death has no more dominion over Him, for in that He died He died unto sin once but in that He lives He lives unto God, so believers reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore sin must not reign in the mortal body to be obeyed in its lusts, and members must not be yielded as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yielded unto God as those alive from the dead and as instruments of righteousness unto God, for sin shall not have dominion because believers are not under the law but under grace, while the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The new life is regeneration and transformation, in which divine grace changes the heart and prepares a person to live in harmony with heaven. God's grace subdues the propensities of the natural heart, and divine love fills the heart, sanctifying the understanding and fitting the person for heaven and the company of holy angels. At baptism the natural temperament is buried in a watery grave, with body, soul, and spirit consecrated to God's service in a pledge to walk in the light of truth and to represent the character of Christ, to be dead to the former life of worldliness, selfishness, and covetousness, and to have risen to live the life of Christ in union with Christ, revealing the divine life. After baptism the work of the Holy Ghost comes in, and the baptized person stands under the sanction and power of the three holiest beings in heaven, who are able to keep from falling, to reveal a wonderful transformation, dead to sin, with sanctified tongue, spirit, and words, made susceptible to the movings of the Holy Spirit upon mind and character. Remaining dead to sin means claiming death to sin and cleansing from hereditary and cultivated traits of evil, keeping the mouth sanctified and the tongue converted to speak of God's goodness and praise His holy name, so as to be a help and blessing to the church, with heart, mind, tongue, spirit, and words sanctified.
The risen life is hid with Christ in God, with a living connection with the Saviour and with God to exemplify the spirit and character of Christ. Those risen with Christ are dead and their life is hid with Christ in God, so they seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, setting affection on things above and not on things on the earth. This means mortifying fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry, and putting off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, having put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him. Baptism by being laid under the water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is a solemn profession of being dead unto the world and to sin, made in the sight of the heavenly universe, pledging no longer to act and look and dress and talk like worldlings, but to escape the corruption in the world through lust and reveal themselves as His children, His chosen people, which alone saves from the snares of Satan. Being raised up out of the water is in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, when He proclaimed Himself the resurrection and the life over the rent sepulcher of Joseph.
Baptism marks a break with the former life and a commitment to live in newness of life unto God, leaving the former life and beginning to follow Christ. Those baptized are buried with Christ and rise to live a new life unto God, kept unspotted from the world, and even children may be buried with Christ in this way, praying in the water to be kept from sin. Baptism into Christ joins the believer to His death and calls the believer to rise from the water and live in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, crucifying self and imitating Jesus' self-denying life, rather than forget the commitment baptism represents.
Covenant Vows Witnessed
Baptism into Jesus Christ is baptism into His death, followed by burial and rising to walk in newness of life, and it is a most solemn covenant, vow and pledge to belong to God. It signifies being dead to sin, buried with Christ, and raised to a new life, so the baptized must no longer live in sin but yield to God and pursue what is above. Going down into the water means being dead to the world and its temptations, and rising from the watery grave means walking in newness of life in obedience to God's requirements. This baptism marks repentance for sin, renunciation of sin and Satan, and entrance into a new life in Christ, and it is a sacred and important commitment to live in close communion with Christ and devote life and all one has to His service, to be received with understanding and not undue haste. Repentance, faith and baptism are the requisite steps in conversion, and taking the vows unites the believer with the highest powers in heaven to live a life patterned after the life of Christ, with character molded after the divine similitude, bearing His likeness and representing Him before the world as a child of the heavenly King and worker together with Christ.
The vows are taken in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, openly as a profession before many witnesses. The waters cover the candidate as he is laid in his watery grave in that name, buried with Christ in baptism in the likeness of His death, and raised from the water in the likeness of His resurrection to walk in newness of life and live alone for Christ the Redeemer. The act is a mutual pledge and most solemn renunciation of the world in which self is by profession dead to a life of sin, made in the presence of the whole heavenly universe, with the three great powers in heaven as witnesses, invisible but present. It is a solemn profession of being dead unto the world and to sin, made in the sight of the heavenly universe, pledging a living connection with the Saviour and with God, to exemplify the spirit and character of Christ and no longer to act and look and dress and talk like worldlings. Only those truly converted are so buried, and after this burial every soul must be careful how he conducts himself, and by faithful obedience to the truth and lifelong labor together with Christ to save others he makes his calling and election sure.
At baptism the Father, Son and Holy Spirit pledge help to overcome, and those baptized in their name have the pledge of these three highest powers in heaven, who will never fail them. These three heavenly Powers are obligated to cooperate with the baptized person, to be his strength and efficiency at all times if faithful to the vow, to supply every deficiency, give power and grace to resist temptation and overcome the prince of darkness, keep from falling, and aid when tempted to deny Christ. After baptism the work of the Holy Ghost comes in, and the baptized stands under the sanction and power of the three holiest beings in heaven, raised to live a new life dead to sin with life hid with Christ in God, revealing a wonderful transformation with sanctified tongue, spirit and words. This pledge is kept not in human strength but in strength received from above, and only as the believer places himself in right relation to God, watches against temptation, resists the devil, guards appetite, does what he can do for himself, refuses to obey the world or follow its fashions or be corrupted by its society, and cooperates with them.
In baptism God pledges Himself to be Father to the baptized, bringing the soul into God's family. By that baptism done in the names of the three great powers in the heavenly courts, in whom God gave all heaven to the world, the believer becomes the Lord's property, His blood-bought heritage, and is to take a position on the Lord's side. Being raised up out of the water is in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, when He proclaimed Himself the resurrection and the life, and those thus risen are to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, holding fast the beginning of confidence firm unto the end. Baptism is acceptance of the infinite sacrifice made by Jesus Christ in behalf of sinners, to be dead and buried with Christ and risen with Him to a new life that seeks those things above.
Living Baptism Daily
Baptism into Jesus Christ is burial in the likeness of His death and rising in the likeness of His resurrection, and this union begins a new life bound up with Christ in dedication to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The one baptized has died to the world and is to leave pride, self-indulgence, carelessness, and indifference behind, making worldly concerns secondary and using all entrusted abilities and possessions for God's glory. It is a renunciation of sin and Satan and a sacred pledge to live in close communion with Christ and devote life and all one has to His service, received in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost as a vow to live by faith which works by love and purifies the soul. Going down into the water pledges in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost to be henceforth dead to the world and its temptations and to arise from the watery grave to walk in newness of life, which is a life of obedience to God's requirements. It is a solemn profession of being dead unto the world and to sin, made in the sight of the heavenly universe, with a living connection with the Saviour and with God to exemplify the spirit and character of Christ and no longer to act and look and dress and talk like worldlings.
Those baptized have life hid with Christ in God and receive the privilege of walking in new life, escaping the corruption in the world through lust and revealing themselves as His children, His chosen people, which alone saves from the snares of Satan. Only those truly converted are so buried with Christ before many witnesses including the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and all the heavenly universe, and they are raised from the watery grave in the likeness of His resurrection to walk in newness of life. After this burial every soul must be careful how he conducts himself, and by faithful obedience to the truth he makes his calling and election sure. Those baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost have the pledge of these three highest powers in heaven, and those powers will never fail them, so when downcast and oppressed they can surely rely on that pledge and need not obey the world nor follow its fashions nor be corrupted by its society. Every believer is to remember those vows and manifest what they imply to a sinful world, guarding weak points of character with rigor and pledging to worship the living God, separate from the world, and keep God's law, rather than forget the commitment baptism represents.
The baptized are bound to live as living men with a duty and work to do for the glory of God and the enlightenment of fellow men, as God's helping hand to save others from Satan's deceptive power, pledging lifelong labor together with Christ in the great work of saving souls. They are joined to the death of Christ and become dead to the enticements of the world in order to win others to Christ, making a solemn pledge henceforth to stand under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel and live a life separate from the customs, fashions, evil practices and habits of the world. That pledge is kept not in human strength but in strength received from above, because the three highest powers of heaven pledge themselves at baptism to aid the believer in living the new life in Christ and to cooperate with those who labor in harmony with His purposes. They must not take back that pledge or be idlers, but let the world's need move them to greater sacrifice and earnest work for those who are lost, faithfully acting their appointed part, exerting a sanctified influence, and giving an example of pure, unselfish, noble principles so that God is glorified by His grace imparted for the salvation of men.
Grasping being baptized into Christ's death is a first lesson for many who profess godliness, and those who are self-centered do not discern what their baptism means, and that failure leaves them open to alienation and strife while evil angels watch for a chance to carry out division. Baptism means going down into the water to break bondage to evil spiritual influence, and those baptized into Jesus Christ must rebuke every particle of that spirit, come out from it entirely, assert their liberty in the name of the Lord, be free, and stand in the liberty of the sons of God, living in newness of life unto God.
Baptism is burial with Christ that cleanses from sin, burying the old life in the likeness of Christ's death and raising to walk in newness of life in the likeness of His resurrection, so the old harsh, arbitrary life set in action by passion and governed by carnal feeling must pass away with evidence of cleansing. For parents this means conversion must bring a great change in home life, putting away faultfinding, scolding, sharp tones and irritating words and showing instead forbearance, compassion and love toward children. The ordinance requires prior conversion, with old self-indulgent habits put to death so that the person buried in baptism is truly dead to self, for if not dead to self when baptized he is buried alive and comes into the church unchanged, still full of murmuring and faultfinding, hating reproof because of wickedness of heart and at enmity with God, and that unconverted spirit fills the home and is breathed in by the children. Because baptism is a most sacred and important ordinance whose significance must be thoroughly understood before receiving it, there should be no undue haste, and both parents and children must count the cost, with parents who consent to the baptism of their children sacredly pledging themselves to be faithful stewards over them, to guide them in character building and to guard with special interest these lambs of the flock so they do not dishonor the truth they have professed, making it their first work to train them for the Lord and not leave the recently baptized ignorant through neglect to educate in spiritual things.
Going under the water represents being buried in the likeness of His death and coming up follows His example, and baptism is a public commitment to leave sin and follow Christ, so obeying this command can mark a victory over fear. It is a solemn ordinance marking a convert's commitment to Christ, and those baptized may go forward with assurance of God's love and approval, seeking His grace and complete forgiveness as they take their place among His loyal subjects.
Baptism into Jesus Christ means being buried with Him in the likeness of His death. Going down under the water is the burial in the watery grave, and coming up out of the water pictures His resurrection and the believer's rising to new life, which is by immersion. Such baptism must follow dying to sin, self, and the world, for to be baptized while still alive to sin is as burying a live person. Those thus buried are planted to rise in the likeness of His resurrection and walk in newness of life by the power that raised Christ, no longer continuing in sin or serving it. Baptism is a most solemn covenant vow to belong to God, to be dead to the world and live henceforth an obedient life patterned after Christ, while Father, Son, and Holy Ghost pledge themselves to cooperate with the baptized and supply power to overcome.
What Baptism Pictures
To be baptized into Jesus Christ is to be baptized into His death, buried with Him by baptism into death in the likeness of His death. That baptism joins the believer to Christ in His death in union with Him, calling for dying to sin, no longer serving sin but living in newness of life in conformity to God's will and separation from the world through the Spirit's sanctifying work and full consecration. Those so buried are planted together in the likeness of His death to share also the likeness of His resurrection, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so they walk in newness of life. The old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth believers should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin and cannot continue to live in it. Those dead with Christ shall also live with Him, knowing Christ being raised dies no more and death has no more dominion over Him, for in that He died He died unto sin once but in that He lives He lives unto God, so believers reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore sin must not reign in the mortal body to be obeyed in its lusts, nor members yielded as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yielded unto God as those alive from the dead as instruments of righteousness, for sin shall not have dominion because believers are not under law but under grace, and while the wages of sin is death the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This burial and new life is the representation of redemption in and through genuine daily faith, lived by partaking of the divine nature, walking after the life of Christ in regeneration with spiritual life as the constant aim unto formation of the pattern life of Christ by looking unto Jesus, accepting His holiness as the Pattern, and learning His meekness and lowliness of heart to find new life in His spiritual life. The verse lays responsibility on believers to walk worthy of their high calling and properly represent the faith, which requires being intensely in earnest to obtain help and grace from Christ, having pledged the new life unto Christ and belonging to the Lord.
Going down under the water is the watery grave for burial with Christ into His death upon profession of faith, in which the person openly renounces sin before many witnesses and shows deadness to the reigning power of sin. Coming up out of the water is the symbol of resurrection, picturing His resurrection and the believer's rising to new life, and by believing in Christ the baptized experiences in himself the same divine power that raised Christ from the dead. The candidates buried beneath the water and raised from it as Jesus was raised from the dead are called to live a new life devoted to God, crucifying self and imitating Jesus' self-denying life, not returning to sin but no longer belonging to the world. This is by immersion, identified as the scriptural mode of baptism.
Baptism therefore commemorates Christ's resurrection, because believers buried with Him in baptism are raised from the watery grave in the likeness of His resurrection to live a new life.
The water at the wedding feast at Cana symbolized baptism into His death, and rites that point to the Saviour's death nourish the soul only through Christ's power working through faith. That water stands joined to the wine, which is the shedding of His blood for purifying the sins of the world, as part of the means of salvation. The ample provision of water for the wedding guests shows the abundant provision made for blotting out the iniquities of men.
Dying Before Baptism
Baptism into Jesus Christ is baptism into His death as burial with Him, and that burial must follow dying to sin, for to be baptized while still alive to sin is as horrible as burying a live person. Many go through only the outward form of burial with the Lord in baptism without ever having died to sin. Baptism into Christ is baptism into the likeness of His death, which means dying to self by denying self, taking up the cross, and following Christ. Many who are baptized have never died to self, so they are buried alive, still bowing before some earthly idol, far from God, and living in spiritual adultery without knowing it.
Baptism is a burial in which those baptized claim to be dead unto the world and enter a covenant relation to God, and to be baptized and then remain joined to the world dishonors God like burying a person alive. The burial means separating from the world, coming out and being separate, and taking position on the side of God, truth, and righteousness, and those who do this have power to prevail with God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost pledge themselves to work in behalf of the baptized and to supply every deficiency if the covenant is kept. Baptism signifies being buried with Christ and dying to self, and those who undergo it without dying to self remain ruled by old, self-indulgent habits, murmuring, and resistance to God's messages, having been buried alive rather than truly converted. Baptism means death to self followed by burial with Christ, requiring prior conversion with old self-indulgent habits put to death so that the person buried is truly dead to self.
If a person is not dead to self when baptized, he is buried alive and comes into the church unchanged, still full of murmuring and faultfinding, hating reproof because of wickedness of heart and at enmity with God, and that unconverted spirit fills the home and is breathed in by the children. Repentance, faith, and baptism are the requisite steps in conversion, and baptism is a most solemn ceremony where the truly converted are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who behold the scene and accept the vows to walk henceforth in newness of life. Taking the vows unites the believer with the highest powers in heaven to live a life patterned after the life of Christ, with character molded after the divine similitude, fashioned after His life, bearing His likeness and representing Him before the world as a child of the heavenly King and worker together with Christ. Baptism marks repentance for sin and entrance into a new life in Christ, and as a sacred and important commitment it should be received with understanding, not undue haste.
Its significance must be thoroughly understood before receiving it, for it means repentance of transgression and sin and entrance upon a new life in Christ Jesus. Because of this meaning there should be no undue haste to receive the ordinance, and both parents and children must count the cost, with parents who consent to the baptism of their children sacredly pledging themselves to be faithful stewards over them, to guide them in character building and to guard with special interest these lambs of the flock so they do not dishonor the truth they have professed. Baptism comes after conversion, repentance, and faith as steps every sinner turning from sin must take to follow Christ's example and fulfill all righteousness. Baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost in obedience to Christ's command signifies death to the world, burial in the likeness of Christ's death, and rising from the water in the likeness of His resurrection to a changed life connected with Jesus Christ. Baptism in the likeness of Christ's death is a step in conversion, following repentance for breaking God's law and faith in Christ as Savior.
The baptism of children marked their decision to be Christians and their desire to overcome temptation, as a step of faith and a victory over fear. Baptism is putting on Christ by being baptized into the faith of His death and resurrection, identifying with His followers and showing faith in His atonement by words and actions. Even those with faultless outward lives, including children taught to keep the Sabbath who have no outbreaking sins yet feel no conviction of sin or need of repentance, are sinners who must repent, believe, and be baptized that their sins may be blotted out to become children of God and heirs of heaven. Baptism is burial with Christ that cleanses from sin, burying the old life in the likeness of Christ's death and raising to walk in newness of life in the likeness of His resurrection. The old harsh, arbitrary life set in action by passion and governed by carnal feeling must pass away, and those baptized must live the new life in Christ with evidence of cleansing.
For parents this means conversion must bring a great change in home life, putting away faultfinding, scolding, sharp tones and irritating words and showing instead forbearance, compassion and love toward children. Baptism is death to the world and purging from old sins, testified before angels and men. The baptized one pledges before the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to do the will of the resurrected Christ, and rising from the watery grave is forgiven and declared a new creature whose life is hid with Christ in God and who henceforth seeks those things which are above. Remembering this baptismal vow and remaining faithful to it gives the heart-preparation needed to save souls, and any who have failed to live up to it must redeem the past by turning to humble obedience. Going down into the watery grave and rising again declares forgiveness through Christ the resurrection and the life.
Baptism is the washing of regeneration that brings man back into favor with God. The washing is burial with Christ in water in the likeness of His death. It represents that all who repent of transgression of the law of God receive purification and cleansing through the work of the Holy Spirit, and represents true conversion by the renewing of the Holy Spirit. In baptism, a repentant person receives forgiveness and pledges to worship the living God, separate from the world, and keep God's law, while the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are pledged to work on that person's behalf. The baptismal vow must never be forgotten, and faithfulness to it gives the heart preparation needed to help save sinning souls.
Baptism into Christ represents being united with Him in His death, and those baptized without dying to self have been buried alive: joining the church and receiving baptism do not prove that a person has joined Christ. True union with Christ means self dies and the believer rises to newness of life in Him. Baptism into Jesus Christ is baptism into His death, requiring that self die and be buried in order to rise to newness of life in Christ. Joining the church and being baptized is not sure evidence of having joined Christ, for the new birth brings the virtues that are the fruits of the Spirit. When self does not die, the person is buried alive, remaining unsanctified and unholy and failing to rise to new life.
Christ, though wholly righteous and spotless, was baptized to give the example of the steps the sinner must take in conversion, so no one with light should hesitate to submit to God and confess sin. The fact that some who profess Christ do not live as Christians is no excuse to refuse baptism. Saul's repentance is described as dying to sin, followed by faith in Jesus, baptism, and a life of obedience to God's law, and his baptism belongs to this change from sin to service to Christ. Baptism is a burial with Christ, identifying the baptized person with His death, and baptism also follows the example of the Lord.
Rising to Newness
Those buried with Christ by baptism into death are planted together in the likeness of His death to share also the likeness of His resurrection, rising to walk in newness of life just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. This burial and rising is a pledged new life unto Christ, laying responsibility to walk worthy of the high calling and to properly represent the faith, which requires being intensely in earnest to obtain help and grace from Christ and is something to strive for. Repentance, faith, and baptism are the requisite steps in conversion, and baptism is a most solemn ceremony where the truly converted are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who behold the scene and accept the vows to walk henceforth in newness of life. Taking those vows unites the believer with the highest powers in heaven to live a life patterned after the life of Christ, with character molded after the divine similitude and fashioned after His life, bearing His likeness and representing Him before the world, with Christ fulfilling every promise of His Word in behalf of fallen man. This burial and new life is the representation of redemption in and through genuine daily faith in Christ Jesus, lived by partaking of the divine nature, making spiritual life the constant aim unto the formation of the pattern life of Christ by looking unto Jesus, accepting His holiness as the Pattern, and learning His meekness and lowliness of heart to find new life in His spiritual life.
Those who are dead to sin cannot continue to live in sin or live any longer therein, even that grace may abound. The old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth believers should not serve sin, for he that is dead is freed from sin. This union with Christ in His death calls for dying to sin and giving life to Him, with conformity to God's will, separation from worldly influences, and a life that honors Christ through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and full consecration to God. Those dead with Christ shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more and death has no more dominion over Him, for in that He died He died unto sin once but in that He lives He lives unto God, so believers reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore sin must not reign in the mortal body to be obeyed in its lusts, and members must not be yielded as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yielded unto God as those alive from the dead and as instruments of righteousness unto God, for sin shall not have dominion because believers are not under the law but under grace, while the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The new life is regeneration and transformation, in which divine grace changes the heart and prepares a person to live in harmony with heaven. God's grace subdues the propensities of the natural heart, and divine love fills the heart, sanctifying the understanding and fitting the person for heaven and the company of holy angels. At baptism the natural temperament is buried in a watery grave, with body, soul, and spirit consecrated to God's service in a pledge to walk in the light of truth and to represent the character of Christ, to be dead to the former life of worldliness, selfishness, and covetousness, and to have risen to live the life of Christ in union with Christ, revealing the divine life. After baptism the work of the Holy Ghost comes in, and the baptized person stands under the sanction and power of the three holiest beings in heaven, who are able to keep from falling, to reveal a wonderful transformation, dead to sin, with sanctified tongue, spirit, and words, made susceptible to the movings of the Holy Spirit upon mind and character. Remaining dead to sin means claiming death to sin and cleansing from hereditary and cultivated traits of evil, keeping the mouth sanctified and the tongue converted to speak of God's goodness and praise His holy name, so as to be a help and blessing to the church, with heart, mind, tongue, spirit, and words sanctified.
The risen life is hid with Christ in God, with a living connection with the Saviour and with God to exemplify the spirit and character of Christ. Those risen with Christ are dead and their life is hid with Christ in God, so they seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, setting affection on things above and not on things on the earth. This means mortifying fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry, and putting off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, having put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him. Baptism by being laid under the water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is a solemn profession of being dead unto the world and to sin, made in the sight of the heavenly universe, pledging no longer to act and look and dress and talk like worldlings, but to escape the corruption in the world through lust and reveal themselves as His children, His chosen people, which alone saves from the snares of Satan. Being raised up out of the water is in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, when He proclaimed Himself the resurrection and the life over the rent sepulcher of Joseph.
Baptism marks a break with the former life and a commitment to live in newness of life unto God, leaving the former life and beginning to follow Christ. Those baptized are buried with Christ and rise to live a new life unto God, kept unspotted from the world, and even children may be buried with Christ in this way, praying in the water to be kept from sin. Baptism into Christ joins the believer to His death and calls the believer to rise from the water and live in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, crucifying self and imitating Jesus' self-denying life, rather than forget the commitment baptism represents.
Covenant Vows Witnessed
Baptism into Jesus Christ is baptism into His death, followed by burial and rising to walk in newness of life, and it is a most solemn covenant, vow and pledge to belong to God. It signifies being dead to sin, buried with Christ, and raised to a new life, so the baptized must no longer live in sin but yield to God and pursue what is above. Going down into the water means being dead to the world and its temptations, and rising from the watery grave means walking in newness of life in obedience to God's requirements. This baptism marks repentance for sin, renunciation of sin and Satan, and entrance into a new life in Christ, and it is a sacred and important commitment to live in close communion with Christ and devote life and all one has to His service, to be received with understanding and not undue haste. Repentance, faith and baptism are the requisite steps in conversion, and taking the vows unites the believer with the highest powers in heaven to live a life patterned after the life of Christ, with character molded after the divine similitude, bearing His likeness and representing Him before the world as a child of the heavenly King and worker together with Christ.
The vows are taken in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, openly as a profession before many witnesses. The waters cover the candidate as he is laid in his watery grave in that name, buried with Christ in baptism in the likeness of His death, and raised from the water in the likeness of His resurrection to walk in newness of life and live alone for Christ the Redeemer. The act is a mutual pledge and most solemn renunciation of the world in which self is by profession dead to a life of sin, made in the presence of the whole heavenly universe, with the three great powers in heaven as witnesses, invisible but present. It is a solemn profession of being dead unto the world and to sin, made in the sight of the heavenly universe, pledging a living connection with the Saviour and with God, to exemplify the spirit and character of Christ and no longer to act and look and dress and talk like worldlings. Only those truly converted are so buried, and after this burial every soul must be careful how he conducts himself, and by faithful obedience to the truth and lifelong labor together with Christ to save others he makes his calling and election sure.
At baptism the Father, Son and Holy Spirit pledge help to overcome, and those baptized in their name have the pledge of these three highest powers in heaven, who will never fail them. These three heavenly Powers are obligated to cooperate with the baptized person, to be his strength and efficiency at all times if faithful to the vow, to supply every deficiency, give power and grace to resist temptation and overcome the prince of darkness, keep from falling, and aid when tempted to deny Christ. After baptism the work of the Holy Ghost comes in, and the baptized stands under the sanction and power of the three holiest beings in heaven, raised to live a new life dead to sin with life hid with Christ in God, revealing a wonderful transformation with sanctified tongue, spirit and words. This pledge is kept not in human strength but in strength received from above, and only as the believer places himself in right relation to God, watches against temptation, resists the devil, guards appetite, does what he can do for himself, refuses to obey the world or follow its fashions or be corrupted by its society, and cooperates with them.
In baptism God pledges Himself to be Father to the baptized, bringing the soul into God's family. By that baptism done in the names of the three great powers in the heavenly courts, in whom God gave all heaven to the world, the believer becomes the Lord's property, His blood-bought heritage, and is to take a position on the Lord's side. Being raised up out of the water is in the likeness of Christ's resurrection, when He proclaimed Himself the resurrection and the life, and those thus risen are to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, holding fast the beginning of confidence firm unto the end. Baptism is acceptance of the infinite sacrifice made by Jesus Christ in behalf of sinners, to be dead and buried with Christ and risen with Him to a new life that seeks those things above.
Living Baptism Daily
Baptism into Jesus Christ is burial in the likeness of His death and rising in the likeness of His resurrection, and this union begins a new life bound up with Christ in dedication to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The one baptized has died to the world and is to leave pride, self-indulgence, carelessness, and indifference behind, making worldly concerns secondary and using all entrusted abilities and possessions for God's glory. It is a renunciation of sin and Satan and a sacred pledge to live in close communion with Christ and devote life and all one has to His service, received in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost as a vow to live by faith which works by love and purifies the soul. Going down into the water pledges in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost to be henceforth dead to the world and its temptations and to arise from the watery grave to walk in newness of life, which is a life of obedience to God's requirements. It is a solemn profession of being dead unto the world and to sin, made in the sight of the heavenly universe, with a living connection with the Saviour and with God to exemplify the spirit and character of Christ and no longer to act and look and dress and talk like worldlings.
Those baptized have life hid with Christ in God and receive the privilege of walking in new life, escaping the corruption in the world through lust and revealing themselves as His children, His chosen people, which alone saves from the snares of Satan. Only those truly converted are so buried with Christ before many witnesses including the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and all the heavenly universe, and they are raised from the watery grave in the likeness of His resurrection to walk in newness of life. After this burial every soul must be careful how he conducts himself, and by faithful obedience to the truth he makes his calling and election sure. Those baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost have the pledge of these three highest powers in heaven, and those powers will never fail them, so when downcast and oppressed they can surely rely on that pledge and need not obey the world nor follow its fashions nor be corrupted by its society. Every believer is to remember those vows and manifest what they imply to a sinful world, guarding weak points of character with rigor and pledging to worship the living God, separate from the world, and keep God's law, rather than forget the commitment baptism represents.
The baptized are bound to live as living men with a duty and work to do for the glory of God and the enlightenment of fellow men, as God's helping hand to save others from Satan's deceptive power, pledging lifelong labor together with Christ in the great work of saving souls. They are joined to the death of Christ and become dead to the enticements of the world in order to win others to Christ, making a solemn pledge henceforth to stand under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel and live a life separate from the customs, fashions, evil practices and habits of the world. That pledge is kept not in human strength but in strength received from above, because the three highest powers of heaven pledge themselves at baptism to aid the believer in living the new life in Christ and to cooperate with those who labor in harmony with His purposes. They must not take back that pledge or be idlers, but let the world's need move them to greater sacrifice and earnest work for those who are lost, faithfully acting their appointed part, exerting a sanctified influence, and giving an example of pure, unselfish, noble principles so that God is glorified by His grace imparted for the salvation of men.
Grasping being baptized into Christ's death is a first lesson for many who profess godliness, and those who are self-centered do not discern what their baptism means, and that failure leaves them open to alienation and strife while evil angels watch for a chance to carry out division. Baptism means going down into the water to break bondage to evil spiritual influence, and those baptized into Jesus Christ must rebuke every particle of that spirit, come out from it entirely, assert their liberty in the name of the Lord, be free, and stand in the liberty of the sons of God, living in newness of life unto God.
Baptism is burial with Christ that cleanses from sin, burying the old life in the likeness of Christ's death and raising to walk in newness of life in the likeness of His resurrection, so the old harsh, arbitrary life set in action by passion and governed by carnal feeling must pass away with evidence of cleansing. For parents this means conversion must bring a great change in home life, putting away faultfinding, scolding, sharp tones and irritating words and showing instead forbearance, compassion and love toward children. The ordinance requires prior conversion, with old self-indulgent habits put to death so that the person buried in baptism is truly dead to self, for if not dead to self when baptized he is buried alive and comes into the church unchanged, still full of murmuring and faultfinding, hating reproof because of wickedness of heart and at enmity with God, and that unconverted spirit fills the home and is breathed in by the children. Because baptism is a most sacred and important ordinance whose significance must be thoroughly understood before receiving it, there should be no undue haste, and both parents and children must count the cost, with parents who consent to the baptism of their children sacredly pledging themselves to be faithful stewards over them, to guide them in character building and to guard with special interest these lambs of the flock so they do not dishonor the truth they have professed, making it their first work to train them for the Lord and not leave the recently baptized ignorant through neglect to educate in spiritual things.
Going under the water represents being buried in the likeness of His death and coming up follows His example, and baptism is a public commitment to leave sin and follow Christ, so obeying this command can mark a victory over fear. It is a solemn ordinance marking a convert's commitment to Christ, and those baptized may go forward with assurance of God's love and approval, seeking His grace and complete forgiveness as they take their place among His loyal subjects.