The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all those who believed in Him to be baptized in water.
Matt. 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
We are saved after we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, after that, we want to obey Jesus' command to be water baptized. Water baptism is an act (step) of faith.
A. Understanding Water baptism
Understanding Water baptism is a key to a victorious Christian life. Water baptism is a picture of what happens when a believer accepts and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our old sinful life died with Him and we were raised in His new glorious life.
B. We see four works of the Lord Jesus Christ In the symbol of Water baptism.
When we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ we died with Him, we were buried with Him, raised with Him, and ascended with Him.
1. HE DIED ... I DIED IN HIM
Rom. 6:6-7 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. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
2. HE WAS BURIED ... I WAS BURIED WITH HIM
Rom. 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 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.
3. HE WAS RAISED ... I HAVE A NEW LIFE IN HIM
Rom. 6:4-5 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. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
4. HE ASCENDED ... I ASCENDED IN HIM
Eph. 2:6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Col. 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
C. Water baptism is...
1. YOUR FUNERAL SERVICE! (OLD LIFE)
Rom. 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 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.
2. YOUR RESURRECTION TO A NEW LIFE!
Rom. 6:8-11 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
D. The two Kingdoms
Col. 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Every man and woman born into this world was born into the Kingdom of darkness, born as slaves of sin, slaves of the devil. The only way to get out of this Kingdom of darkness is to believe in Jesus Christ. Through water baptism, you declare that you died for the Kingdom of darkness and to live for the Kingdom of God.
E. The two races
The Bible talks about two races, the race out of Adam populates the Kingdom of Darkness because of the fall of man. The New Creation populates the Kingdom of God because of believing in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
1. THE FIRST ADAM.
1Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--
Adam was the father of us all, of the entire human race. Through Adam's sin, we were separated from God. Because of his sin, we inherited his rebellious and sinful nature.
2. THE LAST ADAM.
Rom. 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
1Cor. 15:45 And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
God could not change the fallen Adamic race. He had to put an end to that race and start a new one. Jesus was the Last Adam. He came as the lastborn of the Adamic race and the firstborn of a new race.
3. THE SECOND MAN
1Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
1Cor. 15:45-49 And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
4. THE NEW CREATION
2Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Eph. 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Through water baptism we declare to everybody that we are no longer part of Adam's race and the Kingdom of darkness. We are a New Creation in Christ, belonging to the Kingdom of God.
