On Sunday morning, several women came to the tomb. But all they found was an empty grave. They couldn't understand it at first, but Christ was alive! This startling news transformed the followers of Jesus. His resurrection became the dividing line between faith and unbelief, between power and fear. The same is true today. Resurrection makes all the difference in walking with Jesus in a living way.
How can the resurrection of Jesus be real to us today?
"What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He _____ Him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:19,20).
This is an incredible text! We can experience same power in our life that was seen in the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The same life-giving, life-changing power!
How can you experience this kind of power?
"Or do you not know that as many of us as were _____ 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 6:3,4).
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the _____" (Titus 3:5,6).
Bible baptism symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It shows that our old life of sin is dead and buried in a watery grave. It's also a wonderful testimony that we've given our heart to Jesus and His Spirit has changed us from the inside out. Through Him, we are a 'new creation,' living a brand new life through Jesus.
"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and _____ away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
"He who believes and is baptized shall be _____, but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).
Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). We are saved when we come to Jesus and leave our old master behind. The old life is dead and gone. Our sins are forgiven and we are clean, walking in newness of life.
What gift does God give you when you're baptized?
"Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the _____" (Acts 2:38).
The Holy Spirit has always been with you. He's the One who convicted you of sin--that you need a Savior. He's the One who led you to new truth and gave you new life (see John 16:8,13-14 and John 6:63). Before you surrendered your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit worked on the outside--asking if He could come in and live with you as a constant companion and guide. But when we let Him in, He begins the life-changing miracle of giving us the Father's heart and turning our lives completely around. At baptism, He comes with greater power, just as He did when He fell in tongues of fire on the disciples at Pentecost. His presence brings greater intimacy with God, so that you can be a brighter and bolder witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Was Jesus ever baptized?
"Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming _____ from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove" (Mark 1:9,10).
Before Christ's ministry began, He went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist. "John tried to prevent Him saying "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Matthew 3:13). John had seen countless men coming to the Jordan, but he knew that Jesus was without sin. He had no need to be repent and be forgiven. But Christ said, "it is fitting [or right and proper] for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). Jesus always led by example. He experienced the steps that every believer will take when they decide to follow Jesus and live by the power of His Spirit.
How was Jesus baptized?
"When He had been baptized, Jesus came _____ from the water" (Matthew 3:16).
Baptism comes from the Greek word, baptizo, which means "to immerse," or "be submerged." Jesus was immersed or completely submerged under water when He was baptized. He went down, then came up. When we're baptized as Jesus was, our entire body is put underwater, demonstrating that we've chosen to be His completely. Every part of us belongs to Jesus. We're also lowered and raised up from the water by someone other than ourselves, someone who stands in God's place. This shows that you and I can't fix our heart. Only Jesus can deliver us from the shackles of sin. He's the only One who can raise us from the dead (see Romans 6:16 and Galatians 5:24).
Did the apostles change the way that people were baptized?
"Both Phillip and the eunoch went _____ into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came _____ from the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Phillip away, so that the enoch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:38,39).
Notice that Phillip used the same method that was used by John at Christ's baptism: the man from Ethiopia went down into the water, completely immersed, and then came up out of the water. As the disciples carried the gospel round the world, they continued to baptize new believers in the same way.
Does God accept other methods for baptism?
"One Lord, one faith, _____ baptism" (Ephesians 4:5).
Many kinds of baptisms have been practiced by well-meaning Christians. People have been sprinkled as infants, anointed with oil, even baptized in rose petals! At least 14 different methods have been used over the centuries, but the Bible only recognizes the one established by God. Baptism through immersion is His method because it is the only way that illustrates the meaning behind this sacred service.
Does your relationship with Jesus change when you are baptized?
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have _____ on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
When a woman is married, she generally puts on her husband's last name. This signifies they are now one and their lives are joined together. At baptism, we unite ourselves to Christ, taking the name of Christian. From this day forward, we belong to Him and He belongs to us. When you're baptized, you make a life-long commitment to be His and His alone.
Can we be baptized without joining a church?
"Then those who gladly received His Word were baptized...And the Lord added to the _____ daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:41,47).
"For by one Spirit we were baptized into one _____" ( 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Jesus is the head of His body, the church (Colossians 1:18). When we're baptized, we become part of His body, not merely the head. We need that body to keep growing in Jesus. Worshiping with families who believe as we do (who have the same hope, faith, and mission) gives us strength in following Christ. We're not alone in this journey. We have a family to support us when we're down, to lift us up when we're discouraged, to help us press on when we don't know where to turn. And baptism isn't the end of our journey with Jesus--it's only the beginning. A church is also the place where we learn to be a disciple and a witness for the Lord. That's why the Bible says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25, NIV).
Should you ever get re-baptized?
"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'...Then Paul said, 'John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.' When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord _____"
There's definitely a time to be baptized all over again. When Jesus shows you a new way by discovering truths you've never known before. Or if you've wandered away from Jesus and 'divorced' yourself from God, Jesus may be calling you to get baptized again. I experienced this in my own life. There was a time when I stopped talking to God and reading my Bible. I had gotten so busy that I fell into the habit of neglecting the Lord. Without a daily connection with the Savior, the devil had free access to my mind, and I slid all the way back in my Christian journey. I ended up at square 1, at the same place I was before I ever met Jesus! Thankfully, God came after me again. And I surrendered my heart to the love of Jesus. But even though I came back, I heard Him calling me to 'marry' Him the 2nd time. So I was baptized all over again. And this time, I asked the Lord to fulfill His promise in Acts 2:38 and 39. I wanted to be filled with all of God's fullness through His Holy Spirit.
I reached out for that blessing because God had promised it. He said to repent and be baptized and be filled! And this promise is "to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39). And God did just what He said! I was filled with the Spirit in such power that He took all my fears away. I've never been afraid to share my faith since that day. And He's given me such incredible victories over sin and temptation! My walk with Jesus has been closer and deeper because I responded to God's call and was rebaptized. If God is calling you in that direction, move forward with Him. I know that He'll bless you "abundantly above all that [you] ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).
What should you do to get ready to be baptized?
1- "Teaching them to _____ all things that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19,20).
2 - "He who _____ is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).
3 - "_____ therefore and be _____ that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19).
When we're baptized, we're saying to the world, "I've decided to follow Jesus all the way!" But what does that really mean? Before we can take that step, we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn what it 'costs' to be a disciple of Christ. That's the information step. But the rest is a supernatural experience. We need to be ready to believe in our heart that Jesus is the answer to all our needs. Believing is really trusting in the Savior--having confidence in every word He's ever spoken and being willing to live by those words. And finally, we need to reach out and accept His gift of repentance (Acts 5:31), to turn away from the sins that have kept us from the Savior. This step will give us a new heart, a born-again experience, where the sins that we once loved, we now hate.
One Christian author said it so well--"Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things" (Steps to Christ, pg.58).
How does Jesus feel when you're baptized?
"Then a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son in whom I am well _____" (Mark 1:11).
Your heavenly Father will feel the same way about you when you take the step that Jesus did--to be baptized by the water and the Spirit. And He will do for you what He did for Jesus long ago. He will fill you to the full with His presence and you'll have all you need to live for Christ. May God bless you richly as you take this step or prepare to be baptized very soon!
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