Bible Truths...Baptism

BIBLE TRUTHS ABOUT BAPTISM

 

* John the Baptist preached "baptism for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4).

 

* Those who refused John's baptism rejected the counsel of God (Luke 7:30).

 

* Jesus Himself was baptized by John and God was well pleased with Him (Matthew 3:13-17).

 

* Jesus had no sins (I Peter 2:21-22), but in being baptized Jesus "fulfilled all righteousness" (Matthew 3:13-16), i.e., He obeyed a commandment that God had given through John the Baptist and all of God's commandments are righteousness (Psalm 119:172).

 

* Jesus also was baptized to avoid the conflicting position of being "a teacher come from God" (John 3:2) while not submitting to the preaching of another teacher from God, John the Baptist (John 1:6-7).

 

* Jesus and His disciples baptized (John 3:26; John 4:1-2).

 

* Jesus said that a man who had experienced the natural birth from his mother's womb must nevertheless be "born again...of water and the Spirit" (John 3:3-5).

 

* Jesus commanded the apostles to teach all nations, baptizing people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20).

 

* Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).

 

* The apostle Peter told sinners to "repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).

 

* As a result of having Christ preached to him, the Ethiopian eunuch asked to be baptized, and upon confessing his faith in Christ, he immediately was baptized (Acts 8:35-39).

 

* Baptism is a complete immersion in water (Matthew 3:16; Acts 8:38-39; Romans 6:4-5; Colossians 2:12).

 

* The Philippian jailer and his household were baptized the same hour of the night in which they learned what to do to be saved (Acts 16:25-34).

 

* "And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed, and were baptized" (Acts 18:8b).

* There is but one baptism: baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the remission of sins (Ephesians 4:5; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38).

 

* Baptism is so important that Paul re-baptized about twelve men who had received the outdated baptism of John the Baptist (no longer valid if administered after Acts 2), i.e., the men had to make a second trip to the water in order to be right with God (Acts 19:1-7).

 

* Baptism washes away sins (Acts 22:16).

 

* Baptism is into Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27).

 

* Baptism is into the death of Christ where He shed His blood (Romans 6:3-4; John 19:33-34).

 

* It is in baptism that one contacts the blood of Christ (note the preceding) and has his sins washed away (Acts 22:16).

 

* Baptism is not a work of human merit, but a work of God (Colossians 2:11-12).

 

* God saves people according to His mercy "by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:4-7).

 

* Baptism is into the one body, the church (I Corinthians 12:13; (Ephesians 1:22-23).

 

* The church of the Lord (the composite of all those who have been saved—Acts 2:47) is sanctified and cleansed "with the washing of water by the word" (Ephesians 5:25-26).

 

* Baptism saves (I Peter 3:21).

 

Hugh Fulford

 

He Lives

He Is Alive

 

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead . . . . . . . .(1 Corinthians 15:19-20)

 

 Jesus has been crucified, his body taken from the cross and laid in a sepulchre that is tightly sealed with a stone (Mk. 15:46-47). With high hopes and dreams, the disciples of Jesus had given their hearts, souls and minds to him. Up to a few days ago everything was going well but now they have watched as Jesus was crucified and his body placed in that sepulchre. Now his disciples are miserable and gather together mourning and weeping (Mk. 16:10). Suddenly, Mary Magdalene appears telling them that Jesus is alive, she has seen him. The mourning and weeping will now be replaced with joy.

 

As I sit here today, these words from a beautiful song echo within my heart: "Because he lives I can face tomorrow, Because he lives all fear is gone, Because I know he holds the future, And life is worth the living just because he lives." We don't have any inkling of an idea what lies just around the corner in front of us. It may be good but it also may not be good. Thanks be to God, we don't have to be fearful of the next moment (Isa. 12:2-3); Heb. 4:14-16; John 14:1-3, 27; Phil. 4:6-7; Heb. 13:5; Rom. 8:35-39).

 

So long as we obey him and him only, so long as we love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, ever trusting and confiding in him, his faithful love will surround us with tender care and, not in a literal sense, by faith he will whisper to us, "You are not alone" (Mark 12:30; Psalm 62:8; Heb. 13:5-6). We are greatly blessed with the privilege of walking each day of our life with him as our friend, our companion and protector always instructing and safely guiding us whatever betides us (John 15:14; Psalm 145:18-20; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).We know that he holds the future in his hands and with confidence we can face each day knowing we have the touch of the Master's hand on our heart.

 

I can think of no better way to end this thought than by the words written by A.H. Ackley in the song, He Lives: "He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart."

 

Charles Hicks

 

No Place Like Home

No Place Like Home

 

We are confident, I say, and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him (2 Cor. 5:8-9).

 

As I think about this passage from 2 Corinthians 5, some beautiful words from the song, Anywhere Is Home, begin fill my heart: "Oft I'm tossed about and driven by the foe, Sad within without wherever I may go, But  I press along still looking up in prayer, For its home sweet home if Christ my Lord is there." Long ago I came to the conclusion that wherever you go, whatever you do, there just is no place like the comfort and peace of a home filled with the faithful love of Christ. As much as this is true in the temporal realm, I, for one, believe to be absent from this body and be present with the Lord is far greater.

 

I love this life and want to stay here for as long as possible. Yet I know that this world is not my permanent dwelling place and neither is it yours (Phil. 3:20; 1 Pet. 2:11). With all our being we should be reaching forth to that which lies in front of us knowing that with the passing of each day, yea even the passing of each minute of each day, we are brought  one step closer to shedding these earthly bonds (Phil. 3:13-14). Yes, I do love this life and want to stay here a little longer, yet there is within my heart a longing for that day when I will shed these earthly bonds and be present with the Lord. What do you say about yourself?

 

Life as we know it is so uncertain. Job tells us it is of few days as well as like a swift ship (Job 14:1, 9:26); Isaiah compares life to a thread soon to be cut Isa.:38:12); 2 Sam. 14:14 tells us life is like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again and James tells us that our life is like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (James 4:14-15). Psalms 90:9-10 is a great summation of life: "For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our days as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away."

 

As we journey through this earthly life, I pray that for each of us it will be one in which happiness, contentment, prosperity, reasonably good health, comfort and peace of mind will far outweigh the adverse conditions that will surely strike our human frame from time to time. But most of all I pray that when we take that journey from which we will not return, it will be well with our eternal soul on that great appointed judgement day. O, how I want one day to stand in the presence of the Lord and proclaim, Home, Home at last! How about you?

 

Charles Hicks