[FONT="][SUP]24 [/SUP]Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. [SUP]25 [/SUP]For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matt. 16: 24, 25)
IN my opinion these verses and especially the phrase, “take up his cross”, are some of the keys to an appreciation of baptism in water in the name of Christ. Many commentaries speak of preparing one’s self for the difficulties and problems that will come in following Christ and the reliance in God that we must have find to persevere. This is certainly good advice, but the meaning of “take up your cross” is far deeper than that. When Jesus took up His cross it was in preparation of His crucifixion and death for the sins of the world. Similarly, I believe, when we are instructed to take up our cross, it is because we must die to the old self with his passion and pride and sin. Please consider the following verses.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?[SUP]4 [/SUP]Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. [SUP]5 [/SUP]For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, [SUP]6 [/SUP]knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; [SUP]7 [/SUP]for he who has died is freed from sin. [SUP]8 [/SUP]Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (Rom. 6: 3-8)
(1) If we want to know how to enter into a relationship with Christ, there it is. By faith we are baptized into Christ.
(2) When we are baptized into Christ, we are baptized into His death.
(3) Continuing the figure, we are buried with Him through baptism into death.
(4) Why? So that we might arise with Him in the likeness of His resurrection to the newness of life.
(5) For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. (2 Tim. 2: 11)
(6) the old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sins, our sins, might be done away.
(7) We are no longer a slave to sin. We have been freed from sin and its consequences. Praise God!
(8) Is baptism related to the forgiveness of sins in Acts 2: 38? You better believe it!
(9) Now if we believe we have died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with him.
(10) Is baptism in the name of Christ relevant to salvation? Its God’s plan, not ours!
(11) Are we saved by grace? Certainly! By the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (Heb. 2: 9)
(12) Are we saved through faith? Yes! (Eph. 2: 9) When are faith leads us to repent and be baptized in the name of Christ for the forgiveness of sin.
(13) Are saved by repentance? Yes! (2 Cor. 7: 10)
(14) Are we saved through baptism? Yes! When we by faith obey our Lord, we are sprinkled with the blood of Christ, cleansing us from sin. (1 Peter 1: 1, 2) As our bodies are washed with pure water, our hearts are sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. (Heb. 10: 22)
God bless.
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