"From Death to Life"

Baptism is one of the two ordinances that Jesus instituted for all believers in the church age. Along with observing the Lord’s Supper, all believers are to be baptized after placing their faith in Christ. When we trust in Christ for salvation, are instantly spiritually baptized into the body of Christ. We have passed from death into life. 

As believers we are then to follow with water baptism (sometimes called ‘believers’ baptism’) and that reenacts the baptism by the Spirit. We also are baptized to show a public profession of our faith. We identity with Christ in His death (by going down under the water), and we will walk in new life with Him (as we come up out of the water). It is the gospel on display. 

While there are no saving powers of the physical water, baptism illustrates to the world that we belong to Christ, and we identify with His death, burial, and resurrection. Every place that the gospel is preached and people are saved, they are to be baptized.

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Romans 6:4 ... Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ... For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ❤

Believe!!

Everyone ought to believe that there is a God, and it is their great sin and folly who do not.

Psalm 9:17... The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Ecclesiastes 12:13...  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Mark 16:16... He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

John 8:24...  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

2 Thessalonians 2:11... And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:❤

Of Repentance ...

The end of affliction is the discovery of sin, and of that to bring us to the Savior. Let us therefore, with the prodigal, return unto him, and we shall find ease and rest. A repenting penitent, though formerly as bad as the worst of men, may, by grace, become as good as the best.

To be truly sensible of sin, is to sorrow for displeasing of God; to be afflicted that he is displeased by us, more than that he is displeased with us. Your intentions to repentance, and the neglect of that soul-saving duty, will rise up in judgment against you. Repentance carries with it a divine rhetoric, and persuades Christ to forgive multitudes of sins committed against him.

Say not with yourself, "Tomorrow I will repent!" for it is your duty to do it daily.

The gospel of grace and salvation is above all doctrines the most dangerous, if it be received in word only by graceless men if it be not attended with a sensible need of a Savior, and bring them to him. For such men as have only the notion of it, are of all men most miserable for by reason of their knowing more than heathens, this only shall be their final portion, that they shall have greater stripes.

[John Bunyan]

Acts 2:38 … Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Luke 5:32 … I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 4:17 … From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.❤

Death to The Righteous and The Wicked

Must not the righteous leave the earth too?  Yes! But the earth is a very different thing to the righteous, and to the wicked.

To the righteous this world is a place of preparation or Heaven.  To the wicked this world is all the Heaven they will ever have.

Death is a kind messenger sent to the righteous by their heavenly Father calling them to the possession of their eternal inheritance! To the wicked, death is a messenger of wrath summoning them to the abodes of misery!

Death is the beginning of happiness to God's people. Death is the final conclusion of all that the wicked counted their happiness.

To the righteous death is a translation to a glorious eternity! To the wicked death is everlasting destruction and woe!

[George Lawson]

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Deuteronomy 32:29 ... O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

Mark 16:16 ...  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Matthew 25:45-46 ... Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.❤

Infant Baptism

Little do our friends know how much mischief they do by teaching infant baptism. I believe it to be the root and pillar of Popery.

It is an invention of man, against which Christians ought to protest every day, because infant sprinkling is a practical denial of the need of personal godliness.

It puts into the Church those who are not in the Church.

It gives religious rites to the unconverted.

It teaches men that because their mothers and fathers were good people, therefore these baptized infants are Christians; whereas they are not, they are heathens, and as much heathens as if they were born amidst the Hottentot’s kraals. They are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity, notwithstanding all their parents’ excellence.

To give Christian ordinances to unconverted persons is to pervert the testimony of God’s Church.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Mark 7:8 ...  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Colossians 2:8 ... Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Matthew 3:16-17 ... And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ❤

Put On Christ

The clothes we wear are what people see. Only God can look on the heart. The outward signs are important. They reveal something of what is inside. If charity is there, it will become visible outwardly, but if you have no charitable feelings, you can still obey the command. Put it on as simply and consciously as you put on a coat. You choose it; you pick it up; you put it on. This is what you want to wear.

 

Do you want to dress like a Christian?  Put on Christ.  The act of honest obedience, the fruit of love for Christ is your part.  Making you Christlike through and through is His part. 

 

[Elisabeth Elliot]

 

 

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Ephesians 4:24 ... And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 

 

Romans 13:14 ... But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

 

 

Galatians 3:27 ... For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

 

 

Colossians 3:10-14 ... And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.❤

Ruach Ha-Kodesh

 רוח הקודש

The Holy Spirit.

The Holy Ghost.

Luke 3:16 ... John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 

Ephesians 1:13 ... In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 ... For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.  He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Titus 3:5 ... Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Jude 1:20 ... But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,


Romans 15:13 ... Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Psalm 51:11-12 ... Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 🕊

Glow

May God so fill us today with the heart of Christ that we may glow with the divine fire of holy desire.

[A. B. Simpson]

Hebrews 1:7 ... And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.


Jeremiah 20:9 ... Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.


Luke 3:16 ... John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:❤

Heaven Opened ~

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Luke 3:21-22 🕊

Gift of the Holy Ghost

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ~ Peter, Acts 2:38  🕊