Title: Mark of Salvation, Baptism
Contents
Baptism itself does not have the power to forgive sins, and baptism itself does not save us. So what is baptism? Baptism is to declare to many people that I will now live with Jesus Christ as my Lord. Today's text says this in 1 Peter 3:21. “Water now saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is baptism, not the removal of impurities from the flesh, but an supplication of a good conscience toward God.”
What is water, or baptism? It is a sign of salvation, that is, a sign of salvation. Baptism is the proof of salvation, not salvation itself. That is why, if we look at the continuing verse, “Now the sign of salvation for you is baptism. not the removal of impurities from the flesh”. Baptism itself does not have the power to forgive the uncleanness of the body, that is, sins. Baptism does not automatically forgive sins. When we sincerely confess our sins before the Lord and repent, our sins are forgiven, but baptism itself does not forgive sins.
Baptism is the finding of a good conscience toward God, that is, a decision to live righteously before God. If you lived in sins in the past, you will live without sins now. If you did not live clean in the past, you will live clean now. If you have lived in the past, you will live in love. It is baptism that decides to live. Baptism itself does not forgive sins, but if we look at the meaning of baptism more deeply, it is a kind of faith decision that our old self will die and we will live as a new person. By dipping water on our head, it means that our entire body is submerged in water.
Then why do you submerge your whole body in water? It has two meanings, one means that our old self is dead and we are reborn in Christ as a new person. All life is born once and then dies. But not everyone is born once and dies once. Unbelievers are born once and die twice. But a Christian is born twice and dies once.
Those who do not believe are born once and then die twice because they are not only born physically, but also die spiritually and go to hell forever. However, a Christian is not only born physically, but also spiritually, and this is called being born again. Because you are born twice and only die physically, you do not die spiritually, you live forever in heaven, so you are born twice and die once. Baptism has this meaning. My sinful appearance is gone and I am a new creation in Christ. Baptism is the ceremony that marks the beginning of a new life.
Also, the second reason to immerse the whole body in water is that water washes away dirty things. Baptism is the meaning of baptism to wash away all of our dirty and ugly old selves as we enter and exit the water, and to say, “I will live a new life, a clean life in Christ.”