06/02/2021
FIRST SABBATH OF FEBRUARY 2021
Sabbath school message.
By: Evangelist. Ikemezie David C.
Topic: Baptism.
Text: Matthew 28:19-20.
Baptism is a sign of belonging to the new people of God, the true Israel, and an emblem of burial and cleansing, signifying death to the old life of unbelief, and purification from the pollution of sin.five parts of that affirmation are:-
=>First, “We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord . . .” What we mean by this is that the Lord Jesus commanded it — he ordained it: in a way that would make it an ongoing practice of the church. We find this most explicitly in Matthew 28:19-20.
=>Second, baptism “expresses union with Christ in His death and resurrection.” The clearest teaching on this is Romans 6:3–4: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
=>Third, the expression of union with Christ in death and resurrection happens “by being immersed in water.” The clearest evidence for this is Romans 6:3–4 which describes the act of baptism as burial and rising from the dead. This is most naturally understood to mean that you are buried under water and then come out of from the water to signify rising from the grave.
=>Fourth, baptism means doing this immersing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That’s what Jesus said in Matthew 28:19: . This means that not just any immersing is baptism.There is a holy appeal to God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to be present in this act and make it true and real in what it says about their work in redemption. Note:- There is no salvation without the Father.
=>Fifth, baptism is an expression of faith and therefore only for believers. It is not something that an unbeliever can do.It is not something than an infant can do.SHALOM