A Few Bible Thoughts For Your Day

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Date: Jun 28 2016 12:18 PM

Hey Everybody,

What a blessing it was to have a successful VBS. Also, the completion of a portion of the annex facelift has been completed. These have added a bright feel to our classrooms and fellowship room. What a blessing it has all been, and I am thankful to all who have participated. If you have not participated, now is the time! Great things are happening at Enon. We are growing, I believe, in spirit and in number. So let us keep it up. For today, here are a few thoughts.

The Beauty of Baptism

People who read their Bibles know that baptism is a frequent subject there. Various forms of the word are found more than a hundred times in the New Testament. All of the major "Christian" denominations perform some act which they define as "baptism." So, a person seeking the way of salvation in Christ should be neither surprised nor offended when the subject comes up.

However, some religious organizations administer a form of baptism, and some people submit to it, with neither an understanding nor appreciation for its true meaning and value. To them it is a formality, ritual, church ordinance, edict or tradition as trivial and irrelevant as visiting some shrine.

Some rob baptism of its meaning by disclaiming its relationship to salvation in Jesus Christ. They understand that since the sinner is saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-10), it is a contradiction to say that baptism is “for (unto) the remission (forgiveness) of sin” as in Acts 2:38. However, when one scripture seems to us to contradict another scripture, it is obvious we are misunderstanding one, or perhaps both of them.

So, it is important for all of us to know what baptism is all about.

The Holy Spirit helps us in the writings of the apostle Peter, who said of the great flood of Noah’s day, “… in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:20-21).

The reader cannot evade that statement: “baptism – which now saves us.” It will help in understanding the verse if we read it and omit the parenthetical thought, then come back to it. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” In being baptized a person is not just obeying some church ordinance; he is not just performing a ritual, or keeping an empty command; he is reliving the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in doing so, he is saved (Romans 6:3-4).

To strengthen that, the Holy Spirit moves Peter to insert the parenthesis: “not the removal of the filth of the flesh.” It is not merely taking a bath. While he is not addressing the “mode” of baptism, (sprinkling or immersion), he settles the question. The unbelievers seeing people baptized might think they were merely bathing, which certifies immersion as the method of baptism.

Well, if it is not a bath, what is baptism all about? It is “the answer of a good conscience toward God.” The New American Standard Version translates it, “an appeal to God for a good conscience,” not on the person’s merit, but by virtue of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

People who reject baptism as a “work” by which a person tries to merit his salvation, fail to see the real meaning of baptism. When properly understood, Bible baptism actually is a denial of salvation by meritorious works and an affirmation of salvation on the merits of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism marks the time a person is washed from his sins in the blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5).

Have a great week!

Mitch Robison

Enon Church of Christ

1366 Enon Road

Webb, AL 36376

[email protected]

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