Tag Archives: baptism

Supremacy

 

Jesus has supremacy – so what He says matters.

I have not looked at baptism for a while – baptism is the immersion of a believer to new life by faith.

 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.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  We know that our old self[a] was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free[b] from sin. – Romans 6:3-7  ESV

This is a passage for those who want to follow Jesus and happens soon after repentance and declaration of faith.

Repentance is simple turning away from sin. A declaration of faith is publicly confessing your decision to follow Jesus. We start separated from God, and we end up loving and being in awe of Him. We start loving the things He loves and moving away from the things that do not glorify Him. So I ask God to forgive me every day and I ask Him to refresh the filling of the Holy Spirit. What has transformed me internally is expressed through baptism – I am, in baptism, buried with Christ and raised to walk in life as a new person.

By virtue of His power and grace, and because He is the Sovereign and my Saviour, I  become a disciple of Jesus and I make other disciples because that is what He has asked me to do.

The cross becomes another important passage for me. It keeps me being a disciple of Jesus. The cross is my message that as Christ died for me, I must die to myself.

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23  ESV

It is a strong message and I am also aware this is not a hard thing because the essential truth of the resurrection comes with the cross. As I die to myself, I am equipped through grace to serve others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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One

 

One Church, One Faith

 

There is only one church that belongs to Jesus.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:1-6  ESV

I cannot get past how many times the word “one” is used in these verses. It is a reminder to me of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit, the Son, Jesus and the Father – three and yet one.

There are fond memories of times where I had the opportunity to introduce the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Sunday School formats and my favorite part was the Deity of Jesus and how best to describe the Holy Spirit. Yet, there was a point in the study where we needed to look at the significance of the Trinity and what was life like within the Trinity. Most importantly, there was the reminder that these three are all persons and the Trinity is a personhood.

All who have decided to follow Jesus are the called of God. Our calling is our responsibility to respond to what we have become in Christ and to serve in the body of Christ. These verses move us from the call to unity to one’s calling in ministry. Jesus has given many gifts of grace which come together in one common goal of maturity in Him.

 For example – one baptism. Baptism is the entry point to one’s walk with Jesus. It puts all new believers into the body of Christ to join with all the other believers.

 So then, when I am asked to walk in a manner worthy of my calling, it means that as a disciple, a part of the body of Christ, a part of the Church, it is a high calling. It is a walk not found in sin, but rather as a child of God. I am not my own, but bought with a price. My life is found in Christ and I live my life through Him. My life has been rescued by Jesus and His calling to follow Him changes the direction of every decision I make.

 

 

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