And the Bible Says...
Christ’s Blood Redeems
Recently I wrote on the importance of baptism for salvation. I received a reply from a reader wanting clarification on baptism. So I hope to do that in this article. There was a question about whether 1 Peter 3:21, was a “spiritual regeneration baptism” or a “water baptism”? I believe the answer rests with both. Water baptism is the means of having the spiritual regeneration of our soul. It represents the new birth of John 3 with Nicodemus’s discussion with Christ. That to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of “water and spirit”.
My prior article stressed the importance of baptism for salvation, but didn’t delve into the facets of how baptism works. Many stress the issue of “water” in baptism. But understand, Christ was baptized in water to “fulfill all righteousness”. Here was a man without sin, yet was baptized to establish its part in righteousness. Mark 16: 16 says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not will be condemned”. The passage ties faith to the act of baptism in water. It delves in the matter of accepting what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1. NO, H2O does not save. BUT, when we tie the faith, the water, the spirit, and the blood of Christ together in baptism, THAT my friend is what saves, by forgiving us of our past sins. There are many passages talking about Christ’s blood was shed for a sacrifice for our sin, Hebrews chapters 9,10 is just one text on the sacrifice needed. Check out these texts also: 1 Cor. 15:3; Romans 3:25; 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:14 (parallel to 1 Pet. 3:21); 1 Peter 1:18,19; 1 John 5:6,8. You see by these texts that all are tied together for remission of sins, our redemption. All are applied in baptism through our faith in the scriptures, which is the work of the Spirit of God. Romans 6:3-4 says that in baptism, we are baptized into Christ’s death. This chapter bears reading and study, and the benefits of baptism. It expressed it as a burial, representing I have chosen to stop the life of sin, and to live a life in Christ of righteousness. While I don’t know how God applies this, I know He does through faith in what He said.
For these reasons, every case of conversion in the book of Acts consisted of water, the faith of the believer, and teaching from the Spirit, and the redemptive blood of Christ. Every case that believer walked away knowing they were freed from their sin. Next week I’ll illustrate this further.
Christ’s Blood Redeems
Recently I wrote on the importance of baptism for salvation. I received a reply from a reader wanting clarification on baptism. So I hope to do that in this article. There was a question about whether 1 Peter 3:21, was a “spiritual regeneration baptism” or a “water baptism”? I believe the answer rests with both. Water baptism is the means of having the spiritual regeneration of our soul. It represents the new birth of John 3 with Nicodemus’s discussion with Christ. That to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of “water and spirit”.
My prior article stressed the importance of baptism for salvation, but didn’t delve into the facets of how baptism works. Many stress the issue of “water” in baptism. But understand, Christ was baptized in water to “fulfill all righteousness”. Here was a man without sin, yet was baptized to establish its part in righteousness. Mark 16: 16 says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not will be condemned”. The passage ties faith to the act of baptism in water. It delves in the matter of accepting what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1. NO, H2O does not save. BUT, when we tie the faith, the water, the spirit, and the blood of Christ together in baptism, THAT my friend is what saves, by forgiving us of our past sins. There are many passages talking about Christ’s blood was shed for a sacrifice for our sin, Hebrews chapters 9,10 is just one text on the sacrifice needed. Check out these texts also: 1 Cor. 15:3; Romans 3:25; 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:14 (parallel to 1 Pet. 3:21); 1 Peter 1:18,19; 1 John 5:6,8. You see by these texts that all are tied together for remission of sins, our redemption. All are applied in baptism through our faith in the scriptures, which is the work of the Spirit of God. Romans 6:3-4 says that in baptism, we are baptized into Christ’s death. This chapter bears reading and study, and the benefits of baptism. It expressed it as a burial, representing I have chosen to stop the life of sin, and to live a life in Christ of righteousness. While I don’t know how God applies this, I know He does through faith in what He said.
For these reasons, every case of conversion in the book of Acts consisted of water, the faith of the believer, and teaching from the Spirit, and the redemptive blood of Christ. Every case that believer walked away knowing they were freed from their sin. Next week I’ll illustrate this further.
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