•1:20 PM
Is baptism simply a picture of a new birth that has taken place?
Topic(s): Baptism, Evangelism, Salvation
Baptism is a picture of the death of the old man, but it is more than that. Pertinent to this discussion is Romans 6:3-7:
"3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
7 For he who has died has been freed from sin." NKJV
Verse 3 teaches we are baptized into Christ, but we are also baptized into His death (where His blood was shed for the remission of sin - cf Matt 26:28, Heb 9:14).
Verse 4 says that in baptism, we are buried with Christ into death, which is followed by a raising unto newness of life. Therefore, Jesus was speaking of death when He said we must be born again. We must die to Satan, self, and sin -- bury that old dead man in the waters of baptism -- and be raised in a new life.
Note the conditional statement in verse 5: "IF we have been planted together in the likeness of His death." Being planted in the likeness of His death must refer to baptism as noted in verses 3 and 4. Therefore, the only way to be in the likeness of Jesus' resurrection -- raised from the dead to die no more (Romans 6:9) -- is to be planted in the likeness of Jesus' death = baptism.
Also, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new." This "new creature" sounds much akin to being "born again." So how do I get in Christ? Galatians 3:27 says "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Therefore, one can only be a new creature after he has been baptized (immersed) into Christ.
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