The Meaning of Baptism | Andrew Farley

A friend of mine presented me with a wonderful analogy for the importance of Baptism.

I wanted to take a moment to share this story with you and to talk about the meaning of Baptism and the biblical basis for it.

[CatholicTruthOfficial]

See, just based off of what Dave said, there are so many different competing beliefs within Christianity. all are using the same Bible but come up with different beliefs and interpretations. Now, water baptism is not necessary. Never heard that one before. Some say it washes away sins, some say it doesn't. Some say it's symbolic, others say no. Some say there is no water baptism. Confusion in the body of Christ. But it wasn't always that way.

[philipwylie]

Any TEXT taken out of CONTEXT becomes a PROOF TEXT for someone's PRETEXT.

Baptism and its significance cannot ignored ROMANS chapter 6

~Romans 6: 3-4~
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death,
so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.

WHY? BECAUSE of this 6:5-7~
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death,
certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be ]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

~Mark 16:16~. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.


~I Peter 3:21~ Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Baptism is a COMMAND. Not an option.
Baptism is evidence of obedience and trust and by it one makes their appeal to God for a clear conscious.

~Titus 3:5.~ He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

~Acts 2:38.~ Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

~Acts 8:12.~ But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel
of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized, both men and women.

~John 3:5.~ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

~Matthew 28: 18. Then Jesus came to them and said,
“All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to Me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, …

~ John 12:46-48~
46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.
47 As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him.
For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words:
The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.…

* FACTS TO BE BELIEVED -
* COMMANDS TO BE OBEYED-
* PROMISED TO BE RECEIVED
* WARNINGS TO BE HEEDED.