What is Baptism?
According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary, baptism is defined as the Christian religious rite of sprinkling water onto a person’s forehead or of immersing them in the water, symbolizing purification or regeneration and admission to the Christian church. In many denominations. Baptism is performed on young children and is accompanied by name-giving.
Why is baptism important?
Baptism is very imperative to us as believers because it is a believer’s walk with Christ, and it makes a believer boldly proclaim their faith in Christ. If baptism were not important, Jesus wouldn’t participate in it. Jesus Christ elucidates the importance of baptism by going to John the Baptist to be baptized by him before his ministry began. It shows that there is something peculiar and quirky about baptism. If not, Jesus wouldn’t have had to go to John in the first place to be baptized by him.
Boon or Benefit of Baptism
It propels Open Heaven
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. Matt 3:16.
According to the verse, Baptism opens heaven. It was after Jesus was immersed in the water and brought out that the heavens opened, and the Spirit of the Lord descended like a dove on him and announced him before the audience around.
Another benefit of baptism is that it provokes the voice of the holy spirit. The baptism of Jesus was what propelled the descent of the Holy Spirit. Meaning, if Jesus had not been baptized, heaven would not have opened for him to start his ministry. The voice of the holy spirit empowers him and leads him to the desert to be tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil). And the same Holy Spirit was with him when he was being tempted by the devil, and the Holy Spirit was the one that Jesus used to overcome the devil. Because the word we speak is spirit and life. (The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. John 6:53).
And it was the word of the Spirit that Jesus used to overcome Satan’s temptation. In other words, when you are baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit and start reading the Bible, which is the Word of God, the Holy Spirit opens your eyes and your understanding of the Word of God, so you can use it to extinguish the devil's temptation.
Baptism Cleanse
Baptism cleanses you from the sins that have accumulated in your body when you were still wallowing in sin, projected by the devil to send you to hell, but when you are baptised, all the dirt is washed away by the blood of Jesus and the mercy of Christ, who has offered himself for baptism, even though he has no sin in him. But to fulfill all righteousness. (Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented Matt 3:15).
Baptism Saves.
If we look at the book of 1 Peter 3:21, it says that Baptism saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Meaning, when you are baptized, you are saved from the untimely death that the devil has appointed for you. (and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1Pet 3:21)
Baptism clothes the body
When you are baptised, you have clothed yourself with Christ as it is said in the book Galatians (for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ Gal 3:27). And you know that when you are clothed with the garment of Christ, is like you are wearing the full armour of God that you can use to extinguish the darting arrows of the enemies. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Baptism washes away sins.
Another imperativeness of baptism is that it washes away your sins, as a sinner, whenever you made up your mind to leave your past life abaft and start a new life in Christ, your participating in baptism, washes away all the sins you have committed, right from your mother womb to that time you have made up your mind to be baptised, calling on the name of Jesus. Act 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
Baptism Rolls Away Condemnation.
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Clearly, reading the verse made us know that once you believe and you are baptised, therefore, condemnation is not for you anymore because you have accepted and believed in Christ, and for that reason or impetus, condemnation is rolled away from you.
Infant Baptism
Now, if we say we believe in Christ, why is there infant Baptism among some Christians? Secondly, why didn’t Joseph and Mary baptise Jesus Christ when he was little?
The truth is that infant baptism is not the right baptism if we want to follow the example of Christ and his fulfilling all righteousness. This might not sound too good among certain Christian denominations, but it is the gospel truth. A child who is baptised when he was a child does not understand the significance of the water being sprinkled on his head until he becomes an adult. (21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you, I am well pleased.”
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli. Luke 3: 21-23)
Let's take a close look at verse 23. Jesus was 30 years old when he was baptised and started his ministry; he should have done it when he was an infant, or Joseph and Mary would have done it when Jesus was an infant. But they didn’t because it is not the right method. So, most of us who have done infant baptism or were told by our parents that we did infant baptism on them, should read this verse properly and see if it was Christ-like baptism. God bless you as you see this revelation, and let him alone unlock your mind about baptism, and may the Holy Spirit lead you.
Prayer Points
Father, let the Spirit of baptism come upon your people in Jesus' name, Amen,
Posts
0 Comments