Water Baptism

Jesus commanded all those who believed in Him to be baptized in water. "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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" (Matt 28:18,19).

Understanding what water baptism is all about is the key to a victorious and liberated christian life.  The act of going under the water and rising up from it again is a picture demonstrating what has happened to the Christian believer.

There are four stages of Christ's work pictured:

1. He died...I died in Him  "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin  - for anyone who died has been free from sin" (Rom 6:6,7)
2. He was buried....I buried with Him "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Wer were therefore buried with him through baptism into death (Rom 6:3,4)
3. He was raised ..I have a new life in Him.  "In order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  If we have been united with him in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his Resurrection" (Rom 6:4,5)
4. He ascended...I ascended in Him.  "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:6)

Rev Dr. Ronnie Ng