Should I Get Soaking Wet?

When you are baptized you are identifying with Jesus death burial and resurrection.

Take the person the person down under the water to step in burial we raise that person back of the resurrection. That's what it speaks visual that speaks of the invisible Roman six. All rights we were baptized into his death buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead.

We also should walk in newness of life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said the Christian life is a life of crucifixion in baptism, the form of Christ's death is impressed upon his own.

They are dead to the flesh into sin and their dead to the world.

The world is dead to them today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip offers a crystal clear picture of what baptism means for you today.

Before we begin, here's a resource that encourages you to live with bold faith as you explore the inspiring stories of women in the Bible comes to mind when you think of great godly women. Probably Jesus is mother Mary. Maybe Ruth, the unlikely ancestor of Christ. What about here's New York Times best-selling author Eric the taxes clearly God created us male and female in his image. It's leaning into who we are as women for women that is going to show God's greatness. Discover how the lives of some of the greatest women in history can show you the path to true greatness in your own life as a woman made in God's image, that's what you'll find in this month's inspiring resource by Eric metathesis everyone a seven women. I think you see a different side of femininity seven women is our thank you for your gift of $35 or more today to help connect more people to God's word and right now will also send you a special bonus resource pastor Skip next message CD collection on prominent women from Scripture connectwithskip.com/offer to get online securely or call 800-922-1888. Okay, let's dive into today's teacher will be in first Peter chapter Skip Heitzig is only one whole one doorway. The letter to the art. One way of salvation that whole so it is with Jesus Christ as our arc of safeties that I am the way, I am the truth I am the life he and he alone is that door so baptism relates to the past. The flood of Noah is the second thread to unwrap baptism recalls a principal receipt. It's a visual practice you're doing something visually so people can see it and you can feel it, but it speaks of an invisible principal, so it recalls the principal Nelligan verse 21 and I just want you with your own eyes to read that single word baptism. Let your eyes fall on the page.

There is also an anti-type, which now saves us baptism when you read that word or you hear that word becomes your mind is some religious practice. That's the only connotation you have of the word baptism. Oh yes, that's what Christians do, but the religious word baptism.

The word baptism or baptizes the Greek word teeth so it means to dip, to dunk or to drown it simply needs to be immersed in something. It could be anything.

It was never a religious word at first it was a secular Greek word meant to just be totally immersed in something. For instance, Aristotle writes about the Phoenicians that sailed beyond the rocks of Gibraltar and came to the uninhabited land a seacoast full of seaweed that when the tide comes in and it is holy, baptized, immersed, so just means to be dipped or immersed in anything in the Bible uses at several different ways. Paul the apostle in first Corinthians 10 speaks of the nation of Israel, saying they were all baptized into Moses into the cloud and in the sea, they were totally immersed in that experience out in the wilderness.

Then Jesus speaks of his own suffering his own crucifixion is being baptized a total immersion in pain and death.

Luke chapter 12. I have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed I am, until it is accomplished. Speaking of his suffering, his death member.

Those two disciples that said Jesus in your kingdom. We want to set one on your right hand, one under left-hand and Jesus said to them, you don't know what you're asking.

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with it says that he was speaking about his own death, then salvation is itself a baptism first Corinthians 12, we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, one group one community. The body of believers. John the Baptist spoke of three baptisms when he said, I baptize you with water, but somebody is coming who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire so it needs to be immersed next question how did it come from, then the secular world into the religious spiritual world wasn't the Christians was the Jewish people. If you wanted to become a Jewish person you want your proselyte to convert. There were three requirements instruction by a scribe, a teacher circumcision if you're a male, and immersion in water or baptism.

JB Lightfoot, a New Testament scholar, describes a Gentile coming to be converted into Judaism and he writes this as soon as he grows old growth holder is healed of the wound of circumcision they bring into the baptism and being in the water they can instruct him in some of the way dear and some of the lighter commands of the law which being heard. He plunges himself and comes up, and behold, he is an Israelite and all things, so it symbolized a Gentile leaving the pagan world and coming to a whole new life whole new identity whole new community covenant relationship with God. Also, the Jews had these things, they dug out of the rocks pools.

One was called a mikvah. Several were mikvah oats. They were there were pools dug out of the rocks for baptism.

So if you want to go up to the temple to worship you would first immersed all the way in and out, dry off and go up to the temple.

If you become defiled by touching somebody dad or touching someone with a bloodied flow. You also had to be ritually cleansed before you could attend worship. So if you are a Gentile, converting to Judaism or you needed ritual purification.

You were baptized. So here's the next question if it had a secular connotation that the Jews took and practiced and how did it come to be a Christian thing. Well, we open up a New Testament in one of the first characters we come to is this crazy hippie out in the desert eating bugs in his name is John the Baptist. I think John the baptizer would be a better term because otherwise you just think he's a Southern Baptist or something you John the baptized. He was dunking people in the Jordan River why the Jordan River because rivers were considered living water but not stagnant or moving their lives there, going from one place to the other. So it was perfectly appropriate to baptize people in the living water flowing water so there is baptizing people to get this. He's not baptizing Gentiles to make them Jews. He's baptizing Jews and that's why the Jewish leaders that will hold it will what's up with this were sons of Abraham and John the Baptist. I don't think within yourself were sons of Abraham Dr. make sense of Abraham at a rocks. He said the Messiah is coming and you need to repent and get ready form and this is the baptism unto repentance, so for a Jew to get baptized by John the Baptist since baptism was for outsiders to become insiders they had to essentially admit I'm an outsider. I may be religious. I may be sincere, but I'm an outsider who needs repentance and my religion is in enough so baptism recalls principal.

Now let's look at the third thread, and will tie it all together. The third thread of this is that baptism reveals power and the power that it reveals is in your power is only one power to give you new life and that's Jesus power from his resurrection when he rose from the dead. He conquered death and when he says I can give you new life. He proved it by his own resurrection. That's about. That's also in verse 21. There is also an anti-typist now saves us baptism, not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ easy Peter doesn't want his audience thinking that going down in the water itself is what saves you because he said it's not the removal of the filth of the flesh.

He wants them to know he's referring to a spiritual reality when he says it's the answer or some translations say the appeal of a good conscience toward God's are just like Noah and his family walked into that arc.

You know what happened when they did they say goodbye to the old life.

What was left of your life. Nothing was drowned was God. They walked into the ark, subdivided their old life hello to a new life. Wherever the boat is in the land.

So when we come to Christ.

We leave the old life we enter Jesus Christ and start a brand-new life in the new life we start is the life that we are unable to live by his resurrection. When we believe that he died. We believe that he rose we have a good conscience, we have a clear conscience before God. So the only baptism that saves is a dry baptism Ottawa baptism being baptizing Christ the wet symbolizes what we've done now, it brings up this question really answers the question, do you have to be baptized to be saved. No, you have to be saved to be baptized again yet to be baptized be saved know you have to be saved to be baptized in acts chapter 8, there was a guy from Ethiopia member handbook official.

The Ethiopian eunuch is going back in Jerusalem. Back home and he's reading the Scriptures and Philip joins himself to the chariot they happen to be reading. Go figure. Isaiah chapter 53 messianic passage, Philip leads in the Christ, the Ethiopian eunuch sees water and it is what is water.

What hinders me from being baptized. Philip said, if you believe with all your heart be baptized. Believe and then he said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. At that they got up went down and Philip baptized the Lord Jesus Christ. In Mark 16 said he who believes and is baptized will be saved. Notice what is first believing baptism follows here believes and is baptized will be saved and you might be thinking. See you do have to be baptized to be saved. When we finish out the sentence. Then he said he who does not believe will be condemned. How do you stay condemned by not believing he didn't say he who does not believe, and is not baptized. So what is even mentioned baptism because baptism follows faith.

See, there may be circumstances that would not allow a person to get baptized. If you're on your deathbed or an oxygen tent you're hooked up to monitors and somebody comes in is a way we have to fully immerse this person before he can get to heaven not to happen like a thief on the cross and says Lord returns to him remembering when you come in your kingdom. You got a silly Jesus said what I like to help you out but you know there's no water on here that I can baptize you. Sorry he said assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in her essay that faith that there is a passage of Scripture.

I want to read to you because those who believe in baptismal regeneration. Gotta be baptized to be saved.

Often quote affective disorder like there, you know, there holy Grail of coding Scriptures when it comes to this, and that's acts chapter 2, verse 37 we just with that out of the reader to Peter said repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and they'll say see you have to be baptized to be saved because he said repent baptized for the remission of sins, which means they say in order that your sins will be forgiven. Hold that thought TiVo that thought pushed the possible that word for four the remission of sins is the Greek word ice EIS we would transliterate it. It can mean for it can mean in order that and it can mean because of and that's what it means. Because of there's an example. Let's say I have my arm around a soldier appear American soldiers fought in several battles, he's highly decorated and I say to you, this soldier has been decorated for bravery do I mean he has been decorated in order that he may become a brave soldier. No, I mean he is decorated because he is a brave soldier so that's why most modern translations. Put it this way, repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ as an expression of the remission of your sins, your sins have been remitted and baptism points to that or shows.

I've always loved that little text in the letter to the Corinthians Paul writes them and he says you know what I was with you I didn't baptize any of you, except for Crispus and Gaius Jan, the household of savannas.

I was that I didn't baptize anybody else. Here's why. He said for Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Why see you believe in baptismal regeneration you would never separate the 21 means the other. Baptism means the gospel, but he said Jesus didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Listen up if all believed in baptismal regeneration hit about a hot tub with them are everywhere. Some some type of water.

We really got drunk in this. So now were forced with one final question to answer. Why then should I get baptized.

What's the point of it all the why should I be baptized maybe two quick reasons. Number one instruction number two identification for small instruction. Jesus instructed Tott commanded going all the world and make disciples of all men, baptizing them in the name of the father son and Holy Spirit of Jesus said to do it. What you do you do it well.

I need to know what you do. He said do it.

Jesus said if you love me what what we do. If you love Jesus, you keep my commandments to be good enough instruction. He said to do it you do it, but there's a second rate practice instruction identification when you are baptized you are identifying with Jesus death burial and resurrection. Take the person but the person down under the water to step in burial we raise that person back up its resurrection. That's what it speaks up. That's the visual that speaks of the invisible Roman six Paul writes we were baptized into his death buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead. We also should walk in newness of life so easy when you're baptized, you're making a personal you're saying he died from my sins. He died in my place and I'm dead to the old stuff. I was thinking this week of notable baptisms of my life. Baptism that I've done I started thinking back, and I suppose the first time I ever baptize a person was was very memorable. I do remember because I did it all wrong. I had a home Bible study in Garden Grove, California and people were coming and a few people were getting saved, and so this escape whatever civil baptism several barbecue down the beach and baptism so I'm I'm in. So we went down the beach and rule number one. If you ever baptize in the ocean facing the ocean when you do it. That was my first mistake. I was holding on to this dear lady and there's a guy on the other side, but we were not facing the sea we were facing the other direction. The shore because that's where the people were on the shore and they were up there and so we had our heads bowed in her eyes close again.

All spiritual and the reason that's mistake is the ocean has with the cold waves and swells sets of waves come in. We were just right in the middle of a prayer, heads bowed and a wave came in and put us all face forward on the sand. She got baptized but very unexpectedly. Another time was in the Jordan River living on a kibbutz. I was in Israel and we were baptizing and I did know anything about the fog topography the land. What's a good spot. It's about spot I just pick a spot in the Jordan River got out of this little truck. We were and we started baptizing so I got in first.

It was like the worst spot in Israel to baptize somebody because I got in the river on 65 I sunk in the silt in the mud up to my waist.

I was stuck in the Jordan River so there comes a time in you got a unstick beside the preacher had to get saved that day from the Jordan River and there's times when we baptize people on here in our little courtyard and it's it's sort of humorous wheat we tell them say look within a be careful what you all the way down on the water. Bring a backup okay okay okay but invariably there's always people who resisted so they get down far when it is going to cushion up so it's his article regarding the fund. The truth, but the most memorable is a man who I believe got it more than anybody else is about to baptizing many stop.

He smiled and said, you may want to hold me down a little longer. I've got a lot of junk in my past I need to wash away that he really understands the symbolism of this dad to the old married with Christ risen from the dead.

In newness of life.

That's why when we baptize people we often begin by saying welcome to your funeral.

The old you is gone, the new you has come. That's what it signifies Melanie finish the story that I began with as we close I mentioned in Israel.

This onlooker who was watching us baptize asking what it meant so she waved me down and I walked over the fence. She introduced herself as my name is Olga. She said I'm from South America. What are you doing so were baptizing people what is that they're going and all that are good on dry, not what people are saying about so I explained the gospel to Jesus came from heaven died for our sins in our place, rose from the dead, and this is a picture of that. And these are people who believe that in their lives are different.

Their lives are changed. Jesus Christ has changed their lives and forgiven their sins, and I explained it to her in a few minutes and she paused and she said do you think I could get baptized.

She was in her close on the other side of the fence you and even the in the baptismal site.

She was just a tourist and I said to her what Philip said to the Ethiopian.

If you believe with all your heart, you can. She said I believe in IN a prayer right there through the fence. One side of the other to receive Christ. We got over the fence to be baptized in the Jordan she went back to South America on new woman accept his and what that gives you is the answer of a good conscience toward God.

Verse 21 a good conscience toward God. Think of it this way. He was immersed in suffering that you could be immersed in salvation. He was immersed in pain that you might be immersed in peace. He was immersed in death that you and I can be saturated immersed in life. That's the exchange life. Do you have life you can get baptized 50 times a day and not be a saved man or woman is not the washing of the flesh to clear open conscience before God, because you believe Jesus took your place rose from the dead and conquered death and gave you life you have only you can answer that concludes Isaacs message from the series rock song you skipped to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way as you help connect others to God's truths God long ago planned his son coming to earth to die on a cross for our sin he planned to bring you into his family. That's incredible news and we want to share with more friends all around the world and you can be a part of that work to your gift today. You not only keep these teachings on the air, but you'll help connect so many people to the love of God and the riches of his word.

Here's how you can give a gift right now you can get online and connectwithskip.com/donate. That's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1888. Thank you tomorrow Skip hi six shares how you can make the most of your time on earth, living for Christ you're young you have time to go on and on it a few years under your belt and realize I moved quickly if I find most vital commentators that Peter has his own lifetime in mind as you write that he believes his martyrdom is right around the corner, feeling that he mentions in this paragraph time you were so Skip presentation of connection communications through