Jun 13, 20244 min read

Baptism

In the Bible, the very first thing new Christians were commanded to do was to be baptized. But what is baptism and why is it so important?

The word “baptism” comes from a Greek word that means “immersion.” To be baptized is to be immersed in and brought out of water. But why does the Bible care about you being dunked in water?

Die to your old life

Read Romans 6:1-10

How does Paul describe your old life?
What happens to our old life in Christ?
What does Paul say we are baptized into?
What does it mean when we are raised out of the water?

There is an important word we use a lot in my Church. That word is “identity.” Everything you do comes from who you believe yourself to be. Your thoughts, actions, and even your life goals are determined by your sense of identity. This is why your sense of identity is so vital. Many people in the world are having an identity crisis. They don’t know who they are apart from their roles at work, their family, their friend group, or the thing they really do well. They’ve allowed their environment or the things they do to define who they are.

If you can, try to describe who you are in three or four words.

Nothing lasts forever. If your identity is in being a mother or a competent professional, what happens when your kids grow up, or you change careers? If you were to take away your job, your family, or your friends, who would you really be deep down? It can be a scary thought. If who you are is rooted in something temporary, your identity will always be dependent on your circumstances.

You’ve no doubt seen it or experienced it yourself. That one relationship falls through and suddenly you have no idea who you are. Maybe you lost that job and now you’re drifting.

In Christ, you have a new identity

Read Ephesians 4:17-24

How does the Bible define our old lives?
What does the Bible say about your true self?
How does the Bible describe the process of changing from the old self to the new self?

The Bible uses an interesting word to describe our old lives; that word is “flesh”. The reason the Bible uses this word in order to draw a contrast between what is worldly and what is spiritual. Your old life is a life concerned with earthly affairs, your new life is a spiritual life given to you from Heaven. In Christ, we are born again from above. Our old self—our “flesh”—has been corrupted by sin. Sin is rebellion against God. The Bible says that when you work for sin, your paycheck is death. (Romans 6:23) God is the Author of Life. If you rebel against the Author of Life, what else is there but death?

Read Galatians 5:19-26

What are the defining features of the old life?
What are the defining features of the new life?

When we sin we are identifying with our old life apart from God. When we are made alive in Christ, we live by the Spirit and the evidence that we are living by the Spirit begins to manifest—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we live according to our new nature in Christ we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

In baptism, you are putting to death your old life of sin and being raised to a brand new life with a brand new nature in Christ! This doesn’t mean you will never sin again, it simply means sin will no longer be your nature. You have a brand new identity.

Read Galatians 2:20

What would it look like if Jesus lived your life?
Imagine Jesus parenting your children. What would be different?
Imagine Jesus working your job, would anything change? How?

Being united with Christ through baptism means you no longer identify with your old life. You consider it dead. Now Christ lives in you. His righteousness is given to you as a gift. You don’t have to earn your position of right standing before God, your life is now in Christ! Jesus becomes your new identity! That means the same love that God, the Father has for Jesus is the same love He has for you! When you begin to see yourself as a member of Jesus’ body (which you are as a Christian) you begin to treat yourself as someone who is holy. You treat yourself as someone loved by God. You begin to treat others the way Jesus would treat them, your life goals align with the Kingdom of God rather than putting your own desires first.

What does it mean to be in Christ?
What would be different in your life if you truly saw yourself as being “in Christ?”

When you choose to be baptized, understand that you are leaving your old life and being united with Jesus in His life! You are becoming a brand new creation. The old is gone! Everything is brand new! You’re a Christian! It’s time to change the way you think about yourself and receive your new identity in Christ.