 BAPTISM A BURIAL SERVICE

Mostly, in this area many have a wrong understanding about baptism. When one hold it wrongly will only be an "ISM", will have no spiritual sense of meaning. I have come accross many who have lead, are leading and will lead the people willfully into wrong conviction. Such people make their "EXPERIENCE" a foundation rather than "SCRIPTURE". In truth the SCRIPTURE must be the foundation for all our experience.

Secondly, and invariably most of those who dip people and those who are being dipped into water think that such are dying when they go under the water. Whereas the Scriptural truth is not that. If they deem so then the baptism service become murderous one. I am not a spiritual police man to accuse or to find fault, rather the Scripture is given to us for correction. A right Christian, even if he is observing something in a wrong way should have a willing heart to change as the Scripture reveals/exposes his error. Otherwise his right beginning is doubtful.

If baptism is a funeral of the subject being dipped; then he/she should have died. There are several question we need to ask.

1) How does he/she die?

2) To what one should to die?

To answer the first question, one dies by his FAITH by the conviction brought about by the Spirit of Christ (Holy Spirit) through the Word of God. These are the two agents cause one to die. Now let us consider one of the "statement of truth (SOT)" among many that appear in the Scripture. Turn to 2Cor. 5:14-15 "ONE DIED FOR ALL , AND THEREFORE ALL DIED" is the SOT. -For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died; And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.

Please read this passage also what Caiaphas as the high priest of that year prophesied in John 11:49-52

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, declared, You know nothing at all! Nor do you understand or reason out that it is expedient and better for your own welfare that one man should die on behalf of the people than that the whole nation should perish (be destroyed, ruined). Now he did not say this simply of his own accord [he was not self-moved]; but being the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation, And not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting into one body the children of God who have been scattered far and wide.

From the above passage we can understand that ONE is dying to his old nature by his personal believing in CHRIST JESUS finished work for him. ie. accepting Jesus Christ substitutionary work of death in his place (when Jesus died he too died) and His reurrection (when Jesus rose again, he too positionaly rose again to live for Christ Jesus); accoring to the FAITH that come to that person by the conviction of the HOLY SPIRIT in the light of the WORD OF GOD Rom.

....... may grow