About Baptism

 

About Baptism

     Water baptism.  I am no authority on Holy Spirit baptism, so I do not write to mislead anyone.  But water baptism, He has commanded and remains to be one of the sacraments of many a Protestant denominations.  Must be important.  Even as important as communion.

     What do we say when we go under?  “I am ashamed.”  I am ashamed of the life I once lived.  Previously to Jesus’ life, I lived in a wanton manner.  I committed lewd acts and was by nature a child of the beast.  Sin?  I knew not sin until His law bound me and cornered me.  It condemned my lascivious acts in the flesh and led me to the cross as a schoolteacher with a stick in her hand.  I testify freely of the work His life-giving Word has wrought in me.  How thankful I am that He pierced the serpent head, nailing it to the ground from which it came.  That serpent writhed in me and caused me to breathe up contortions in words so aimed at the One who loved me.

     Does this seem farfetched?  Maybe you don’t know my flesh as I.  I know what I am capable of and for this I am forever thankful that He has delivered me from this body of death.  Paul in Romans 7 nails it.  Alas for one time only did I get “dunked” to exclaim my willingness to forsake the old Cory.  I awakened to the newness of life.

     What does He have to offer us?  What is the bargain, the prized trophy He longed for that carried Him through His journey and kept His eye upon the cross?  Wait till you receive power from on high.  Yes, for our Lord, it was all about the communion and power He could give to those now yielded.  Yet this is about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.  Today we talk of water.

     When we go under the water, it engulfs us.  The sensation of a life stealing liquid threatening to penetrate our lungs leaves its memory.  We wait in an instant for someone else to rescue us.  We are dependent in that moment as we lean back and trust to come up for air once again.

     Jesus told John suffer this for it was to fulfill all righteousness.  That the Son of God be baptized by a son of man.  What did Jesus have to be ashamed of?  Nothing I am sure.  But He set the example the Church has followed since this action .

     Jesus had no fallen flesh.  He inherited His body from His mother and His spiritual nature He got from His Father.  We, in contrast, inherit our sinful flesh (or cravings) from our earthly father as like begets like.  Adam had a son in his image, Seth. (Genesis 5).  Now we as the race of Mankind have something to be ashamed of.  We are made in Adam’s likeness.  We are all losers destined to damnation.  It is only through Jesus’ work we are offered the hope of rebirth again.  And in this, I took Him up on His asking.  I was baptized and declared “NO MORE.” 

Thank you Jesus!

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