Faith Baptist Church Of Harney County Podcast

"Baptized into the Death of Jesus Christ"





I. Literal Baptism by Water Declaring Commitment.


A. Jesus Christ commanded it and modeled it.


B. It is part of our public confession of faith in Jesus Christ and identifies us as being committed to Christ.


C. It portrays what happened at our salvation through Jesus Christ.


D. It is a declaration of the hope we have of bodily resurrection.





II. Figurative Baptism Declaring Change.


A. Know it.


B. Dead to sin.


1. It does not mean that it is my duty as a Christian to die to sin.


2. It is not a command for me to die to sin.


3. It does not mean that I am to reckon that sin as a force in me is dead.


4. It does not mean that sin in me has been eradicated.


5. It does not mean that I am dead to sin as long as I am in the process of gaining mastery over it.


6. It does mean that reckoning myself dead to sin makes me dead to sin.


C. Alive in Jesus Christ.


1. We have been reconciled to God.


2. We have become new creatures in Christ.


3. We are freed from sin's bondage.


4. We are pressing forward to a sure destiny and new goals.


5. We can no longer be satisfied with this world and its offerings.








Discussion Questions:





- Describe your water baptism experience.


- How did your water baptism affect the unsaved around you?


- If you knew you would lose your job if you were baptized would you do it anyway?


- Why is water baptism so important? Why would Jesus command it?


- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17). How do your neighbors and old friends know you are a new creation?


- How does sin affect you now, compared to before you were saved?


- "If Satan can keep a Christian ignorant, he can keep him impotent." Do you agree? Why?


- What does being alive in Christ mean?