1 Peter 3:20 ...In the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared; entering into which, a few, that is, eight souls, were brought safely through by water. (21) Which water, as the antitype, also now saves you, that is, baptism, not a putting away of the filth of the flesh but the appeal of a good conscience unto God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 6:4 We have been buried therefore with Him through baptism into His death...
The baptism with water was typified by the flood that saved Noah from his evil age. When you are baptized, you are buried. Nothing can remove people out of the world so effectively as a burial. Likewise, what can get you out of the world more effectively than baptism? Suppose a certain man loves the world very much. He has many attachments in the world. He has money in the bank and several businesses under his control. How can such a man get out of the world? The easiest way is for him to be buried. Once his relatives have given him a good funeral, he will be through with the world. What is baptism? I am sorry to say that many people think of it as a ritual which makes a person a nominal member of a so- called church. We should never baptize people in a ritualistic way. Whenever we are going to baptize people, we must pray and exercise our spirit with authority and with the powerful name of the Lord Jesus. Then we baptize people, putting them into a "tomb" and burying them. This burial separates them from the world. We have been baptized into Christ's death (Rom. 6:3). We have been buried with Christ in baptism (Col. 2:12). This is the salvation that we need today.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Genesis, 1984, pp. 417-418. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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