Baptized INTO Christ...Placed INTO His Body as a member of it.

[Christine]

Scripture Reading: Romans 6:3,4



It is truly sad that one of the most precious truths of Scripture is also one of the least understood. The truth we are referring to is the believer's identification with Christ.

In today's text (Romans 6:3,4) we read of our baptism into Christ. Unfortunately, most commentators, and, therefore, most Christians, do not understand the true meaning of "baptism." To these, baptism always means, "water," but the original word actually means "identification." This can be demonstrated from 1 Corinthians 10:2, "And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." The children of Israel were not made wet in the sea, but they were identified with Moses' leadership through the Red Sea experience.

Likewise, when we trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit baptizes (identifies) us into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). This is why Romans 6:3 says we "were baptized [identified] into His death." This means Christ's death for our sins is made effective in our life. Next, we are identified with His burial ("buried with him by baptism into death" Romans 6:4a). When Christ's human body, laden with the sins of the world, was put away in that tomb, it's as though we were there, too. Finally, we are identified with His resurrection "that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4b).

How tragic that many Christians miss these blessed truths, and substitute a man-made water ceremony for true, spiritual baptism.

[Christine]

Baptism doesnt always have to do with water.

Baptism - changing the condition, identity, of something because of an action that was performed.; placing or putting something into another substance and performing an action so that it will change the state of the item from its previous condition-it's condition, status, or identity is changed!

Baptism- the idea of being placed into something (the Lord Jesus Christ's death in this dispensation), and an action is performed, so that when we come out we are changed from our previous condition. It is all about our identification; God takes what we are in Adam and places us into the Lord Jesus Christ, and God's action (crucifying the old man) changes our condition- now we are" in Christ." We are no longer what we were in Adam, because God has done something to us and in us. Our previous condition has been changed because of what God has done:

" Buried with him in baptism(does this mean we are drowned? where is the water?), wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:12

" Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism (this cant mean WATER as we are not buried in water...but Identified with Him) into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: {6} Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Romans 6:3-6
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Baptism: 'to change the nature, identity, condition, status, and to IDENTIFY something with its purpose..

For example, Homer, in his book "The Odyssey", desribes the tempering of a sword. When the hot metal was plunged into water, the sword was "baptized" , and thus the change in the condition of the sword was from soft to hard metal. As another example, when a piece of cloth was placed into a dye vat for coloring, there was a change in the condition of the piece of cloth upon emergence from the vat-it had a new color.



Where is the water?
" But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. " Mt. 20:22,23

"And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized with shall ye be baptized". Mk 10:38,39

"And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:" Luke 12:50
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People assume baptism means "water". I can show you other passages where there is no water. There was no water on the cross. The basic idea is IDENTIFICATION for the purpose of change in condition/identity. Did you know that in biblical times, to dye a piece of cloth, you would "baptize" it, "overwhelm" it, "cover" it, in a vat of dye. The cloth would now have a "change in condition", a new "identity". The element was dye here. Look at:

"And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea...." 1 Cor. 10:2

They were identified with Moses. Also note Exodus 14:16, 22="dry ground", Exodus 14:29,15:19="dry land". No water! The Egyptians were wet, not the Israelites.



There is one baptism today, and that is a spiritual baptism where a person is identified in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and is identified into the Body of Christ-all by the Holy Spirit(notice the Holy Spirit is the Baptizer, not the Lord Jesus Christ). You can get "immersed", "dunked", "sprinkled" until the tadpoles know your social security number, but that will not save you.


There is one baptism today in the "dispensation of the grace of God"(Eph. 3:2), and that is spiritual baptism of Eph. 4:5(notice the 7 unities of Eph. 4:3-6) are all spiritual), by which we are baptized(identified) into the Body of Christ, and thus identified into the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We need to be discerning  of the difference between Christ baptizing WITH or IN the Holy Spirit at Pentecost(Mt. 3:11; Mk. 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:4,5;11:16), and "For BY(emphasis mine) one Spirit are we ALL(emphasis mine) baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been ALL(emphasis mine) made to drink into one Spirit"(1 Cor. 12:13). The Body of Christ's(which was not in existence in the early Acts period) baptism involves the Holy Spirit as the Baptizer, which:


1.places/identifies/unites us into one body of Jews and Gentiles who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone as the Saviour, creating a NEW entity("new man") totally distinct in its nature and program from Israel, and

2. places/identifies/unites each believer with Christ("in Christ" and "Christ in me"), who is the "Head of the Body", and thus His death becomes our death, His burial becomes our burial, and His resurrection becomes our resurrection. There is therefore both a vertical and horizontal union simultaneously formed by this "one baptism"(Eph. 4:5-NOT TWO) by the Spirit. Notice that throughout 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 there is a constant reference to the work of the Holy Spirit. Quoting only one here, which illustrates the Holy Spirit's instrumentality: "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking BY(emphasis mine) the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, But BY(emphasis mine) the Holy Ghost"(1 Cor. 12:3). All through that Chapter 12 it is clear and understood that the Holy Spirit is the One who is the Instrument doing the various actions. So the passage could not be made to say "in/with one Spirit". It has to be BY ONE SPIRIT, and therefore a different Spirit baptism is being spoken of here, which is separate and distintinct from the Spirit baptism in Acts 1 where the Lord Jesus Christ is the baptizer.

Failure to discern the difference between these 2 baptisms has caused millions of people to be deceived and led astray into a vast number of heresies

[Christine]

The scripture teaches "One Lord, One faith, and ONE baptism"...that baptism for we the body of Christ has NOTHING to do with water. Study shows this to be true. One must decide for oneself, AFTER having looked at the record...what water baptism WAS for, to whom it was expected as an act of obedience and faith, and whether or not God means ONE baptism when He says ONE baptism. We are dry cleaned...NOT a drop of water in sight.

Thats where we have to decide...are we following a "denominational party line", or the Bible as it teaches what OUR instructions are for today. WE, the church the body of Christ , is NEVER told to be water baptized. We are told that the SPIRIT baptizes us INTO the Body of Christ...and that THIS is the ONE baptism that God requires of US today. NO water...water shows UNBELIEF in what God has said. Water was for ISRAEL...and has been mistakenly carried OVER into "churches" who do not clearly understand that water has NO PLACE in what God has done for us on the Cross.

Those are the facts that men must wrestle with. Truth vs truth...not truth vs error. Water baptism WAS required under Israels program. It WAS true for them. It is forbidden under ours. Its true, its in the Bible, but its NOT true for US. It makes the Cross of NONE effect by lessening the significance of OUR ONE baptism INTO the body of Christ that is WATERLESS.

[Christine]

Water baptism is in the Bible. However, its NOT in there in any relation to YOU as a member of the Body of Christ, but ONLY to Israel as a requirement for their PRIESTHOOD.

God will not ask you or anyone else if you were a good Southern Baptist. He will ask you if you studied His word to see that the baptism with which He was baptized and with which WE are identified had NOTHING to do with water, but with His DEATH, burial and resurrection. WE are identified WITH Him in those areas, not with the water.

[Christine]

Information all believers need to have in the above posts.

[Christine]

Good stuff here.