Clothed In Christ

Bloggers,

I saw this picture years ago, probably around when I first started working for Fairfax. I totally forgot all about this wonderful picture. Why? Because, currently, I have burned 953.8 megabytes of information from my "My Documents" file onto two cds!!! No! I am not kidding!! Read my print, "NINE-HUNDRED-FIFTY-THREE-POINT-EIGHT" MB of files!!! Of course, alot of them are pictures that I have saved over the years..

This picture is really awesome!! You, not only see the believer(s) baptizing a soul, see the soul being buried in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ! What else do you see here in this picture? They are both so full of joy with all smiles! This is always the most exciting event that each and every soul on earth ought to experience. Of course, one must believe that Jesus is the Lord and Christ and that everyone living in this world have sinned, not one is perfect and without sin, not one!! Allow me to share you the Word of God that tells us the baptism is a command of God, not that we are baptized to "earn" the salvation in Christ!

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Galatians 3:27 (nas) Q: If you were not baptized into Christ, where's Christ's clothes around you? Your sin remains!

"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,.." Matthew 28:18-19 (nas) Q: If you're not baptizing anyone, have you neglected Christ's authority?

"Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38 (nas) Q: If you say baptism isn't for forgiveness of your sins, then is Peter a liar?

"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." Mark 16:16 (nas) Q: How else are we saved apart from baptism? Even the demons believe and shudder! (James 2:19)

Examples of baptism in the book of Acts:
"But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike." Acts 8:12 (nas)

"Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip,.."Acts 8:13 (nas) Q: Is belief and baptism done simultaneously?

"As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized? And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him." Acts 8:36, 38 (nas) Q: They went down "into" the water? What does this tell you? (i.e. immersion)

"And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;.." Acts 9:18 (nas) Q: Did Saul see Jesus three days ago? Did he believe what he saw then went to the city of Damascus? After believing, he was still blind (having scales on his eyes) and had to do one more thing, meet Ananias and be baptized!

"`Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'" Acts 22:16 (nas) Q: If baptism is not necessary, then where's the "washing away of our sins?"

"And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household." Acts 16:13 (nas)

"Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized." Acts 18:8 (nas) Q: Isn't this similar to Mark 16:16?

To the church (believers) in Rome:
"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?" Romans 6:3 (nas) Q: If there's no baptism, where is the "death of self" into Christ? See also, Galatians 2:20..

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 6:4 (nas) Q: Where is the "resurrection from the old life" if there's no burial into Christ's death (baptism)?

To the church (believers) in Colossae:
"..having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." Colossians 2:12 (nas)


"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,.." Titus 3:5 (nas)

"Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,.." 1 Peter 3:21 (nas)

Believing, ALONE, is not enough! Consider the case of Cornelius...

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly." Acts 10:1-2 (niv) Read the rest of the Scripture from verse 3 through 46..

"Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. " Acts 10:47-48 (niv)

Have you heard the good news about Jesus? If you have heard (HEAR), believe in Him, repent of your sins (change from your evil ways), confess that Jesus is the Lord, baptize for the forgiveness of your sins (also added to the body of Christ - Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 12:13), then live for Jesus for the rest of your life (1 John 1:7)!

On August 31, 1994, :

• I was crucified with Christ for I no longer live - Galatians 2:20
• I was added to His number (ekklessia) which is the church - Acts 2:41
• My heart was circumcised - Colossians 2:11-13
• I was buried into His death and raised in Christ - Romans 6:1-4
• I received the gift of the Holy Spirit - Acts 2:38
• I Am 4given - Acts 2:38
• I am clothed in Christ - Galatians 3:26-27
• I am Regenerated and Renewed - Titus 3:5
• I am a real Jew - Romans 2:28-29
• I am constantly walking in the newness of life - Romans 6:4
• I am sealed with the Holy Spirit - Ephesians 4:30
• My name is written in the Book of Life - Revelation 20:15
• I have HOPE - Ephesians 4:4
• I am in complete joy, like-minded, full of love, one in Spirit and purpose - Philippians 2:2
• I am the priesthood of all believers - 1 Peter 2:9
• I am the righteousness of God - 2 Corinthians 5:21
• I am the recipient of eternal life - Romans 6:22

What about you?

A Spiritual Checklist for you. Where in the Scripture can you find this process?

• If you believed and were saved then later baptized, what does this mean?
• If you believed but never baptized, you might want to think about this (i.e. Saul & Cornelius)
• If you believed and were saved. But never baptized, what does this mean to you?
• If you were baptized then believed and saved, is there something wrong with this picture?
• If you do not believe and have not been baptized, do you know where you're going?
• If you're unsure of all this (perhaps confused with different doctrinal teachings, let us help you!