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Take note that our entry into Christ and salvation depends on our participation in the through being baptised in Christ.
Galatians 3:27 — For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
This is the one and only path that leads to salvation in Christ. The use of the preposition denotes a change in the connection. You may examine your Bible from cover to cover, but you will not discover any other method to enter Christ except being baptised into Christ. This is the only way that the Bible describes it.
Baptised Into His Death #
The same idea is expressed in Romans 6:3,
Romans 6:3 — Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Therefore, becoming baptised into Christ is the only method for us to enter Christ. Either a person has been baptised into Christ, or he or she is still outside of Christ and does not belong to the assembly. Either we are accepted or we are not accepted. Have you put your faith in Christ and been baptised to be saved and to have your sins washed away? Let us point out some of the things that you are missing out on if you have not gone there yet.
Ephesians 1:3 — Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.
This scripture explains to us that Christ is the centre of all the spiritual blessings that are available to us. These spiritual benefits are only available to people who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Because this scripture teaches that every spiritual blessing is found in Christ, it follows that there are no spiritual blessings available to those who do not have a relationship with Christ. If you have not yet been baptised into Christ, then you are still outside of Christ and are not eligible for any spiritual blessing that comes with following Christ.
No Condemnation #
Because the Lord set it up in that fashion, no one has the authority to alter it in any manner.
Romans 8:1 — There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This verse refers to those who do not walk by the flesh, but rather with the Spirit.
Those who are in Christ are not condemned, but those who are not in Christ are condemned. Those who are outside of Christ will be judged according to their standards. When we are baptised into Christ, our sins are washed away, and we move from being condemned to having our sins forgiven. If you have not received Christ as your Lord and Savior through baptism, then you will spend eternity outside of Him in darkness.
Ephesians 1:7 — In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace
The only people who have been redeemed and cleansed of their sins are those who are in Christ.
Those who have not been baptised into Christ have not been redeemed, and they are still responsible for every sin that they have ever done. This is because redemption and the forgiveness of sins are found in Christ. Scripture is so straightforward that one would want assistance to get it wrong. Are you continuing to live apart from Christ? You do not have to continue living apart from Christ.
New Creation #
2 Corinthians 5:17 — So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!
One is a whole new creature when one comes to know Christ as Savior and Lord. Since he has had all of his sins forgiven and has become a newly redeemed person, he can start his life again, and it might be said that the “slate has been wiped clean” for him in this regard.
However, if you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you are still an old, corrupt, Adamic-natured creature. You have not repented of any of your transgressions, and there is no longer any hope for you. When does one reach the point when they are a brand new creation?
Romans 6:3-4 — Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.
When does one get resurrected to walk in the (newness) freshness of life? According to this passage of scripture, it occurs after we have been resurrected through baptism. At that time, we start our journey into the newness of life. The beginning of a new and improved life does not occur until after being baptised into Christ.
John 3:3 — Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Then, in John 3:5, Jesus explains the process of being reborn, saying,
John 3:5 — Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
This passage comes two verses after the previous one.
When He speaks, our Lord always uses a strong tone. Nobody on this earth has the capacity or the authority to reverse what Our Lord has already said. No one has the authority either to reason it away or to teach them anything else. Jesus declared that to enter the kingdom of God, we must first be born of water and the Spirit.
Jesus said that to be reborn, one must not only receive the Spirit but also receive water as part of the process. This shows us that when a person is baptised in water, they are raised to walk in the newness of life, becoming a new creature, and as a result, they are said to have been born again or born from above. Have you been reborn as a new creature by your baptism into Christ, or are you still the same old sinful creature that you were before?
2 Timothy 2:10 — So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory.
It is clear from this passage that redemption is found in Christ, and that to be saved, a person must first place their faith in Christ. If you have not been baptised into Christ, you do not have any hope or promise of salvation since you do not belong to Christ.
At the judgment seat, it will be a terrible experience for a person who believes he is saved to stand before the Lord and find out that he has not yet come to faith in Christ as his Saviour. There is no hope for redemption for him. He will suffer for all of eternity.
1 John 5:11 — And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Only those who place their faith in Christ have been given the promise of everlasting life. Those who do not put their faith in Christ have no assurance that they will live forever. The question now is, where does it leave them? This leaves them with no other option than to everlasting suffering outside of Christ, which is a tragic state of affairs. Because I do not want to see anybody suffer, it breaks my heart to think of them going through this. However, what is some effective ways to awaken individuals to the fact that the word of God is true?
Baptism, as we have seen, is the act that “puts us into Christ,” which enables us to experience all of these spiritual blessings that are found in Christ.
Romans 6:3 — Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Galatians 3:27 — For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
If you were baptised to receive forgiveness of sins and be rescued from eternal condemnation, then you were baptised into the body of Christ. However, if the purpose of your baptism was not the washing of your sins and not to be saved, then you are not yet a follower of Christ.
If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you do not have access to the spiritual blessings, redemption, or forgiveness of sins that He offers; you will be found guilty on the day of judgement; you continue to be an old, sinful creature; you do not have any hope of being saved or of having eternal life.
Ephesians 2:12 — that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Could there be a scenario that is more hopeless than living without God and having no faith in the future? This is the condition of people who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Shaliach.
