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Colossians 2:12 – Why Does Baptism Work?
When I was a preacher in my 20’s, my best friend in the congregation was a man in his 70’s. Our unusual friendship was in the Lord. He was a retired electrician. One day he made an interesting comment: “I know how electricity works; I just don’t know why.” That same sentiment was in a book I read called, “The Physics and Philosophy of the Bible.” One point reiterated several times was that science knows how something works; they just don’t know why. Examples of such were: MRI’s, white blood cells, and gravity. Knowing why is a special knowledge.
When studying baptism we often study the WWWWH aspects. Who is baptized is not infants, but those accountable. What includes both being born of water and Spirit. When someone is baptized is after they believe, repent, and confess. Where is any place there is water (Acts 8:36). Why is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), to be saved (Mk.16:16), and such. How is by immersion.
What I would like to focus on is a different why – why does baptism work? Those of us who believe in the necessity of baptism often hear baptism disparaged by calling it a work. The Bible does not call it a work. But in this lesson let us study why baptism works. Knowing why will give us the special knowledge that makes our baptism more meaningful.
Thank you. Keep ’em coming, please.
I heard from someone that baptism in water is not that important because we already cleanse by the blood of Jesus.what can you say about this?
The question then becomes when do we come into contact with the blood of Jesus? Romans 6 says we are baptized into His death, so that is the answer. Also many passages speak of being cleansed by baptism (Acts 22:16), and yet we know it is not the water, therefore it must be that is when God applies the blood of Jesus to our souls.