|
Teaching -
Foundations of Faith
|
|
Written by admin
|
|
Monday, 22 January 2007 17:20 |
|
Page 4 of 9
In Baptism there is a "Mystery".
There is a spiritual reality and operation of the Kingdom of God that defies explanation of our natural reasoning. When we immerse believers in water or when the Spirit of God overshadows and overwhelms us in a "Baptism of fire" and the gifts are transferred or ignited - these are benchmarks and permanent transitions in our lives. They are real, they are divinely inspired, they are required for us to attain the high calling of God.
Rom 6:3-12 
don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
NIV
|
