Baptism: The Commitment To Follow Jesus Part 1

do you know because if you present yourself like as to the extent listening, existing which you obey, either sin to the extent of death, either listen to the extent of righteousness. Now, the grace of God, because existing of sin, you listened now from the heart to the type of teaching which you committed (Romans 6:16-17)

Baptism is often expressed as the commitment to follow Jesus. And it is but many are not taught its teachings, as Paul writes "the type of teaching which you committed" so do not understanding the meaning of the underling commitment. If I am not taught what I am committing to, in regards to baptism, then how can I understand it's commitment? The scriptures give us the meaning of this commitment.

We are free in Christ, in regards to the Mosaic Law, but not all things are beneficial to me and some can actually bring my into captivity again to the flesh (1 Corinthians 6). The Spirit and the flesh are opposed to one another thus as a believer I must learn to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Through the Spirit and the teaching of baptism we are to put the death the flesh and its desires and passions and be led to grow from being a child of God to becoming a son. The understanding of this is really at the heart of our commitment to follow Jesus.

"The way to heaven is downhill as to yourself. As Christ went down to the grave that he might come up again and fulfill all things, so must you go down to his cross, and down to his grave, and self must be dead and buried with Christ. Then will you learn the meaning of your baptism, and make it true that you are buried with him to all the world, and to yourself also, for so only can you rise into fullness of life." -- Charles Spurgeon

.... you listened now from the heart to the type of teaching which you committed (Romans 6:17)

The word listened is often translated as obedience, but the scriptures caution us not to follow false teachings of of legalism that want to take us back to laws, precepts, elemental principles of do not touch, taste, smell... (Colossians 2:21-23). The word listened has deep meaning (from hypo, meaning "under" and the verb ἀκούω akouo, meaning "to hear") meaning to hearken to, obey, answer. It is being a doer and not just a hearer only. To listen is doing works that mature us.*

because the one who sows to his own flesh from the flesh reaps corruption, now, the one sowing to the extent of the Spirit, from the Spirit reaps eternal life (Galatians 6:8 )

Faith is developed through listening to the word of God (faith comes by hearing the word of God) and engaging with it. It is not a one time event but an abiding and continuously hearing, and receiving the word of God. The word of God is sown and we "listen" or receive it with joy as it energizes us unto good works which God is working out, so that we are being conformed to the image of Christ, thus will bear as partakers of his divine nature, fruit of righteousness and of the Spirit. What is sown into the Spirit will reap life and peace.*

... unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth to die, it abides alone, now if dies it bears much fruit (John 12:24)

This is the word of God that leads us into the teachings of baptism. The process of germination refers to how a seed begins to grow and develop into a plant. The seed alone will not start this process, but when it falls to the earth, absorbing water, breaking dormancy, it initiates the growth of what is inside. The idea is supernatural just like metamorphosis which causes a major change of form during development.

and put on the new man, the one created according to God in righteousness and holiness of truth (Ephesians 4:24)

The new believer becomes a new creation in Christ, his new inner man of the spirit is made alive. Baptism teaches us the old was crucified and united in his death. So we are to put off the old man and put on the new man. This happens through the super natural events that take place, taught in baptism. Baptism is not just a symbolic event but must be taught and committed to. Like the seed, the old dies, and falls into the earth, absorbing living water and word, which initiates the growth of what is inside, the new man.

The Tripartite Nature of Humanity: Spirit, Soul, and Body

The Tripartite Nature of Humanity: Spirit, Soul, and Body in Biblical Understanding The human being, as depicted in the Bible, is a multifaceted creation, often understood through the distinct yet interconnected components of spirit, soul, and body. While some theological perspectives lean towards a bipartite view (soul and body), which we do see in the Old Testament, a careful examination of the New Testament scripture reveals a compelling case for a tripartite understanding, where each is divided into or composed of three parts. Let’s explore the biblical distinction between spirit, soul, and body. The Body: Our Earthly Vessel The body is the physical form that interacts with the material world. From the very beginning, Genesis 2:7 states, " Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being ." This verse clearly establishes the body's origin from the earth, emphasizing its connec...

True Widows: A Biblical Perspective

True Widows: A Biblical Perspective Throughout Scripture, God's compassion for widows is evident. He is portrayed as their defender, provider, and source of justice. The Bible repeatedly calls believers to care for widows, reflecting God's own heart for the vulnerable. However, in his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul provides a specific definition of a "true" widow, emphasizing the church's responsibility in supporting those who are genuinely in need. God's Compassion for Widows The Old Testament is rich with passages that reveal God's concern for widows. In Exodus 22:22, God commands, "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child." This verse underscores His protective nature, ensuring that widows are not mistreated or neglected. Similarly, Deuteronomy 10:18 declares, "He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing." Here, God is depicted as a just and loving prov...

Word Of Life

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. " 1 Jesus is the Word, He was in the beginning with God. 2 All things were made through Him. He is the Word and Light of men, the way, the path, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 4 Thus we can say as the Psalmist, Jesus, the Word, is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path. 5 "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." 6 Concerning the Word of Life, " the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life ," Proclaimed, that our joy may be complete, a glory like that in the beginning, fellowship with the Father, with one another, and with his Son Jesus Christ, the Word of Life. "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot...

The Persuasion of Faith: Theological Foundations of Trust, Persuasion, and Transformation

The Persuasion of Faith: Theological Foundations of Trust, Persuasion, and Transformation Introduction The interconnectedness of faith and trust lies at the very heart of Christian theology, yet these terms are frequently conflated or oversimplified in both personal devotion and academic discourse. The Greek root of "faith," πείθω ( peithō ), meaning "to be persuaded," provides critical insight into biblical faith, suggesting that faith involves a process where conviction is formed through persuasion—one that originates from the trustworthy character and actions of God. Contrary to interpretations that require blind obedience or uncritical acceptance, the Christian Scriptures depict trust not as a demand, but as a relational response to God’s persuasive self-revelation. This dynamic is embodied in the ministry of Jesus, who consistently subverts authority structures by exalting humility, service, and self-giving love as prerequisites for true greatness—a recurr...

My Rightousness

" Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb...

I Will Awake Like Him and Be Satisfied

I Will Awake Like Him and Be Satisfied Psalm 17:15 frames the believer’s hope as both present communion and future consummation: “ As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness .” This essay develops Charles Spurgeon’s reflection by adding the biblical emphases that we are being conformed to Christ now, that the Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies, and that our final awakening will reveal the full redemption of those bodies in Christ’s likeness. Present beholding and present transformation We already “behold the face of the Lord in righteousness” because Christ’s righteousness has reconciled us and opened intimate access to God. That beholding is not passive sight but an active, formative encounter: “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Faith fixes our gaze ...

The New Living Way

The New Living Way "... Now, at the present released from the Law, having died in that which held us captive, so that we serve in newness of Spirit and not the old written code " -- Romans 7:16 Paul states that we are now united to Christ in his death and also raised with him into newness of life. What held them captive was sin but also the Law, it was a guardian until the appointed time God would send a Messiah (see School Master ). Paul uses the metaphor of marriage to describe how we are released from the Law; like a wife whose husband dies, now she is released from the Law and can marry another, so also have we died with Christ and are released from the Law and bound to Christ in a new covenant. The purpose of this is that we live in a new living way of the Spirit and not fleshly through the old written code or Mosaic Law. " So then brothers, you also have died to the Law through the body of Christ to the extent you exist by creation of another, the one raising you f...

Called According to His Purpose: A Biblical Examination

Called According to His Purpose: A Biblical Examination 📖 Introduction The phrase “called according to His purpose” appears in Romans 8:28 (ESV), a foundational verse that reads: “And we know that for those loved of God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” This statement gives comfort and more—it is a declaration about identity, destiny, and divine intent. To be “called according to His purpose” means participating in God’s sovereign, redemptive plan. God's plan is being manifested through the church through the "new covenant in his blood" as it was established by the death of Jesus, his blood. The calling is not arbitrary or based on human merit, but is rooted in God’s purpose, eternal will and love. 🔍 The Nature of the Calling In Scripture, God's calling is effectual—that is, it accomplishes what He intends. Paul writes: "...those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also...

Law of the Heart

" The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him " (John 14:21). Most people think this means obeying the ten commandments or Mosaic law. While obeying the law is important there is a greater meaning. The commands are the ones God said he would write on our hearts. “ I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people " (Jeremiah 31:31-34). This is the new covenant, in which we are the heirs through Jesus Christ who is the first (Romans 8:23; Colossians 1:13-18). The heirs of Abraham are made righteous through faith, for if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is void and the promise nullified (Romans 4:13-14). The righteousness of God has been manifested, through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe (Romans 3:21-22). What the law could not do, in bringing right...

Persuasion and Free Will in the New Testament: A God Who Wins Hearts

🕊️ Persuasion and Free Will in the New Testament: A God Who Wins Hearts, Not Controls Them Introduction The New Testament presents a radical vision of divine-human relationship—one not built on coercion or fear, but on persuasion, transformation, and love. At the heart of this vision lies the Greek word πίστις ( pistis ), commonly translated as "faith," but etymologically rooted in the idea of being persuaded. This nuance reframes faith not as blind submission, but as a reasoned, Spirit-led transformation of ones mind. It suggests that God, rather than demanding robotic obedience, lovingly persuades us of His goodness, inviting us into willing devotion. Faith as Persuasion: The Divine Appeal Paul’s declaration in Ephesians 2:7 (MOUNCE) captures the persuasive nature of God’s grace: “... so that in the ages to come he might show the incomparable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus .” This is not the language of domination—it is the language...

Love Fulfilled Ministry

Search This Blog