Baptismal Service
Romans 6
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
When you are baptised into Christ, you are made a partaker of His death and resurrection. God has taken His people and placed them in Jesus Christ, so that His death and resurrection is theirs too. Being in Him, you are crucified with Him and are dead to sin; you are raised with Him into newness of life.
To be dead to sin is to have no more communication with sin. If however, the world still has a strong magnetic pull on you, then you are not dead to sin yet.
Acts 19
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance from sin. Jesus’ baptism is not a baptism of repentance, but a testimony of having died with Christ, and being raised with Him in the new life. If you haven’t yet repented, then baptism will profit you nothing. Baptism doesn’t automatically make you a Christian. When you are baptised, you testify to what has already taken place in the past.
Rev E Stegen closed the service by exhorting those who were baptised to live according to their testimony.