Russellville Christian Center

Where Do I Need To GROW UP? Part 7 Baptism- Fertile Ground for Growth 2/18/24 Verses used parts 1-5::1 Peter 2:1-5, Rom 12:1-3, Heb 5:11-14, Heb 6:1-3, 1 Cor 3:1-4, Eph 4:7-24, Romans 8:1-14, Eph 5:8-17, Prov 10:17,12:1, 13:18,15:31-33, 1 Cor 13:9, Ps 40:8, Romans 10:14-17, James 1:22, Col 1:24-chp2:6, Matt 28:18-20, Titus 2:1-8   Titus 3:3-ESV  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.    * washing ^immersion, bath, laver, water basin,    **regeneration^ new birth, into new life   We get baptized per the instruction of Jesus (Matt 28:19) Baptism does not save us. But it is one of the first steps of OBEDIENCE. It sets up fertile grown for Growth. YOU HAVE A NEW IDENTITY IN CHRIST IF YOU are not IDENTIFYING yourself IN CHRIST  You wont grow…you will just struggle.             BE WASHED OFF of YOURSELF The baptism tank represents a burial ground of who you thought you were   And who “they” thought you were  it’s a release and it’s a receiving   YOU are MADE ACCEPTABLE IN HIM (Eph 1:6) YOU are MADE RIGHTEOUS IN HIM (2 Cor 5:21) YOU are FREED from CONDEMNATION and the law of sin and death IN HIM (Rom 8:1,2) YOU are NO LONGER ALONE. YOU are now a vital part of other believers and you are IN HIM (Romans 12:5) YOU Triumph/WIN in CHRIST (2 Cor 2:14) YOU are not far from God. What separated you from GOD is GONE in CHRIST ( 2 Cor 3:14) YOU are identified as GOD’s own child IN Christ (Gal 3:26)         YOU HAVE DIVINE PURPOSE-you were CREATED in CHRIST to do GOOD WORKS, His Works (Eph 2:10, John 14:12)   WATER baptism is a physical act that should permanently mark your mind with the reality of your union with Jesus Christ And that is the best GROUND to grow IN. IN HIM is a SECURE place.   Rom 6:1-NIV What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or 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.