Also,
notice that it is baptism that puts us into Christ so that we
can be saved. Galatians 3:27, "For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ." This is the only
way a person can get into Christ. The preposition into indicates
a change of relationship. You can search from the front to the
back of your Bible, and you will find no other way to get into
Christ except by being baptized into Christ. Also Romans 6:3
says the same thing, "Or do you not know, that as many of
us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
death?" So the only way we can get into Christ is to be
baptized into Christ. Either a person has been baptized into
Christ, or he is still outside of Christ. We are either in or
we are out. Have you been baptized into Christ in order to be
saved and have your sins forgiven? If you haven’t been,
let us notice some of the things that you are missing.
1) Ephesians 1:3 says, "Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with every spiritual
blessing in heavenly places in Christ." This verse
tells us that every spiritual blessing is located in Christ.
Only
those who are in Christ can enjoy these spiritual blessings.
Since this verse says that every spiritual blessing is
in Christ, then there can be no spiritual blessings for
those
who are
outside of Christ. If you have not been baptized into Christ,
you are still outside of Christ, and you are not entitled
to any spiritual blessings. The Lord arranged it that way
and
no man has the right to change it.
2) Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according
to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." On the day
of judgment those who are in Christ will not be condemned;
but those who are outside of Christ will be condemned. We
go from being condemned to being forgiven when we are baptized
into Christ. If you have not been baptized into Christ, then
you will suffer eternal condemnation.
3 & 4) Only those who are in Christ have been redeemed
and forgiven of their sins. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Him
we have redemption, through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace." since redemption
and forgiveness of sins are located in Christ, those who
have not been baptized into Christ have not been redeemed
and still
have every sin they have ever committed. The scriptures are
so clear that a person needs help to misunderstand it. Are
you still outside of Christ? You do not have to stay outside
of Christ.
5) Next we read II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed
away; behold, all things have become new." If one is in
Christ, he has become a new creation. This is how one is born
again. He has a new beginning in life, and his "slate
has been wiped clean" since he has been forgiven of all
his sins and has become a new saved person. Although, if you
are outside of Christ, you are still an old sinful creature.
You still have all of your sins and are without hope. When
is it that one becomes a new creation? Romans 6:3-4 says, "Or
do you not know, that as many of us as were baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried
with Him through baptism into death: that just as Christ Jesus
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life." When is one
raised to walk in newness of life? This scripture says that
it is
when we are raised out of the waters of baptism. At that
point we begin our walk in newness of life. Newness of life
does
not begin until after baptism.
In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus, "Unless one is born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Then two verses
later in John 3:5, Jesus tells how being born again takes place: "Unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God." Our Lord is very emphatic in what he
says. No man has the power or authority to repeal what our
Lord has said. Nor does anyone have the authority to rationalize
it away and teach otherwise. Jesus said that we must be born
of water and the Spirit. Jesus said that being born again must
not only include the Spirit, but it must include water. Here
we see that when one is baptized in water, he is raised to
walk in newness of life, becoming a new creature, and thus
he has been born again. Are you still an old sinful creature
or have you become a new creature by being baptized into Christ?
6) The Apostle Paul says in II Timothy 2:10, "Therefore
I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also
may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory." Here we see that salvation is located in Christ,
and for one to be eligible for salvation, he must be in
Christ. If you are not in Christ, by being baptized into
Christ, you
have no hope or promise of salvation. It will be a horrible
thing for a person, who thinks he is saved, when he stands
before the Lord on the day of judgment, if he is still
outside of Christ. He will have no salvation. He will be
lost eternally
in Hell. Please don't let this happen.
7) In I John 5:11 we read, "And this is the testimony,
that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son." So according to the inspired word of God, eternal
life is located in His Son, Jesus Christ. Only those in Christ
have been promised eternal life. Those who are outside of Christ
have no promise of eternal life. So what does that leave them?
It leaves them only eternal punishment, which is a sad condition.
My heart bleeds for them, because I don’t want to see
anyone lost. But how can you get people to wake up to the truth
of God’s word?
The following chart sums up what we have been discussing concerning
the advantages of being in Christ. As we have seen, it is baptism
that puts us into Christ (Rm. 6:3, Gal. 3:27) so that we can
enjoy all of these spiritual blessings which are in Christ.
Where on the chart are you actually located? Outside of Christ
or inside of Christ? Not where you would like to be located,
but where are you actually located at this time, depending
on whether you have been baptized into Christ or not. If you
were baptized for the remission of sins in order to be saved
then you were baptized into Christ. But if your baptism was
not for the remission of sins and not to be saved, then you
are still outside of Christ. If you are outside of Christ,
you have no spiritual blessings, no redemption, no forgiveness
of sins; you will be condemned on the day of judgment; you
are still an old sinful creature; you have no hope of salvation
and no hope of eternal life.
As Ephesians 2:12 says, "That at the time you were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God
in the world." Could a situation get any more desperate
than having no hope and being without God? This is the situation
of those who are outside of Christ.
If you thought you were saved when you accepted Christ as
you personal savior, and then later you were baptized, then
your baptism was not to save you. You thought you were already
saved before baptism, but you are still lost because the baptism
that puts us into Christ also saves us. If you thought that
your sins were taken away before baptism, when you accepted
Christ as your personal savior, then your baptism was not for
the purpose of forgiveness of sins. You still have every sin
you have ever committed and are still separated from God. Many
people fail to recognize the urgency of the Lord's invitation.
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