Baptised into New Life

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

It struck me today with fresh intensity the wonder of the Gospel, that sinners through faith in Jesus Christ are made saints.  Having trusted in Christ as Saviour we are spiritually regenerated - born again - by the Holy Spirit who takes up residence in us.  We are in this moment, Paul explained, "...baptised into one body," the church of which Jesus Christ is Head.  His Body is comprised on many members with various roles which all work to edify the Body and glorify their Head.  This is the first of several baptisms mentioned in scripture.

Christians have been spiritually been baptised into the Body through faith, and in obedience to the command and example of Christ we are also baptised in water.  This is more than John the Baptist's baptism of repentance (Acts 19:4) but one in identification with Christ's death and resurrection.  The Ethiopian eunuch was baptised in water to express his faith in Jesus being the Son of God.  Romans 6:3-4 says, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  The importance of water baptism is not only a public declaration but and indication of the new life we are to walk in as we obey Jesus.

There is a third baptism revealed in scripture, for Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit.  By the Holy Spirit we are baptised at conversion, and at that time or subsequent to this we can be baptised with the Holy Spirit.  After Jesus made His disciples to receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22), He also promised they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:4-5, 8:  "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now... ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."  This baptism or immersion, this receiving of the Holy Spirit to overflowing, is seen throughout the book of Acts and to this day by all who ask believing.  On the Day of Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit Peter declared this "gift" of the Father is for as many as our LORD will call (Acts 2:38-39).

We are baptised by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, we are buried with Christ in water baptism and raised to new life, and then baptised with the Holy Spirit to empower us to be Christ's witnesses.  From beginning to end our salvation and fruitfulness depends upon Jesus Christ, for we are complete in Him.  Our relationship with God is filled with opportunities for us to surrender our will before God and present ourselves as living sacrifices before Him.  Not one good thing do we deserve or earn from our God who saves and sanctifies us by His grace.  Blessed be the LORD by who baptises us into new life!