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Lesson 27 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 13

original INSPIRED Ecclesia of YEHOVAH Baptism, then, is DUAL. It pictures the
God! Therefore, sprinkling and pouring are DEATH, BURIAL and RESURRECTION of
COUNTERFEIT modes of baptism! the Messiah. It also pictures the death and burial
of the sinner and his rising up to begin living a
The Meaning of Baptism Christian life.
Going down into the water pictures the
What is the REAL MEANING of death of the Messiah and of our old self.
baptism -- its true significance? What is its real Likewise, being buried in the water pictures the
purpose? Exactly why does YEHOVAH God burial of the Messiah, and of our old sinful life.
command baptism? And coming up out of the water pictures the
Let’s understand the answer from your Messiah’s resurrection, and our coming up to
Bible. walk henceforth “in newness of life” -- in
1. Did Yeshua the Messiah CONDEMN OBEDIENCE TO YEHOVAH GOD’S LAWS!
sin in the flesh by living a SINLESS life? We now reckon ourselves as DEAD, so far as sin
Romans 8:3-4 and Hebrews 4:15. Did he suffer is concerned, but ALIVE through YEHOVAH
death to pay the penalty OUR SINS have God and His Son Yeshua the Messiah! (Romans
incurred? I Corinthians 15:3. Was he buried 6:11-12.)
and then resurrected from the dead? Verse 4 and After baptism, the Messiah begins
Romans 8:11. DWELLING WITHIN us by the holy spirit
COMMENT: The Messiah DIED for which we receive from YEHOVAH God
our sins, and was BURIED. After three days he (Romans 8:10). That spirit enables us, from that
was “quickened” -- that is, he was “made alive,” time forward, to RESIST the pull of sin in our
or “given life" by YEHOVAH God who was mortal flesh and to obey YEHOVAH’s spiritual
present in Jerusalem, in the Temple, at the time laws (verse 13).
in His Shekinah Glory form. The Apostle Paul said: “I am CRUCI-
The Messiah set us an example by the FIED with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
sinless life which he lived. He “condemned” sin but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now
by living sinlessly through the power of the holy live IN THE FLESH I live by the FAITH of the
spirit, thus showing us that we need not sin. His Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
death paid the penalty of sin that we have me" (Galatians 2:20).
incurred. And his resurrection shows he Water baptism is simply an ordinance of
triumphed over sin and death. the Messiah by which we SYMBOLICALLY
2. Is baptism SYMBOLIC of one’s express our faith in him as our personal savior --
death, burial and resurrection from a “grave”? our belief and acceptance of his death, burial and
Colossians 2:12-13 and Romans 6:2-6. Also resurrection. Baptism also SYMBOLICALLY
read the rest of the verses up to and including expresses our sincere and TOTAL RE-
verse 13. PENTANCE of our old sinful life, our burial of
COMMENT: Just as the Messiah was that sinful life, and our rising up to a NEW life of
buried, our BAPTISM -- being plunged into a spiritual obedience to YEHOVAH God.
watery “grave” -- is symbolic of the BURIAL of BAPTISM, then, symbolizes the death
our old sinful life. And as the Messiah was and burial of the old self which has been contrary
resurrected in newness of life, our coming up to YEHOVAH God and His laws. It symbolizes
OUT of the water immediately after baptism is our faith in, and acceptance of, the literal death
symbolic of rising up to live a NEW LIFE free of Yeshua the Messiah for our sins. It sym-
from the shackles of past sins and the death bolizes, also, our acceptance of and faith in his
penalty! resurrection, which our coming up out of the

The Meaning of Baptism