In our previous post we were curious as to whether the work of being baptized into Jesus’ death was an instantaneous act performed when we first come to Christ and seek admission into “the body” or, a life work?

We answer it is both.

When we first come to God through Jesus, we covenant (enter into contract, vow to do such and such) with Him that we will take up our cross and follow him through evil and good report, whether it brings the favor or frown of our fellows. Jesus tells us it means the loss of the friendship of the world, the gain of the friendship of God, the loss of worldly honor, the gain of heavenly honor, the loss of earthly life and earthly nature, the gain of the divine nature and the divine image – a spiritual body like unto Christ’s glorious body. He illustrated his teaching on the night he was betrayed. He took bread and brake, saying, this is my body broken for you, eat you all of it. The bread symbolized Jesus as the truth. “I am the truth” – “the heavenly manna.” After supper he took the cup of wine saying, this is my blood of the new covenant shed for many for the remission of sins; drink you all of it. The wine symbolizes the blood and after we have tasted of the truth (bread) and seen that the Lord is gracious he says, here is the cup of my sufferings and death, drink you all of it – you must share this cup of sufferings if you would share my glory. “Yes,” says Paul, “If we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified together.”

This covenant of death we make with God (Psa 50:5) when we first come to him and He says He will, from the moment of covenant forward, reckon us dead indeed to the world and sin, although the entire life is to be a time of crucifying, or putting to death up to the time we die actually. God’s part of the covenant is, that these who thus die shall have part of the divine nature, and from the moment we make this covenant, He seals it by giving us the Holy Spirit as a guide and comforter; which is an earnest of our inheritance, which full inheritance we shall receive when all the “little flock” have crucified themselves.

Notice then that we first covenant to die, etc., and then receive of the Spirit’s begetting power giving us spiritual life, whereby we can carry out our part of the covenant.

But as crucifying is a lingering death, so our dying is well expressed thus, it is hard to die in any sense, but it is especially hard to be dead to the world, its opinions, pleasures and wishes, while still in it. In the world but not of it. Separate from sinners. Often will we need to “look unto Jesus the author (and soon to be) the finisher of our faith.” We will often need, as Paul said, to “consider Him who endured such contradiction (opposition) of sinners against himself lest (we) be weary and faint in (our) mind.” “Be not weary of well-doing, for in due time we shall reap if we faint not.”

No words that we can use can express so forcibly as do Paul’s, the necessity of this immersion into Christ’s death. “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. [Paul was fitted for a high social and political position, both by birth and education.] Yea, doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win [a position in the body of] Christ, and be found in him,” covered with the righteousness of faith. “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection – (experience the same resurrection as Jesus to a spiritual body and immortal life – the first resurrection) and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto THE (first) resurrection.” (Phil 3:8-11.) “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” (Rom 6:5).

But while the above mentioned is beyond question the essential baptism, was there not a baptism into water enjoined also and as a type?

Assuredly there is. When the new hearers had heard of Jesus’ death for them, and of their high calling to share it with him and afterward to share his glory, they made the covenant with God and gave outward expression to it by the beautifully expressive type of being buried in water, and said by the act we die to the world and earthly conditions and rise to “walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.”

I rise to walk in heavens own light,

Above the world and sin, and etc.,

With heart made pure and garment white

And Christ enthroned within.”

The ordinance of water baptism is so beautifully expressive of our hope and covenant, that if there was no divine injunction as to its performance, as there is, we should still feel it a privilege to show forth and illustrate our planting (burying) together in the likeness of his death and our expectation of being in his likeness in the resurrection.

When Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit Peter inquired, can any man forbid water that these should be immersed? And so, we ask, who can say aught against water being thus used as a type of our death?

And we might put the question in another form for some: Can any man refuse to thus show forth his death if he has indeed died to the world? We think not. That which hinders many in the public illustration of the death they profess is we fear, generally pride, fear of mental or uttered reproach of fellow disciples and of the world. But dear fellow disciple reflect that these objections to water baptism indicate that the true essential baptism has never fully taken place. You may be partly dead, and have given up part of your own will, but when fully crucified you will say with Him, “I delight to do thy will, O Lord.” I count all things but loss and dross that I may win Christ – the great prize.

Let us, dearly beloved, live up to our covenant, and not only bury ourselves and our wills in Christ’s, but also keep our bodies under – dying daily until fully delivered into the blessed kingdom – which deliverance we believe to be so very nigh at hand.” R132