positional truth.... ?

그리스도 안에서 의롭다 함을 얻은 자들의 의로움은 어떤 것인지를 생각하게 하는 글입니다... 키워드는 Positional Truth....!   평촌 평성교회 청년부에서 올린 글... <A href="http://m.cafe.daum.net/psyouth/4dHP/108?q=%EC%9A%B0%EB%A6%AC%EC%9D%98+%EC%9E%90%EC%9C%A0&sns=URLCopy">http://m.cafe.daum.net/psyouth/4dHP/108?q=%EC%9A%B0%EB%A6%AC%EC%9D%98+%EC%9E%90%EC%9C%A0&sns=URLCopy</A> <DIV id=article>Our New Freedom in Christ But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 6 : 22, 23) Slavery in the United States was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment on December 18, 1865. How many slaves were December 19? In reality, none, but many still lived like slaves. They did because they never learned the truth. Others knew and even believed that they were free, but chose to continue living as they had always been taught. Many plantation owners were devastated by this proclamation of emancipation. "We're ruined! Slavery has been abolished. We've lost the battle to keep our slaves.." But their chief spokesman slyly responded, " Not necessarily. As long as these people think they are slaves, the proclamation of emancipation will have no practical effect. You do not have a legal right over them any more, but many of them do not it. Keep your slaves from learning the truth, and your control over them will not even be challenged." "But what if the news spread?" "Don't panic. We have another barrel on our gun. We may not be able to keep them from hearing the news, but we can still keep them from understanding it. They don't call me the father for nothing. We still have the potential to deceive the whole world. Just tell them that they misunderstood the Thirteenth Amendment. Tell them that they are going to be free, not that they are free already. The truth they heard is just positional truth, not actual truth. Someday they may receive the benefits, but now ." "But they will expect me to say that. They won't believe me." "Then pick out a few persuasive ones who are convinced that they are still slaves and let them do the talking for you. Remember, most of these newly freed people were born as slaves and have lived like slaves all their lives. All we have to do is to deceive them so that they still think like slaves. As long as they continue to do what slaves do, it will not be hard to convince them that they must be slaves. They will maintain their slave identity because of the things they do.. The moment that they try to profess that they are no longer slaves, just whisper in their ear, "How can you even think you are no longer a slave when you are still doing things that salves do?" After all, we have the capacity to accuse the brethren day and night. Years later, many slaves have still not heard the wonderful news that they have been freed, so naturally they continue to live the way they have always lived. Some slaves have heard the good news, but they eval‎‍uate it by what they are presently doing and feeling. They reason, " I still living in bondage, doing the same things I have always done. My experience tell me that I must not be free. I am feeling the same way I was before the proclamation, so it must not be free. After all, your feelngs always tell the truth." So they continue to live according to how they feel, not wanting to be hypocrities! One former slave, however, hears the good news, and receive it with great joy. He checks out 솜 validity of the proclamation, and finds out that the highest of all authorities originated the decree. Not only that, but it personally cost that authority a tremendous price, which he willingly paid so that the slave could be free. As a result, the slave's life is transformed. He correctly reasons that it would be hypocritical to believe his feeling and not the truth. Determined to live by what he knows to be true, his experience began to change dramatically. He realizes trhat his old master has no authority over him and does not need to be obeyed. He gladly served the one who set him free! <xSCRIPT type=text/xxjavascript> var arrAttachFiles = []; </xSCRIPT> </DIV>   다음은 Ron Sorg의 글입니다..... http://m.cafe.daum.net/geng3927/Jn4H/356?q=Positional&sns=URLCopy Positional Truths Provided by Ron Sorg Here is a list of positional truths that apply to us who are saved in the Dispensation of Grace: <UL> <LI>Christ in you: <UL> <LI>The hope of glory <UL> <LI>(Colossians 1:27 KJV) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: </LI></UL></LI></UL> <LI>You Are: <UL> <LI>Crucified with Christ <UL> <LI>(Galatians 2:20 KJV) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. </LI></UL> <LI>Buried with Christ <UL> <LI>(Colossians 2:12 KJV) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. </LI></UL> <LI>Risen with Christ <UL> <LI>(Colossians 2:12 KJV) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. </LI></UL> <LI>Alive with Christ <UL> <LI>(Colossians 2:13 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; </LI></UL> <LI>Ascended and seated with Christ <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 2:6 KJV) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: </LI></UL> <LI>Joint-heir with Christ <UL> <LI>(Romans 8:17 KJV) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. </LI></UL> <LI>Indwelt by the Father <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 4:6 KJV) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. </LI></UL> <LI>Indwelt by the Son <UL> <LI>(Colossians 1:27 KJV) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: </LI></UL> <LI>Indwelt by the Holy Spirit <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? </LI></UL> <LI>A saint and beloved of God <UL> <LI>(Romans 1:7 KJV) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. </LI></UL> <LI>Dead to sin <UL> <LI>(Romans 6:2 KJV) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? <LI>(Romans 6:11 KJV) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. </LI></UL> <LI>Under Grace <UL> <LI>(Romans 6:14 KJV) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. </LI></UL> <LI>Eternal <UL> <LI>(Romans 6:23 KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. </LI></UL> <LI>Free from condemnation <UL> <LI>(Romans 8:1 KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. <LI>(Romans 8:34 KJV) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. </LI></UL> <LI>A son of God <UL> <LI>(Romans 8:14 KJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. </LI></UL> <LI>Foreknown <UL> <LI>(Romans 8:29 KJV) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. </LI></UL> <LI>Predestined, called, justified, and glorified <UL> <LI>(Romans 8:30 KJV) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. </LI></UL> <LI>Free from sin <UL> <LI>(Romans 6:22 KJV) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. </LI></UL> <LI>More than a conqueror <UL> <LI>(Romans 8:37 KJV) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. </LI></UL> <LI>In Fellowship <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 1:9 KJV) God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. </LI></UL> <LI>The temple of God <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? </LI></UL> <LI>Washed and sanctified <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 6:11 KJV) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. </LI></UL> <LI>A members of His body <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 12:27 KJV) Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. </LI></UL> <LI>Victorious <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. </LI></UL> <LI>Triumphant <UL> <LI>(2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV) Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. </LI></UL> <LI>A new creature, reconciled, an ambassador <UL> <LI>(2 Corinthians 5:17-20 KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. {18} And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; {19} To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. {20} Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. </LI></UL> <LI>The righteousness of God <UL> <LI>(2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. </LI></UL> <LI>Rich <UL> <LI>(2 Corinthians 8:9 KJV) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. </LI></UL> <LI>Redeemed from the curse of the law <UL> <LI>(Galatians 3:13 KJV) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: </LI></UL> <LI>Adopted, free and called unto liberty <UL> <LI>(Galatians 4:5 KJV) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. <LI>(Galatians 5:1 KJV) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. <LI>(Galatians 5:13 KJV) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. </LI></UL> <LI>Blessed <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 1:3 KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: </LI></UL> <LI>Chosen, holy, without blame and accepted <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: <LI>(Ephesians 1:6 KJV) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. </LI></UL> <LI>Sealed <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 1:13 KJV) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, <LI>(Ephesians 4:30 KJV) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. </LI></UL> <LI>Saved by grace <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 2:8 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: </LI></UL> <LI>His workmanship and a fellowcitizen <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 2:10 KJV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. <LI>(Ephesians 2:19 KJV) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; </LI></UL> <LI>Delivered from the power of darkness <UL> <LI>(Colossians 1:13 KJV) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: </LI></UL> <LI>Translated into the kingdom of His Son <UL> <LI>(Colossians 1:13 KJV) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: </LI></UL> <LI>Complete and circumcised without hands <UL> <LI>(Colossians 2:10-11 KJV) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: {11} In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: </LI></UL> <LI>Forgiven all trespasses <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 1:7 KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; <LI>(Ephesians 4:32 KJV) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Colossians 2:13 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; </LI></UL> <LI>Elect <UL> <LI>(Colossians 3:12 KJV) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; </LI></UL> <LI>Delivered from the wrath to come <UL> <LI>(1 Thessalonians 1:10 KJV) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. </LI></UL> <LI>Not appointed to wrath <UL> <LI>(1 Thessalonians 5:9 KJV) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, </LI></UL> <LI>Saved <UL> <LI>(2 Timothy 1:9 KJV) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, </LI></UL></LI></UL> <LI>You Have: <UL> <LI>Peace with God <UL> <LI>(Romans 5:1 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: </LI></UL> <LI>Now received the atonement <UL> <LI>(Romans 5:11 KJV) And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. </LI></UL> <LI>The mind of Christ <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. </LI></UL> <LI>All spiritual blessings <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 1:3 KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: </LI></UL> <LI>Obtained an inheritance <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 1:11 KJV) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: </LI></UL> <LI>Hope laid up in heaven <UL> <LI>(Colossians 1:5 KJV) For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; </LI></UL> <LI>An holy calling <UL> <LI>(1 Timothy 1:9 KJV) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, </LI></UL> <LI>All things <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 3:21-23 KJV) Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; {22} Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; {23} And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. </LI></UL></LI></UL> <LI>You shall be: <UL> <LI>Confirmed unto the end <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 1:8 KJV) Who shall also confirm‎‍ you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. </LI></UL></LI></UL> <LI>Christ is: <UL> <LI>Your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: </LI></UL> <LI>Your victory <UL> <LI>(1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. </LI></UL> <LI>Your peace <UL> <LI>(Ephesians 2:14 KJV) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; </LI></UL> <LI>Your hope <UL> <LI>(Colossians 1:27 KJV) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: </LI></UL> <LI>Your completion </LI></UL></LI> <UL> <LI>(Colossians 2:10 KJV) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: </LI></UL></UL>   다음은 스티브 멕베이(Steve McVey)의 글입니다... <LI>http://blog.daum.net/timberkang/15623457 <A href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7W9lMWsC1q8/Sxz6YIN9nsI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/JVSO2V5GjVw/s1600-h/images.jpg" target=_blank &#111&#110blur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><IMG style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 73px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id=BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412476144622345922 border=0 alt="" src="https://img1.daumcdn.net/relay/cafe/original/?fname=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_7W9lMWsC1q8%2FSxz6YIN9nsI%2FAAAAAAAAA7Y%2FJVSO2V5GjVw%2Fs200%2Fimages.jpg"></A>For years I couldn’t reconcile what I saw taught in the Bible. I read verses that clearly say we are righteous (Romans 5:17, Ephesians 4:24, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, etc.), but struggled with my own inconsistent behavior. So I took this aspect of truth to be only a positional truth. My argument went like this: “We aren’t literally righteous. God only sees us that way. Our position is one of righteousness, but our condition is that we are unrighteous.” Let’s dissect that argument for a moment. We’ll get rid of the glaring error first — the idea that God only sees us as righteous. Exactly what could this mean? Would one suggest that God sees something that isn’t really there? It reminds me of the arrogant professor who saw the unlearned custodian reading his Bible and sneered, “Do you believe that book as it is?” Without hesitation, the custodian replied, “Do you believe it as it ain’t?” That’s a good question for this matter. Does God see something as it is or as it ain’t? When we consider the argument that the righteousness of the Christian is positional, but not literal we must be intellectually honest. Romans 5:19 corrects the error of believing that we are only positionally righteous. For as through the one man’s disobedience, the many were made sinners,even so through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous. This verse very simply presents the truth of our present righteousness in Christ. Paul reminds us that in Adam we were made to be sinners. In the same way, he says, we are now made righteous in Christ. According to principles of biblical hermeneutics, we must be consistent in interpreting scripture. If the last half of this verse means that we are only positionally righteous in Christ, then the first part of the verse must be interpreted to say that we were only positionally sinners in Adam. Were we literally a sinner in Adam or was it only positional? If we were literally sinners then, we are literally righteous now. Some say that the verse teaches that we will be made righteous when we get to heaven. Does that mean that a person doesn’t become a sinner until he gets to hell? We were sinners for one simple reason — we were in Adam. Now are righteous because we have been placed into Christ. Let’s don’t resist the truth! God says we are righteous because we are in Christ. It is a literal truth. That doesn’t mean we always act that way. How we act and who we are may not always coincide. Sometimes I act like a child even though I was born in 1954. Identity isn’t determined by our behavior, but by our birth. Occasionally my wife, Melanie, has even called me a big baby. But I know it’s not true! I have my birth certificate to prove it! 다음은 동일 주제를 세례의 관점에서 본 것입니다...</LI> <LI><A href="http://m.cafe.daum.net/engph/M1h2/5?q=Baptism&sns=URLCopy">http://m.cafe.daum.net/engph/M1h2/5?q=Baptism&sns=URLCopy</A></LI> <UL> <LI> <UL> <LI> <H2>Baptism</H2> <HR align=left> Introduction The word "baptize" (from the Greek baptidzo) means "to identify" or "to be made one with". In early Greek, the word had both religious and secular meanings. In general, it refers to the act of identifying one thing with another thing in such a way that its nature or character is changed, or it represents the idea that a real change has already taken place. As a reference to identification, "baptize" means to place a person (or thing) into a new environment, or into union with some one or something else, so as to alter his (its) condition or relationship to the previous environment. There are seven types of baptism mentioned in the Bible. Four of these are real baptisms and three are ritual baptisms. Real Baptisms - The Baptism of Moses - The Baptism of the Cross (or Cup) - The Baptism of the Holy Spirit - The Baptism of Fire Ritual Baptisms - The Baptism of John - The Baptism of Jesus - The Baptism of the Christian Believer These seven baptisms are described in the sections below. Real Baptisms A baptism is called "real" if it involves actually identifying a person with something or someone. The Baptism of Moses The baptism of Moses was a double identification, the children of Israel are identified both with Moses and with the cloud (Jesus Christ) as they passed through the Red Sea. There was no water involved (remember, they went through the sea on dry land when the waters were parted). 1 Cor. 10:1,2. The Baptism of the Cross (or Cup) Jesus Christ "drank" the Cup filled with our sins. Another way of expressing it is that all the sins of the world were put into one cup and poured out on Christ while He was on the Cross. God the Father judged our sins while they were on Christ. Christ was identified with our sin and He bore our sins on the cross. He was made sin for us. 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24. In Matt. 20:22 Jesus speaks of the cup he is to drink as he makes a reply to the mother of Zebedee's children. In Matt. 26:39, He prays to the Father to "let this cup pass from me". Nevertheless, He determined to drink from the cup, as seen in John 18:11, "the cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink from it?" The Baptism of the Holy Spirit The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a real baptism. When a person accepts Christ as Saviour, he is placed into the body of Christ. He is identified as a believer. The mechanics are given in 1 Cor. 12:13. The baptism of the Holy Spirit did not occur in Old Testament times. The first occurrence was on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit placed the new believers into the body of Christ. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the basis for Positional Truth. Believers are place "in Christ", and in this position have access to many kinds of privileges and blessings. Ephesians 1 has a good description of what it means to have "all blessings in heavenly places in Him." The baptism of the Holy Spirit was prophesied by John the Baptist, Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16. And it was prophesied by Jesus Christ, John 14:16,17; Acts 1:5. The implications of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, for all believers in the family of God, are given in Gal. 3:26-28. The principle of retroactive identification with Christ is brought out in Rom. 6:3,4 and Col. 2:12. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience. It is not accompanied by speaking in tongues or any other kind of feeling or behavior. The things that happen to believers at the moment of salvation are accomplished by the Holy Spirit, not by us, and these things are not experiences. See Topic: Salvation Doctrines. The Baptism of Fire There is a judgment coming at the 2nd Coming of Christ when all nonbelievers are taken from the earth. They will join the rest of the unbelievers in Torments (Sheol-Hades-Hell) to wait for the Last Judgment (The Great White Throne Judgment of Rev. 20) at the end of the Millenium. This removal of unbelievers for judgment is the baptism of fire. Fire is a symbol for judgment all throughout the Bible. Examples are the fire which burned the sacrifice on the Hebrew altar, and the fire from God which burned the watered down sacrifices of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. The doctrine of the baptism of fire is stated in Matt. 3:11,12; Luke 3:16,17; and 2 Thess. 1:7-9. The Lord Jesus taught several parables regarding the end times when believers and unbelievers will be separated. The believers are to go into the millenium, the unbelievers are "cast off" into fire. These parables are analogies to the baptism of fire. Wheat and tares - Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43. Good and bad fish - Matt. 13:47-50. The wise and foolish virgins - Matt. 25:1-13 The sheep and the goats - Matt. 25:31-46 Ritual Baptisms A baptism is called a ritual baptism, or a ceremonial baptism, when water is used as a symbol for something else. It is a representative identification. The individual is placed in the water, which means, symbolically, that he is identified with that which the water represents. The Baptism of John - Matt. 3:6-11. Here the water is symbolic of the Kingdom of God which John was preaching. When a person was baptized by John, he was testifying to his faith in the Messiah and his identification with Christ's kingdom. The new believer was "identified" with the water, but the water represented a spiritual identification. The phrase "Kingdom of God" is a general term referring to all believers from the time of Adam until the end of the Millenium. At the time of John the Baptist, all believers were pre-Church Age Christians, although many lived on into the Church Age (which began at the Day of Pentecost). The Baptism of Jesus When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist, the water was symbolic of God's will in salvation, namely that Jesus would go to the Cross. This was a unique baptism. As He went into the water, he was saying, in effect, "I will die for the sins of the world." As he came out of the water He said, in effect, "I will rise again that believers might have resurrection bodies and victory over death and the grave." This baptism was unique because Christ is unique and His work on the Cross is unique. No one ever "follows the Lord in baptism" When a Christian is baptized, it for an entirely different purpose. See the discussion below on believer's baptism. The Baptism of Believers In believer's baptism the water represented the Lord Jesus Christ and symbolizes positional truth. The real baptism of the Holy Spirit places a believer into Christ. Water baptism is a ceremonial representation of that face, a picture of Spirit baptism. Christians have a real identification with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. See Romans 6. Water baptism is symbolic identification with the person and work of Christ. As he goes into the water, the believer says, in effect, "I am identified with Him in His death and burial." As he comes up out of the water, the believer says, in effect, "I am identified with Christ in His resurrection and victory over death and sin, as He is seated at the right hand of the Father." Water baptism comes after salvation. It does not precede salvation. Water baptism which precedes salvation is only a religious practice, ritual without reality, therefore it is meaningless. Believer's baptism is not religion, but a indicates a relationship with Jesus Christ that lasts forever. </LI></UL></LI></UL>