Baptism is also essential to the new birth. Suppose I say, You are a citizen of this country, because you have been born into it. Which came first: birth or citizenship? Now note the verb tenses in Galatians 3:26,27: ye ARE all the children of God by faith for (Greek GAR = because) as many of you as HAVE BEEN baptized into Christ... According to the verb tenses, which came first: baptism or being a child of God? Faith only says one is first a child of God, then he is baptized. But the Scripture clearly says one is first baptized into Christ, then he is a child of God. Likewise, Romans 6:4 shows one has newness of life (new birth, born again) after he is raised from baptism, not before (cf. Colossians 2:12,13; John 3:5). And all this happens by faith. Becoming a child of God by faith includes baptism; it does not exclude it.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 01:50:46 +0000
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