The Purpose of Life

Phil. 1:21

1. Deuteronomy 8:3 (1-5) - Saved people should learn to live to what God says, not by bread alone.

2. John 5:24 - We begin this life of faith by believing, (receiving salvation), passing from death to life.

3. The next step in the Christian life is to be scripturally baptized.

Why are we baptized?

1. Romans 6:11 - We have passed from death to life, therefore baptism shows this.

2. Romans 8:10 - If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness.

(1.) Baptism implies humiliation. Matt. 3:15, "...Suffer it to be so now..." The Son of the Living God submitted Himself to His own ordinance. The person who will not be scripturally baptized will not be allowed to sit in a prominent place in eternity.

(2.) Baptism also implies consecration. Matt. 3:15, "...for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness..." When Jesus was baptized, He began his earthly ministry, completely giving Himself over to the will of His Father. Does baptism mean that to you, or do you consider baptism some "initiation" into the "Baptist Church"?

(3.) Scriptural baptism implies anointing. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt. 3:17. The appearance of the dove was never repeated. This is because Jesus was the only one to truly understand what baptism meant. The rest of us find out what baptism means as we live and study the Word of God. Baptism is a public declaration that we have laid down the old life of sin and will now live a new life of total consecration to God.

4. Love - The demonstration of a real consecrated life to God.

I John 3:14 - We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren.