The
sacrament of Baptism is exceedingly significant and should not be neglected in
Christians’ lives. Various interpretations surrounding Baptism subsist, all of
which point to a greater reality that God’s people are changed by the Lord
Jesus Christ and, in effect, have chosen to die to selfish desires. The New
Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship defines Baptism as “the rite
whereby a person is made a member of the church.”[1]
In a way, therefore, the sacrament of Baptism includes covenant membership at
its core (i.e. the act of Baptism is that which serves as an initiation into
the family of God).[2] The
roots of water for cleansing and Jesus Christ beckoning his people to be
crucified with him daily and carry their cross (Gal 5:24) realizes the meaning
of Baptism.
Baptism is a call to die, for in God’s Kingdom, the one that
loses his life finds it (Matt 16:25) (i.e. God’s economy is inverted from the
world’s and, in fact, does not make sense to the world—it is foolishness) (1
Cor 1:18). A proper survey of the Old Testament roots of Baptism should grant a
better understanding of its meaning, significance, and why it is so crucial to
living in obedience in the Christian life.
