Baptism

Romans 6: 1-13

What must be done with sin before baptism can occur?

• Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore rein in your mortal body” The scriptures say that the desire to sin must be destroyed. We must repent of any sins before we can be baptized and have a desire to choose the right and follow Christ.

What events from Christ’s life are symbolized in baptism?

• The symbolism with Christ’s crucifixion and with our lives is we must crucify or end our desire to sin and rise up again as Christ did. Going down into the water by immersion is the dying of our sins, like Christ’s dying and laying down into the grave, and then when we rise out of the water it is symbolic of Christ rising from the grave, the resurrection.

Consider this symbolism, why couldn’t someone be baptized by sprinkling?

• Considering the symbolism someone cannot be baptized by sprinkling because there is not the going down into the water completely submerged immersed by water, our sins dying, and then rising, coming up free of sin, as Christ rose from grave. Sprinkling doesn't work because you aren’t submerged. There is no symbolism of Christ’s life, not the death and resurrection like in immersion baptisms.

What do these verses teach us about the “newness of life?”

• Baptism gives us a new start at life; we have been cleansed of all our sins, and any desire to sin, we come out of the water with a clean slate. It’s our opportunity to show Christ that we are willing to follow Him and give up our old life to be disciples for Him.

According to Mosiah 3:19 what part of us would ideally die at baptism?

• We want the natural man inside of us to die, all the carnal and worldly things that we focus on to disappear and instead have our focus on Christ and following Him and His desires, instead of the worlds desires.

How do we know whose servant we are?

• The true source of freedom is through our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and choosing to be righteous. We have been given scriptures and Prophets who have given us commandments to follow, and when we follow them we are choosing to do the Lord’s will which is righteousness. We can feel that we are doing what the Lord wants us to do in our hearts and minds through the Holy Ghost. The spirit gives a comforting peaceful feeling, anything which is good comes from God. If we are serving Satan we don’t have a peaceful feeling in our hearts, we aren't choosing good choices. Someone cannot serve two masters, you must pick one or the other. Three simplified steps to being righteous.

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