The first words I heard this morning from the Holy Spirit were “Suffer it to be so now”.
These were the words spoken by Jesus just before He was baptized by John. Jesus was giving God permission to do with Him as He pleased.
Jesus recognized this baptism was a precursor leading to suffering and death.
Jesus was obedient to God.
Jesus was baptized into death so we could live in the righteousness of God.
You and I are baptized into the death of Christ. We die to self to live for Christ.
The significance of baptism is allowing God to have His way with you.
You have to be baptized into Jesus by the Water and the Spirit.
You become a new creature in Christ Jesus dedicated to live for Him.
Jesus is the pathway to the righteousness of God.
The sacrament of baptism empowers you to do the works of Christ.
The life of Jesus offers liberty from religion.
The steps to baptism into the death and resurrected life of Christ:
Confess your sins to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. Ask Jesus to cover you with His blood.
Open your heart up to God with a sincerity to live for Christ. Abandon yourself to God without any preconditions. Make a covenant with Christ to do your very best to live subservient to His will above all else.
This will initiate the process of becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus.
You will be sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the life of Christ. This will entitle you to the strength, wisdom, protection, and joy of Christ. And, the Holy Spirit will begin teaching you the values of Christ while crucifying your old self.
The transformation into a new person will cause you to look seriously at your motives. They have to be pure and in accord with God.
Your responsibility is to pray diligently, fill yourself with the word of Christ, and commit your works each day to God.
God promises you the gift of salvation and the ability to live through Him in all the ups and downs of life.
The value of Christ is He desires to give you a life you can never achieve on your own and bless the deepest desires of your heart.
He lives so you can live!
Hal Hollister Ministry 