South Main Baptist Church
Sep 12, 20222 min
Romans 6:23; Acts 2:41
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41).
Romans 6:23 in the Bible was written by the apostle Paul to followers of Christ in the city of Rome. In this verse he mentions the consequences of sin (death), the gift of God (eternal life), and how to access this gift (through Jesus Christ our Lord). The second verse, Acts 2:41, is a report of what three thousand people did after they came to faith in Christ, receiving Him as Savior and Lord. In order to profess their faith publicly and identify with Jesus, they were baptized, symbolizing their identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the cleansing new birth He bestows upon all who trust in Him.
1. Sin has been defined as anything you think, say, or do that is displeasing to God. Why do you think death came into the world as the result of sin?
2. God made a way for us to have victory over death, namely by giving us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. How do you think Jesus did this? (Hint: By paying the death penalty we owed on the Cross and by rising from the grave, defeating death for all who trust in Him).
3. Baptism does not save you; Jesus alone saves all who will receive His give of eternal life. So, why do you think God wanted those three thousand followers to profess their faith in Him publicly through baptism? Why does the Lord want you to be baptized today?
1. Receive Jesus and His gift of eternal life. And if you have already surrendered your life to Christ, tell someone else about Him, and invite them to your great church – South Main!
2. Be Baptized to symbolically tell others that you believe in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. And if you have already been baptized, continue to tell others about Jesus with your lips and with your life!
3. Join a Church where Christ is honored, the Bible is preached, and everyone is welcomed. God doesn’t want you to do it alone. You need a family of faith. And if you do not yet have a church home, pray about joining South Main!
Lord Jesus, thank you for the precious gift of baptism, that we can publicly declare our love and passion for you; that the past is gone, that we stand free and whole, loved and forgiven within the kingdom of God. May the day of my baptism be one that I cherish and remember forever! Amen.