Water baptism was never intended to be a Christian merit badge. 

 It’s a burial. 

 We bury things when they die. Whether it’s a beloved pet, or a parent or loved one; we bury most anything that dies, even if they are beloved or not. (i.e. - mass graves in wartime or natural disasters) 

 Dead bodies are not a good thing to have laying around. They attract unwanted ‘guests’ like birds...vultures, ravens, flies, things that feed on dead carcasses. They rot as they decompose and maggots and other ugly bugs take over as well. To leave a dead body out in the open would lead to the spread of disease, not to mention foul odor. 

 We bury dead bodies for good reason. 

 Even Jesus mentioned something about where you see the carcass, there the vultures will be gathered together.(Luke 17:37) Jeremiah painted a similar gory picture as well: “The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth and no one will frighten them away.” (7:33). Interestingly, this comes on the heels of God explaining how His children have done evil in His sight...rejecting His voice and would not receive correction. (7:28-31) 

 Later, in Revelation, we see Jesus rebuking the church at Sardis, commenting on how despite having a name or reputation of being ‘alive’, He said they were ‘dead’. (Rev. 3:1). In Revelation 17-19, much is said about ‘Babylon, the mother of harlots on the earth’ (17:5) and she will incur the judgments of God because she corrupted the earth with her fornication. (19:2). There is good reason to conclude that ‘Babylon’ represents the false church system of the last days. It has no particular ‘denominational’ name either. But there will be a ‘form of godliness’ in it. (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Chapter18:1-8 reveals how this ‘Babylon’ has become a dwelling place of – demons, a prison for every fouls spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.” 

 Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by using the power of “Beelzebub’. (Mark 3:22-23). That is another term used for Satan who is the ‘ruler of demons’. It carries strong implications of meaning the ‘dung-god’ or ‘lord of the flies’. (Matt. 12:27-29) 

 What did Paul describe was working IN those who were ‘dead in their sins and trespasses’ there in Eph. 2:1-3 in relationship to their 'flesh nature'? Part of the curse in Deut. 28 says “your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beast of the earth and no one shall frighten them away.” (26) Might check out Ps. 79:1-2, reminding yourself who/what the true ‘temple’ is today. And remember in the parable of the sower Jesus shared in Luke 8...who did he like the ‘birds’ who came to snatch the seed away as? (12) 

 There’s a reason why we bury dead bodies. 

 Paul wrote to the Romans and asked...Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death.” Therefore we were buried with Him through. Baptism into death, that just a Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we...also...should walk...in the newness of life.”(6:3-4). 

 But pay close attention to vs. 6-7 – “Knowing this: that our old man was...crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with , that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” 

 He goes on : “You also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God.” (11) Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts. (12) 

 He speaks and writes as if this is all past tense: “having been set free from sin” (18)...”when you were slaves of sin” (20). But now having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God...” (22) 

 So when countless Christians today admit they continue to ...”sin”, what is going on here? Are we saying that we are ‘sinning willfully’? Because if we are, that is not a good thing at all. (Heb. 10:26-27). And if we are still committing sin, then Jesus said we are still a ‘slave to sin’. (John 8:34). 

 If we claim to be a Christian, or part of his ‘bride’, as in ‘married to Christ’, yet we admit, or at least suggest our ‘old man’ is ...still alive...guess what we are now accused of being? It’s not pretty – Rom. 7:1-3. Paul was using a familiar illustration here according to the law and what happens if a woman leaves her husband and marries another. She is called an ‘adulteress’. She is only ‘free’ to marry another after...her first husband dies. So when we parade around claiming to ‘belong to Christ’, and our ‘old man’ is still alive...we have problems; and a serious one at that. 

 James really was taking the people to task calling out this ‘double-mindedness’ that was being exhibited amongst them...blessing God with their mouths and then cursing their brothers in the next breath. He wrote...”Brethren...these things should not be this way.”(3:10). “How...” he would ask, ‘can both fresh water and salt water come from the same spring’? (11). He even chimes in on Jesus’s teaching regarding how a ‘good tree cannot bear bad fruit’. (3:12; Matt. 7:18). 

 And James was just getting started. Look what he calls them in that next chapter (4:4) – ‘You adulterers and adulteresses’. And what was “Babylon called there in Rev. 17:5?  Religion...and having a ‘form of godliness’ that Paul speaks about (2 Tim. 3:5) is Satan’s ‘counterfeit’ to what Christ came to do and offer us. That is a posting all in itself for another day. So let me fast-forward to what I was hoping to get to today. 

 We often hear how churches like to ‘report’ the number of baptisms they had and ‘decisions made’. Two separate things here, but when we talk about someone ‘making a decision’, ... what did they in theory....decide to do? Did they make a decision to ‘trust Christ’? What does that mean? Did they decide to ‘accept Christ as personal savior’? That term is not even in the bible. Now granted, we do sing that old hymn of “I have decided to follow Jesus’. And that is biblical, not to mention necessary if we plan on getting out of this place alive. That is what followers of Jesus do: They follow Him. (John 10:27) 

 The understanding here is (or should be) that when a person ‘makes a decision’ to turn to Christ and become His follower, this is not some ‘free trial offer’ or a ‘test drive’ to see how it works for you. One is surrendering their entire heart...mind...will...and being, to Christ and making Him Lord of all. That is the only way one can get “in the ark” - by agreeing to these terms. Don’t call Him ‘Lord, Lord’ if you are not willing to do what He says. (Luke 6:46). This is not some decision to enter into lightly. We are told by Jesus Himself to ‘count the cost’. (Luke 14:27-33) 

 If you recall the story of the Israelites coming out of Egypt in such dramatic fashion led by God’s powerful display of parting the Red Sea, and all...it was not long before the enthusiasm died and people were whining and looking for a way to go back to Egypt. (Numbers 14:4). 

 Remember what Jesus said about ‘no man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62). Anyone remember Lot’s wife and what happened to her when she ‘looked back’? 

 This all starts sounding pretty serious, does it not? I do believe God means what He says. And if we have been lulled to sleep, spiritually, for any number of reasons...’growing at ease in Zion’, we best get with the program because God is blowing a trumpet of warning in these days. (Rom. 13:11-14; Eph. 5:8-16)

 IF...we have truly made that decision to ‘follow Christ, that means we need to have a ‘funeral’. That is what water baptism is: a ‘funeral’ to ‘bury the old man, the old life, our old ways’; as the Spirit of God begins to lead us in to this land of peace and rest as we abide in Him. But there are some ‘giants on the land’ that need to be dealt with, which is what He is most concerned with doing now; NOT...getting you set up in ministry to help Him out. (Rom. 8:13) 

 If your heart is not totally 100% in and serious about this new walk of obedience, then your baptism was nothing more than a religious activity in which all you did was get wet, and at best, you will continue to walk in a ‘form of godliness’. But if you truly are, ‘all in’, something amazing begins to happen. You will undergo nothing short of a God-inspired, supernatural transformation where you will truly become a ‘new creation in Christ’ and become a partaker of His divine nature. That, is what Jesus came to do in each and every one of us who ‘call on the name of the Lord’. (Rom. 8:29 2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Pet. 1:4) 

 As I have been ‘back in school’ learning all this and walking it out myself, I have gleaned much which I am compelled to share with ‘whoever has ears to hear’ and truly wants divine transformation themselves. And yes, in the ‘early stages’, there are stumbles as we learn to walk, just like a young toddler learns to walk. But make no mistake about it, we will walk like Jesus walked. (1 John 2:6)

 Yes, there is some signs of ‘carnality’ in a ‘newborn babe in Christ’ as Paul mentions. (1 Cor. 3:1-3). But here is some encouraging news: that phase is not supposed to last long, (or until you get to heaven like many have been told).. I want to avoid setting ‘timelines’ here, but I was recently enlightened to this nugget of truth: When you cut the head of a snake off its body, the body still squirms and wiggles and thrashes about, but only for a few, brief moments. Then it ceases to move given...it has...died; or been...put to death. I’ll let you ponder that and hopefully join me tomorrow...when I believe then...I will go in to detail as to how we follow the leading of God’s Spirit to put to death...All...the deeds of the flesh. (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:19-21). 

 Do you know why this is so important? Paul says that if we continue to practice those things, we will not inherit the kingdom of God.