As I watched a friend get baptized recently, I was reminded that, as a young adult, I did a word study on a passage from Romans 6 that showed me the value of looking for hidden treasures of wisdom in God’s Word, through study aides such as cross references and Greek and Hebrew word studies. I got this idea of digging in the Bible for hidden treasures of wisdom from the following passage:
Proverbs 2:4-5 NASB If you seek [wisdom] as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; (5) Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.
I have been using this approach of earnestly searching the Scriptures in my quiet times ever since. In particular, my study of the following passage as a young adult forever changed my perspective on what it means to be a follower of Christ:
Romans 6:3-4 NASB Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
In looking at the Greek word baptizo (bap-tid'-zo) translated as “baptized” in this passage, I found that it means just that. But because I had learned that there are hidden treasures of wisdom in God’s Word for those who are willing to dig deeper, I kept digging.
In the passage above from Romans 6, the hidden treasure comes from following the Greek word baptizo (Strong’s number G907) back to its root word baptō (Strong’s number G911), which means the following:
To whelm [cover or immerse completely], that is, cover wholly with a fluid… or (by implication) to stain (as with dye).
When I read this definition, the words seemed to leap off the page and into my heart! Here is a wonderful word picture of baptism being compared to dyeing a cloth. Consider this: When we dye a cloth, the cloth goes into the vat as one color, but comes out another color. Is the outside of the cloth the only thing that changes colors? No, every fiber of that cloth changes color. And if you have ever dyed cloth, you know that you cannot go back to the original color by merely washing the cloth – it is a permanent change.
In the same way, baptism is a symbol of what God has done in and for us. We were one “color” (dead) before we surrendered to Jesus, but His blood has changed our “color” – to resurrected, alive, forgiven, holy. This “dyeing” process did not merely change our outward appearance – it changed every fiber of our inmost being, especially our hearts. And this “dyeing of our hearts” process is a permanent change – hallelujah!
As I began to grasp the significance of baptism as a result of this word study when I was a young adult, I also began to feel God’s gentle nudge. Even though I had been baptized as a youth, I felt compelled to experience anew this symbol of identifying with Christ’s death and resurrection. Armed with this new-found revelation of what it really means for a follower of Christ, I was baptized again. The rich symbolism of Romans 6:4 took on new meaning for me: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” And ever since, I have never been able to view a baptism ceremony without being reminded of this wonderful word picture.
By the way, please hear what I am not saying. I am not trying to present a case against infant or youth baptism. I am also not saying that everyone should be baptized again as an adult. Just because God led me to do this does not mean that God will lead everyone to do so. (But if He does lead you to do so, I encourage you to do it!) I am merely trying to expand our understanding of what the Bible says about this wonderful symbol of baptism for the believer. Just as viewing a wedding ceremony should make us reflect upon the profound mystery of our love for our spouse and for our eternal Bridegroom, so also the viewing of a baptism ceremony should remind us of this powerful word picture of our identification with Christ’s death and resurrection. We have so much to be grateful for!
O God, the treasures of Your Word are inexhaustible! Thank You for reminding me again this week about the precious truths You teach us about our life in Christ through the rich word picture of baptism. We really do identify with Christ’s death (going into the water) and His resurrection (coming up out of the water) through baptism. Thank You that we are “dyed” with the precious blood of Christ, that forever changes every fiber of our being. Help me to articulate this truth (that Christ changes us totally) to the people around me in a winsome way.
Today, I encourage you to “Reflect on This.”