Baptism Lesson 5

Choice 3: Romans 6. Baptism

            This week I have chosen to do choice 3 which is all about baptism.  Baptism is one of the most important ordinances that a person can take part of.  It literally cleanses us from sin and allows us to be able to return to our Father in Heaven.  “It is by grace that we are saved after all that we can do.” (2 Nephi 25:23)  The atonement of Jesus Christ saved us, period.  But we still must do all that we can do to be righteous and follow the commandments.  Because the demands of justice demanded that the laws of justice were served, Jesus Christ went thru the atonement and already paid the price for our sins.  This allows him in a sense to be able to change the rules a bit.  Since the law of Justice is fulfilled he can extend to us mercy.  So it is by grace that we are saved.  The price has been paid already.  But we still must do all that we can.  Why is this?  Because we need to become like Christ.  He asks us to do all that we can so that we can become like him.  Since we are only human and will make mistakes we are able to repent and try again because mercy is available since the price of our sins and mistakes have already been paid.  That was a huge tangent but what does this have to do with baptism?  We are told that no unclean thing can be in God’s presence.  We must be baptized in order to become clean from sins.  These are the questions we were given for this chapter on baptism. 

1.    Review Romans 6:1–13 and answer the following questions in writing:

·              What must be done with sin before baptism can occur?

o   This is best answered in Romans 6:7 which states, “For he that is dead to sin is cleared from sin.  The italicized is the Joseph Smith translation and the underlined is the greek translation.  This is the results of baptism.  But we have to stop sinning and come to Christ so we may receive the gift of baptism. 

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

o   His death and resurrection are symbolized in baptism.  As we are immersed in water it is symbolic of Christ’s death.  Then we are brought out of the water and are cleared from sin.  This is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ.  Hence he that is dead to sin is cleared from sin. 

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

o   Because baptism is in essence making us dead to sin.  Our whole bodies must be cleansed.  Verse 6 states:  “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”  Our bodies are stained with our sins.  But baptism cleanses it.  Therefore it does not make sense to have a sprinkling because only a small amount of the body would actually be cleansed.  Because this is symbolic it would be like saying Christ died but only for some peoples sins.  That would not have been complete. 

·              What do these verses teach us about how we can maintain the “newness of    life”?

o   We are cleansed from our sins when we are baptized.  This is basically a new life.  We get a new chance to have a perfect life.  But we will sin again…we will make mistakes again.  We are only human.  But each time we repent.  Each time we take the sacrament we are cleansed again.  This can give us such hope because it is not over once we make a mistake.  It may not be easy but we can repent of our sins and become just like we were after our baptism.  Because we were baptized and followed that commandment we are able to partake of the ordinance of the sacrament. 

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

o   The natural man. 

2.    Study Romans 6:14–23. Write a paragraph that describes how we know whose servant we are. Then write a statement identifying the true source of freedom.

           

            I think that Matthew 6:24 puts this best:  “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  We know whose servant we are by our actions.  We choose our actions and by doing so we either do the right thing and choose to serve God or we do not and choose to serve the devil.  You can’t be hot and cold, you are either hot or cold.  We may not intentionally be serving the devil but we are if we are not doing what we know to be right.  This is why we must have the atonement.  We may choose to serve the devil.  It may not be intentional but we still must repent.  The devil never has our best intentions at heart.  It might seem enticing in the moment but if we follow him we will never truly be happy.  The true source of freedom is choosing to follow God.  When we follow God and are righteous we have freedom.  We are free to choose right and wrong, good or evil and because of this we are free.  If we choose sin then we may become bonded and chained.  In some sense this may seem extreme.  But really looking at the bigger picture….which we may not know until the next life… will show us how we are in bondage when we choose to not follow God.  When we do follow God we retain that freedom to choose and are not bonded to anyone.

I really have learned a ton more about baptism.  I knew that we were cleansed from sin because of it but I did not know the symbolism behind it.  By choosing to become baptized we are symbolically dying to sin.  And are born again as a clean person.  

Lesson 4 Choice 2: Forgivness

     
       This is such a powerful picture.  It is of the Savior as he is in the garden of Gethsemane praying to the father during the atonement.  These last few years the atonement has come to mean so much more to me as I have developed my relationship with my father in heaven.  Partly...Mostly with the encouragement of my wife I have come to discover something else that has been missing from my life during the past 26 years.  Don't get me wrong I always believed in it and I always had faith but over the last few years I have been able to make the atonement and the sacrifice that the Savior made for me and everyone else so much more personal.  Because it truly was a very individual thing.  He suffered for all of us individually and also all of us collectively.  It was both broad and individual.  That is what is so special.  He is complete.
        A very important part of the atonement is forgiveness.  In order to be forgiven and take full advantage of the gift we have been given we have to have the ability to forgive.  In Doctrine and Covenants 64: 9&10 we are commanded:
      "9:  Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.
       10: I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men."

Also a similar verse can be found in Matthew 6: 14-15
       "14: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you:
        15: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

        Why is it so important to forgive?  Because it sets us free.  The point of forgiveness is not just to not have bad feelings for someone or harbor a grudge.  Or to get rid of contention or to not hate somebody.  It is all of those things but it is to set us free.  We will be free from all of this if we are able to forgive.  The emotional and psychological pain and turmoil can be eased and even disappear if we can develop this talent.  And it is a talent to forgive.  One that I wish I was better at.  What a blessing that the atonement gave us this gift.  To be free from all the pain that someone or something...or maybe just circumstances has caused.  If we can accept this gift and learn to forgive it can all be taken from us.  Obviously the memory cannot be taken but the actual pain can be.

        There are so many dangers to us if we do not forgive.  All of that pain and anger and hate can destroy us.  Honestly I have never read this but I have heard of this story.  It is the story of Moby Dick.  In this Captain Ahab is the captain of a whaling ship.  Earlier in his career a whale who he named Moby Dick mamed him.  He spent the rest of his life chasing this whale trying to kill it.  He believed the whale to be evil.  Not just that it was a whale being a whale but that the whale was pure evil and was trying to destroy him.
   
     "All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the less of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it"

This is obviously an extreme and fictitious example but I think the story is trying to make the point that hate and malice can destroy us.  The only cure is forgiveness.

But little things in our lives can affects us with not as dramatic effects.....at least not in the beginning.  I know that as we learn to forgive we will be free from this evil.  One last example that I can think of is the story of Chris Williams.  His wife and several kids were killed by a drunk driver in Utah.  But the way he handled it can be an example to all of us.  I hope if I am ever in a situation like that I would be able to have half of his ability to forgive.  This mormon message gives the whole story:

The true power of forgiveness can be seen in this story from both sides.  For Chris....I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my wife.  She is my everything.  She is my best friend and....heck she is gone for this weekend and won't be back until Monday.  I wasn't able to go because I had to work.  But even being apart from her less than 24 hours has been really hard.  I miss her so much.  I can't imagine how I would feel if I ever lost her.  But for Chris it was due to an accident.  There was an obvious place to place blame and want revenge.  But he did not take revenge on Cameron.  He forgave him.  But what about the other side.  How did Chris's forgiveness affect Cameron?  Just trying to put myself in that situation.  I killed a wife and 3 children in an accident where I should not have been driving?  I don't think I would ever be able to forgive myself.  With the help of the atonement I could but it would be so incredibly difficult.  I can't imagine the shame I would feel.  But Chris just forgave him.  I have read Chris's book and it has almost come to the point that they are both friends.  Chris wants to help Cameron move on with his life and help him learn from what happened but he wants him to move and have a great life.  Imagine the opposite.  This is such a powerful story of the atonement and the power of forgiveness.

Lesson 3 Choice 2

 I choose to do choice 2 this week.  Honestly I was wondering about this when I read thru this chapter.  It just seemed like it was too specific to only be talking about fornication.  But as I go along that word had a little bit different meaning in Pauls time

11.       Read the institute student manual commentary for 1 Corinthians 5: 1, 11 “Did Paul use the word Fornication as we use it Today?”  Write a few sentences comparing the moral condition of ancient Corinth with the moral condition of our day.

a.       Honestly it is very similar.  According to the institute manual the word fornication had a much broader use during Pauls time than now.  Now we think of it as sexual intercourse between 2 unmarried people.  “But the word which Paul used is porneia (the root word for our pornography) and meant any extramarital intercourse.”  Anything that aroused the sexual feelings that should only be used in marriage.  It went on to talk about how Corinth was very worldy and the temple of Venus was there with thousands of basically glorified prostitutes under the cloak of religious worship.  In our day today there is so much sex all around us.  We can’t get away from it.  Its on our TV and our billboards in magazines.  You have to try very hard to avoid it.  I am scared for my kids because there is no avoiding it.

22.      Read 1 Corinthins 5:7-13.  Describe in writing what Paul suggested the saints do to be protected against sin.  How do the Savior’s teachings in Matthew 5:29-30 apply to these principles?

a.       Paul suggests that we avoid it at all costs.  Mainly that we don’t spend time with people who do those things.  These principles are applies in Matthew 5:29-30 well because those things really do offend our spirits.  I think though that it is important to also realize that there are people who struggle with sins and that by just out casting them we are not being very Christlike either.   We have to be very careful to not participate in sin but also remember that everyone is either our brother or our sister and we need to love them as such.

New Testament Week 3!

Hey everyone in my New Testament class and anyone else who might stumble upon this blog!  I am really excited to share the things that I am learning from the New Testament this semester in my class and hope that I can really share my testimony of the restore church and of the gospel of Jesus Christ!  There are a few assignments that I have the choice of choosing from.  I choose to do one that specifically focuses on Acts 19 verses 1-12 and Acts 20 verses 7-12.  It talks about Pauls Priesthood authority in performing Priesthood ordinances and ministering to the people.  So this is what I have learned:

5 priesthood ordinances Paul Performed

1.       Paul Baptized the people (Acts 19:5)

2.       Paul gave the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 19:6)

3.       Paul healed the sick (Acts 19:12)

4.       Paul Raised Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:9)

5.       Paul administered the Sacrament? (Acts 20:11)

1.)    What did Paul do for the saints because it hadn’t been done right the first time?

a.       He baptized them and conferred the gift of the Holy Ghost on them.   It had not been done correctly the first time and so because he had the proper priesthood authority he was able to do it correctly. 

2.)    How does this help answer the questions that many nonmembers have about the need of being baptized when they have already been baptized?

a.       I would imagine this is very difficult for many people.  But here in Acts Paul has to redo many people’s baptism and confirmation because it was not given by the proper authority.  This would probably lead to other questions about why your church has the proper authority.  And we could then talk about the restoration and go from there.

3.)    In what way did Paul bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost?

a.       By the laying on of hands

4.)    On what day of the week did the saints meet to break bread?  What evidence is there in John 20:1, 19 for why the Sabbath day was changed?

a.       According to Acts 20:7 it sounds like they got together on the first day of the week.  So Monday.  In the footnotes it says the Sabbath day so maybe they counted Sunday as the first day, I am not sure.  A footnote in Acts 20:6 takes you to exodus and there it clarifies on which day the Sabbath should be.  That is the evidence of why it was changed.

Looking for the ways Paul used the Priesthood and answering these questions has really made me delve so much deeper into these verses.  For the most part I missed a lot of the details before hand.  I am so grateful that we have the proper Priesthood authority restored to us on the earth.