The Power of God Through Water and Baptism
Jan 19, 2025 • Fr Matthias Shehad
"Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. " John 3:5
God uses some of the physical things to perform Spiritual work to enlighten human sole. God uses water to spiritual work throughout the scripture to perform different things
In this sense the concept of water baptism is used by God demonstrate several deep spiritual truths in our lives.
1. God used water in His work of creation. Genesis 1:2 states that following God's first act of creation (heaven and earth), the Spirit of God moved upon water to begin His work. This use of water symbolically connected to baptism. In baptism pond , we fill the water that is ready to create a new nature to the person who is going to baptize . The incense we use at the baptism symbolize Holy Spirit holy spirit hovered over the waters.
2. Water symbolize renewal and cleansing as evidenced by the account of Noah and the flood, where God reaches the end of tolerance with mankind who have totally sold themselves to sin, violence and unrighteousness. Water baptism shows how mankind who is separated from God via sin is cleansed, renewed and restored to first state of a close relationship with God the creator.
3. Water baptism demonstrates spiritual liberation as shown in the account of the liberation of the enslaved Israelites in Egypt by Moses and being led though the parted Red sea (symbolism of water baptism).
4. Water is used as means of healing. 2 Kings 5:14 Story of Naaman, the Assyrian army general who comes to prophet Elisha seeking healing. The faith and humility of Naaman (who is commanded to dip himself in the waters of the Jordan river) is also used by God to demonstrate that sinful man can be healed both physically and spiritually (from a sinful life) through water baptism.
5. God uses in some cases water as a miraculous intervention to solve impossible situations faced by man. Healing a man born blind (with no physical eyes) (John 9:7), the creator, made eyes by using mud and asked him to wash in the pool of Siloam.
6. In water baptism we die to our old sinful life through repentance (crucifiction), the old sinful man is buried (immersed in water), a new man is resurrected (coming out of the water) and the beginning of a new life with God.
7. Seventhly, water baptism demonstrates our membership or becoming a part of the body of Christ (family of God or church).
8. Water baptism shows the adornment or clothing of God's righteousness of man. Following water baptism when God looks on man He no longer see a sinful man far removed from God but a man covered and clothed with the very nature and character of Jesus Christ His Son.
God uses some of the physical things to perform Spiritual work to enlighten human sole. God uses water to spiritual work throughout the scripture to perform different things
In this sense the concept of water baptism is used by God demonstrate several deep spiritual truths in our lives.
1. God used water in His work of creation. Genesis 1:2 states that following God's first act of creation (heaven and earth), the Spirit of God moved upon water to begin His work. This use of water symbolically connected to baptism. In baptism pond , we fill the water that is ready to create a new nature to the person who is going to baptize . The incense we use at the baptism symbolize Holy Spirit holy spirit hovered over the waters.
2. Water symbolize renewal and cleansing as evidenced by the account of Noah and the flood, where God reaches the end of tolerance with mankind who have totally sold themselves to sin, violence and unrighteousness. Water baptism shows how mankind who is separated from God via sin is cleansed, renewed and restored to first state of a close relationship with God the creator.
3. Water baptism demonstrates spiritual liberation as shown in the account of the liberation of the enslaved Israelites in Egypt by Moses and being led though the parted Red sea (symbolism of water baptism).
4. Water is used as means of healing. 2 Kings 5:14 Story of Naaman, the Assyrian army general who comes to prophet Elisha seeking healing. The faith and humility of Naaman (who is commanded to dip himself in the waters of the Jordan river) is also used by God to demonstrate that sinful man can be healed both physically and spiritually (from a sinful life) through water baptism.
5. God uses in some cases water as a miraculous intervention to solve impossible situations faced by man. Healing a man born blind (with no physical eyes) (John 9:7), the creator, made eyes by using mud and asked him to wash in the pool of Siloam.
6. In water baptism we die to our old sinful life through repentance (crucifiction), the old sinful man is buried (immersed in water), a new man is resurrected (coming out of the water) and the beginning of a new life with God.
7. Seventhly, water baptism demonstrates our membership or becoming a part of the body of Christ (family of God or church).
8. Water baptism shows the adornment or clothing of God's righteousness of man. Following water baptism when God looks on man He no longer see a sinful man far removed from God but a man covered and clothed with the very nature and character of Jesus Christ His Son.