As we begin a New Year, it’s a great time to obtain a new beginning. Maybe we want to get rid of some bad habits. Maybe we are resolved to improve our life in some way. Whatever our desire to improve, we can’t start any sooner than today! At the same time, as long as we have life, it’s never too late to change. The Bible often speaks about new things. First, the covenant that Jesus gave is called the New Testament. The eternal destiny for those who are faithful to God is called the “new heavens and new earth,” (Revelation 21:1). The most important “new thing” in the Bible is when one becomes a new person. Paul said, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (person), the old things passed away behold new things have come,” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Bible explains how one becomes a new person.
The New Testament teaches that when one is forgiven of his or her sins, that person is then a new person. Through repentance they have changed their lifestyle and through baptism they bury the old sinful man and are raised from being immersed in water to walk a new life. Paul summarized these acts when he remined the Christians in Rome what they had done. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 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,” (Romans 6:3-4). Notice that one becomes a new creation when one is in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Romans passage tell us how to get into Christ – by being immersed in water. The comparison Paul makes is that Christ died, was buried, and raised to walk a new life. In the same way today, one dies to sin (determined not to live in sin any longer), is buried in water, and raised to walk a new life. Note several examples in the New Testament where this was done.
Jews in Acts 2 – Peter was speaking to Jews who had killed Christ (2:23). When they were convicted of their sin, they wanted to be forgiven of this sin. “So then, those who had received his word were baptized,” (2:38). They were no longer sinners, but now were new people with a new purpose (2:42).
Nobleman in Acts 8 – He was the treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia who had been to Jerusalem to worship according to the Law of Moses (v. 27). He didn’t know that Christ had come and died to pay for his sins. Philip got into the chariot with him and taught him from Isaiah 53 that Jesus was the Messiah and He had come to earth and died to pay for the sins of the world. As they rode along, “they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (v. 36). “And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him,” (v. 38). Because he had become a new person, he “went on his way rejoicing,” (v. 39).
Saul (Paul) in Acts 9, 22. 26 – Saul was a very devout Jew who thought that Jesus was a blasphemer and therefore persecuted Christians (Acts 7:58; 8:1-4). When Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, this convinced Saul that Jesus truly was the Messiah, he asked, “What shall I do, Lord?” (22:10). He was told to go into the city, and someone would tell him what he needed to do (9:6). A Christian named Ananias came to Saul and said, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name,” (22:16). As we have seen in the other examples, Saul had to be baptized to wash away his sins and with this obedient faith, Saul had a new beginning, because he was now in Christ and became a new creation.
Conclusion
All the examples of people having a new beginning recorded in the Bible did it the same way. They were forgiven of their sins when they were immersed in water for the forgiveness of their sin. That is the way anyone today has a new beginning. These examples demonstrate what Jesus explained to Nicodemus when He said one had to be born again. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God,” (John 3:3). He went on to explain how one is born again. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” (John 3:5). The “water” is the water in which one is baptized. The Spirit’s part in one’s conversion is that the Spirit convicts each person of the sins he or she has committed. He does that as the word of God is preached or taught to an individual (John 16:8; Acts 2:22, 36; Ephesians 6:17).
Have you been baptized correctly? Sprinkling and pouring of water, is not Bible baptism. Do you want a New Beginning? Contact me if you need help becoming a new person.
Wayne Burger
