Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-12

quested to be baptized When the
Master insisted that He desired to con-
secrate Himself to the great task.
which He had come to realize was i'm
posed upon Him, the forerunner obeyed
the commands of the Christ.
Johns heart must have been filled
with joy when the approval of the
Father and of the Holy Spirit re-
vealed to him that he had baptized
the Messiah. 1t must have been like
JOY that filled the heart of Philip, who
obeyed the commands of the Holy
Spirit to leave great evangellstlc
campaign in Samaria TO do personal
work with one man, a 8 he Journeyed
back to his African home. The wealthy
Ethiopian government official had not
found in his journey to Jerusalem and
worship in the temple any spiritual
satisfaction. He was seeking light ana
peace as he journeyed homeward.
reading aloud from the prophecy OF
Isaiah Philip probably did not know
the rea son for his orders to travel
into the desert until the opportunity
for service presented itself he
Joined himself to the travelling seeker
for light and opened up to him the
truths concerning Christ This result
ed in a personal request for baptism
which was granted upon the Elmo
pian's personal confession OF Christ
Philip was not the only one VINO eN-
perienced the emotion OF JOY. TOT the
eunuch. when he was separate from
his Christian teacher. went on MS way
rejoicing in his saving falth-
Christ gave to baptism a splrltuai
svmbolical significance that John
baptism and the other uses OF II as
religious rite did not possess. 1t IN
terprets to every obedient soul his re
ligiouS experience. 1t represents Ine
sa wing truths of the gospel. The
great facts by which the atonement
was made for sin-the death. burial
and resurrection of Chrlst-are I'M
pressively set forth. Ii is COMES
sion of sin. 1t proclaims repentance
that is not satisfied win mere
srets but that results in breaking
with the old life through faith IN
Christ Being buried with Christ IN
baptism not only marks renouncla-
ton of the past life. but it marks also
the commencement of new llfe IL
is the confession of ones falth tnat
he rises in the strength and power o.
the Christ to live a new and glorious
life 1t means that one has enlisted in
the service of the Christ and HIS
Church both to learn and to obey
His risen Lords commands in all
things.
Baptism has also symbolical
meaning for the Christians God. 1t
symbolizes the pardon of the sins
of men. the remission of the same
through being washed in the blood
of the Lamb. II proclaims the glori-
Gus means of the regeneration of men
through the surrendered life and sac
rifice of the Lord Jesus. who has Civ
en- unto men in His salvation a new
life with the privileges of fellowship
with God. 1t symboliZes the promise
of the future life through the power
of the resurrection and the victory
over death and Satan through the
fulfillment of Christ's promise to be
with US unto the end of this age, His
presence through the Holy Spirit Civ
ing to His followers the power of all
the resources of heaven and earth. In
its declaration of the spiritual posses
sion and power that result from be
ing initiated into the visible fellow
ship of the Lord and His Church. it
proclaimS the unity of all ChriStS
followers of every name and creed in
''one Lord. one faith and one hap
tiSm.'