Baptism and Original Sin

Notes from Stephen Bohr’s “The Genesis Code”

Adam and Eve were initially created with a perfect nature, sons and daughters of God, and likeness of God, and every inclination was only for what is good.

Luke 3:38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;
Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Seth, the son of Adam and Eve was born in the likeness of Adam who had sinned, not in the likeness of God. All descendants likewise have been born into the character of sin.

Genesis 5:1-3 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

Jesus also states that from our birth we are completely separated from God and unable to ever enter heaven. There is something wrong about our first birth:

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

By our very nature, we all start off as children of Satan/children of wrath:

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

We are all born with a selfish nature, we each want our own way. There is nothing more selfish than a baby, and the connotation of immature is always selfish. Selfishness is destructive in its very nature – selfish people cannot promote stable marriages, work well in society, etc.

The selfish mind performs selfish or sinful acts automatically:

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Romans 7:18-19 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

All of us have acted on our selfish nature and perform acts that disqualify us from living with God, the source of life:

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Psalm 14:1-3 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3 They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

1. We all have a sinful nature
2. Therefore we all perform acts of sin
3. Therefore we all will die, we are all on death row and guilty

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

If we are left alone, our nature is explicitly:

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

We all desperately need to change families:

Romans 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

How to change families: We publicly become baptized as an expression of the death of who we are, all of our sins are taken with Christ into his death and we are resurrected into a brand-new character of life:

Romans 6:3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We have a new life with Christ. Baptism gives us a double blessing first of remission of sins and guilt, second of all the gift of the Holy Spirit in our new life:

1. We have been given power over our guilt
2. We have been given power over our sinful nature

John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

One common problem is that although God has stated that He has completely forgiven and forgotten our past life, we do not sometimes feel forgiven. The solution is to live by faith and trust and not by feelings.

1. We choose to have faith in God and his promises despite feelings
2. We choose to act on that faith by being baptized

Galatians 3:26-27 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

If we do this, God promises to both send the Spirit of Jesus into our lives and to make us inheritors of the same blessing of eternal life that Jesus inherited when he rose from the dead. Again feelings have nothing to do with it:

Galatians 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Those who have internally and truly done this have a change of character and conform to the character of Jesus. Those who falsely outwardly claim to be saved will act on our own nature and not with Jesus’ nature:

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Sanctification process:

Your character is slowly changed after baptism towards the character of Christ over time as we behold Him, keep our minds upon Him, and focus on His world, but during that time your failures are covered by Christ’s character:

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

…the more we behold Him, the more we are changed:

We are under the sentence of life instead of death:

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Baptism is a critical process that must be consciously chosen and publicly demonstrated in order to be adopted into God’s family. Biblical baptism:

1. Must be buried under the water, not through sprinkling or pouring:

Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

2. Baptism = from the Greek baptismo = to submerge or immerse

3. Jesus was baptized by immersion:

Mark 1:9-11 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John the Baptist specifically traveled to where there was much water:

John 3:23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.

Philip and the eunuch went both in and out of the water:

Acts 8:36-39 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

Requirements for baptism:

1. Must be made disciples, must be taught.

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

2. Must repent of your sins

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

3. Every person in the Bible baptized was an adult

Baptism was an outward sign of someone who would turn their life over to God. Unless the person chooses to do so, the ceremony is useless.

4. Must confess their sins

Matthew 3:6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

5. Must believe

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

The importance of baptism: To be saved: believe and be saved

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 16:30-33 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

Acts 22:12,16 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Meaning of baptism:
1. Personal union with Christ
2. Membership in God’s church

Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

1 Corinthians 12:13-14 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

Acts 2:41,47 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.