Prayer is the Demolition of the Flesh

When we receive Christ in Baptism our spirit is enlightened with the life of GOD! We are transformed radically unto his image. In fact, we become gods. When Christ died, what died was his flesh and not his spirit (his spirit went beyond to rescue the people of God in Hades). When he arose with his sinless body, a new era commenced in history. He redefined the life of man. He destroyed the power of carnality and the principalities that govern it.

The flesh is representative of our sins (the sins of the world). When he rose again, he arose with an untouchable spirit- the real nature of man in God. Jesus Christ came to save and transform the human race.

In Him, a new history, a new consciousness, a new era, a new theonomy, a new life was formed by God. His New and Original Righteousness replaced the original sin. Man was recreated in Spirit and in Truth. This is not a mystery, this is neither a sarcastic historical occurrence nor is it a piece of human fabrication that deserves any critico-argumentative repositioning. It neither needs Aristotle’s logic nor Plato’s philosophising to stand as truth. The truth in this mystery is contingently experiential, qualitatively admissible and Omni-factual and of course it has transformed countless of souls across history.

He died, he rose, and he will come again. Those he will attract to Himself are those who abandoned the body and led spirit-based, spirit-guided and word-gingered lives. The wake of materialism amongst those who call themselves Christians mock the whole essence of His sacrifice through Golgotha. When our lord Jesus Christ said ‘I am the way, the truth and the Life’, He meant follow my example. When He refers to the baptised as his branches and He the vine, it just refers to us being from the same stock.

Death is a very crucial element of the definition of Christianity.  The ritual in Calvary is an all-encompassing sacrifice that is targeted on the redemption of the human soul. The zenith of Christ's journey was when he hung on the cross and lamented it is finished-'consumantum est'. That was the completion of His mission.

Death is the transmogrification of life; a moment of rejuvenation into heavenly bliss. Death is the revival that precedes divinity. Death is the de-materialisation of the soul. Death is the resurrection of the spirit. You can recall that before His ministry exploded he was baptised by John the Baptiser. This is extremely significant. In Baptism his first transformation began. So also to any Christian alive today.

The incredulity of greed, egocentrism and worst of all denial of mercy, love, and God is resonance on the world's streets and villages. Even the baptised have forgotten their identity. Even the pastor has given up his hope on the grounds of money. The people mooch in heart-aching ignorance. Our people are fiercely perishing in grunting ignorance.

The fact is this, ONCE YOU ARE BAPTISED, YOU ARE USHERED INTO THE SAME PROCESS OF CHRIST’S DEATH, RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION. YOU BECOME A NEW BEING dwelling in the world but from above. Hence, the terms ‘born from above’, ‘born again’ and ‘reborn’. A Christian is born into a community of kings whose position on earth is ambassadorial and exclusively void of treasures on earth. A Christian belongs to a kingdom of love, mercy and fearlessness. In fact to be a Christian is to have a life eternal. Paul of Tarsus understands this mystery clearly when he asseverated thus: But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!(1Cor 15:51)

Jesus predicted His death three times in the synoptic gospels.

Mark 8:31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Matthew 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Luke 9:22 And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

Jesus says that he must "suffer many things" (polla pathei) and be rejected (apodokimasthenai) (see the same description of Jesus' fate in Luke 17:25); nevertheless, he will be vindicated by rising from the dead (Mark: anastenai) or being raised from the dead (Matt/Luke: egerthenai). By getting baptised we partake in His suffering and by that in his sacred resurrection. Hence, a baptised Christian either by immersion, submersion, aspersion or affusion, is a new living being.  Baptism is from the Greek Baptisma, which is in fact the transformation of a person into Christ (Christening). It is the highest form of anointing. Without baptism it is not possible for one to go to heaven.

 In the New Testament, it appears at least 21 times:

i.   13 times with regard to the rite practised by John the Baptist;

ii.   3 times with reference to the specific Christian rite (4 times if account is taken of its use in some manuscripts of Colossians 2:12, where, however, it is most likely to have been changed from the original baptismos than vice versa):

iii.    5 times in a metaphorical sense.

The question is – ARE YOU BAPTISED?

If you are baptised what have you been doing with your new life?

Do you know you have a message?

Remember this - after baptism your life changes. You become God’s messenger. Have a good year.