How can we prepare to "be baptized with the baptism" of Jesus? Key Verse “Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I drink, or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?’ ” (Mark 10:38) What Jesus’ “Baptism” Means • Not water baptism alone, but a coming immersion in suffering, obedience, and ultimate glory (Luke 12:50). • A willing identification with Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). • A sharing in His mission—costly yet crowned with eternal fruit (Philippians 1:29). Why Preparation Matters • Jesus promises we “will be baptized” with Him (Mark 10:39), so readiness is not optional. • Preparation guards against surprise when trials test faith (1 Peter 4:12-13). • It positions us to experience power, joy, and spiritual maturity on the other side of hardship (James 1:2-4). Heart-Level Preparation • Submit your will: echo Jesus in Gethsemane—“Yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). • Cultivate holy fear and awe: recognize the gravity of joining the Lord in His suffering (Hebrews 12:28-29). • Strengthen love for Christ: only affection for Him outweighs the cost (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). • Confess and forsake sin: unrepentant habits fracture the resolve needed for sacrificial obedience (Hebrews 12:1). Practical Lived-Out Preparation • Embrace daily self-denial: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross” (Matthew 16:24). • Engage in regular corporate worship and fellowship—suffering is lighter when carried together (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Nourish your mind with Scripture: hide promises like Romans 8:18 to reframe adversity. • Practice small obediences promptly; they train the heart for larger costly obediences (Luke 16:10). • Pray for boldness and endurance (Acts 4:29-31); the Spirit empowers what He commands (Acts 1:5, 8). Encouragement from Scripture • God’s purpose: “After you have suffered a little while…He Himself will restore you” (1 Peter 5:10). • God’s presence: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2). • God’s promise: “If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12). |
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