BAPTISM: DYING AND RISING WITH CHRIST

Assigned texts - Gen 7:11-24; Rom 6:1-14; John 12:20-26

Basing on these three passages, mainly from Rom 6 and John 12, we will make our focus on the chosen theme – i.e. BAPTISM: DYING AND RISING WITH CHRIST.

This theme is one of the most important ordinances that Jesus instituted for the churches. So it has been practiced and followed by the churches since its inception. Since it has many meanings and moreover there are also different perceptions on this belief, we will not focus on this particular aspect.

But before we make our focus on the chosen theme, let us look the meaning as well as various records available in the scripture.

If we look the scripture, there can be a number of terms, phrases or saying for baptism; For example, there is/are –

- Ordinance baptism
- Water baptism
- Believers baptism
- Baptism of repentance
- The records that hold by many, that stress Baptismal regeneration (which stress the belief that baptism is necessary for salvation)
- Baptism of the Holy Spirit
- Baptism in Christ death and resurrection

Therefore, all of these related terms and synonyms have their own distinctiveness and significances. And moreover, the meaning, belief and practice that the various churches have held or have been following are also differed from tradition to tradition.

However, the definitions given by major churches around the globe can be highlighted into two points;
1. As an outward proclamation of an inward conversion.
2. It is also defined as a ceremonial act undertaken by the church to welcome and admit a new member to the community of believers.

These two definitions are quite true and acceptable for many, because it is in line with the belief and practice we have been following.

But one more definition given by Dr. Ray Pritchard, is also really a worth mentioning for it is in line with the theme we have today. He said -
“If the meaning of baptism could be boiled down to one word; that word would be identification. Baptism speaks primarily of a personal, public identification with Jesus Christ.”

Therefore he further stated by saying, baptism is – personal identification with the greatest act of human history-i.e. the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, in line with all these definitions, one may put ‘Baptism’ in other words as, for example;
- (for some) Baptism means we have turned from the old life of sin to a new life in Jesus Christ.
- It also means we are openly joining the ranks of those who believe in Christ.
- It also means we are publicly identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

So, if someone takes these definitions as his/her base, there can be a number of meanings which may totally differ from the definitions we have already pointed out.

For example, one commentator also said;
“When you are baptized, you are in fact visually preaching the gospel.”
Therefore he further stated by saying;
1. As you stand somewhere or in the water waiting for baptism or to be baptized; - you symbolize Jesus dying on the cross.
2. As you lowered into the water or as someone sprinkles with the water, - you symbolized Jesus buried in the tomb.
3. As you rose from the water or as you go through/finish, - you symbolized the arisen Lord who rose from the dead.

Therefore, when we personally being baptized, we are saying, "I died with Jesus Christ, I was buried with him and now I am raised with Christ having a new life."

This explanation is absolutely correct and wonderful and it is also in line with the theology of Paul which is mentioned in Rom chapter 6.

But, the pertinent question left behind by this definition and the chosen text (what is needed to be pointed out) is – How important the dying and rising of Jesus Christ is? What significant position does the dying and rising of Jesus Christ has for the life of individuals? This is important because through baptism we confess this mystical work of God.

So, the answer, according to Paul is; if a person is dying and rising with Christ, baptism is not only a symbolism or figurative language that the churches have been used and practicing but the significance it has is(are) -

1. The dying and rising with Christ which we confessed through baptism means - we are able to walk in newness of life ( Rom 6:4)
2. The conformation of Jesus death and resurrection we symbolized through baptism does also mean - we are also united with God (Rom 6:5)
3. Likewise, as we symbolized the crucifixion of Jesus Christ through baptism, and since this crucifixion destroyed the body of sin, we also proclaimed through baptism that we are no longer enslaved to sin. (Rom 6:6)
4. Moreover, another God’s provision we received  is – through baptism we proclaimed - our willingness to live with God, and his grace that allows us to live with him (Rom6:8)
5. As mentioned in John 12:20ff, Jesus also tells us - significance of dying (read v 24&25). Therefore the significance of dying, the dying which we symbolized through baptism is – to bear much/more fruit.

But, let us not forget that - there is little difference between ‘the dying’ mention in Rom 6 and John 12. Nevertheless, as the dying of Jesus bear much fruit, our dying which we symbolized through baptism has wonderful result. Moreover, as mentioned in John 12, the dying of our sinful nature, and dying of the old self has numerous result - i.e. it bears fruit, a fruit which is a source and foundation of blessing for many.

Therefore, to conclude this short message; the last point I want to bring up and also want to put before us is – the doctrine and belief of baptism does not intend to tell us that Baptism itself alone is not something that make and give a person the quality of newness in Christ, that set a person free from the slavery of sin, that united a person with God, or something that provide ability to live with God.

But the central and core meaning of baptism is – simply the proclamation and symbolism of the new identity we have in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we may conclude by saying that -not the act of baptism, (but)rather -It is the dying and rising of Jesus Christ with conformity of ourselves to the dying and rising of Jesus Christ is something that gives us a newness of life, set a person free from all slavery of sin, unites a person with God.
This is what Paul intended to tell us through this passage.

TUNLAI KHAWVEL HRILENG THENKHAT

Note: He article hi Chawngte (L) Unit TKP Diamond Jubilee  Souvenir an tih chhuah tur puala ka ziah a ni a. Amaherawh chu min zai nawn tawh lem loh avang leh article ziak tura min beisei dan (indawr dan chungchang-ah) pawnlang deuh a a lan avangin he thuziak ka post theng hian ka la thawn ta lo.


                                                                                      Rev K.Lalzarliana

Chawngte L Unit TKP hian kum 75? a lo tling ve ta reng mai!  Kha leh chen thalaite  awmpui a, tun hun hruai thlengtu Lalpa chu fakin awm zel rawh se.

Jubilee Souvenir -a thu ziak ve tura sawm ka nih angin  ‘Tunlai khawvel hrileng thenkhat’ tih hi ka tlang a. ‘Hri leng’ tih lai tak hi Bible-a  ‘a tak anpui sawi nana tawngkam dang’ an  hman thin ‘figurative speech’ an tih leh ‘metaphorical expression’ an tih ang deuh hi a ni a. ‘Issue’ tih aiah kan hmang dawn a ni ber. Khawvel danglam leh hmasawnna  chak lutuk hian thil ken leh chhawm tel nasa tak a nei thin a. Chung chuan hrileng ang main a thlen phak chin amite luh chilhin zawi muangin a bei zui thin. Heng hi ngaihthah a a tihdam dan emaw hmachhawn dan kan dap loh chuan, Cancer - mihring taksa a zungkai,  a hnu a tih dam hleih theih loh natna hlauhawm taka lo chang ta ang mai a ni a. Chu chuan - chhungkua, kohhran leh khawtlang-ah zung a kaiin tih dam leh chinfel harsa tak-ah a lo chang thin a. Tichuan, kan hriatna belhchhahtu atan leh, a hmachhawn dan kan thiam theih nan a hnuai amite hi kan en ho dawn a ni.

1. MAWNGKAWHURNA HRI
Tun hnai June ni 26 (2015) khan US supreme Court chuan ‘neih inang inneihna’ chu US a state 50 te tan a phairai ta a. Heterosexual couples (pangngai a, neih inang lo innei) te ang bawkin dikna leh chanvo an nei ve dawn ta a ni. He thil US in a pawm hma hian khawvel ram 20 zetin an lo phairai tawh a. US hi hetiang thil phalrai ram 21 na a lo ni ta a ni. Khawvel ram ropui, ram tin mitfuk thinna a nih avangin US Supreme Court in mawngkawhur-te tana zalanna zau zawk a siam ta mai hian ram hrang hrangah nghawng a nei lian sawt hle a. A  nghawng chhuah langsar leh rang ber pakhat chu – ram tin deuhthaw-ah ‘a lang apauin an inlar ngam’ nghal hi a ni.

He hri vei leh a thehdarhtu langsar berte hi LGTB an ti a. Chu chu Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender tihna a ni. Lesbian ho hi – hmeichhia mahni hmeichhiatpui it chingte hi an ni a; Gay chu – Mipa, mahni mipatpuite it ching; Bisexual ve thung chu – mipa emaw hmeichhia pawh kawp tawn ve ve theite hi an ni a; Transgender ho chu – hmeichhia mipa emaw inti, leh mipa ni si hmeichhia anga inngai tlat te hi an ni. Heng ho phei hi chuan medical lam thiamna hmangin an serh thlengin an thlak tir thin a. Olympic games a decathlon an tih (sport event hrang hrang sawm awmna) a gold medal pawh lo la hial tawh Caitlyn Jenner pawh hi a tir chuan mipa a ni a. Mahse hmeichia a a inleh avangin hmeichhia a lo ni ta a. A inleh hnu hian Hmeichhia ni tawh mahse a inleh atanga Father’s Day (Pate Ni) hmasa ber a lo thlen chuan a fate hnen atangin Father’s Day duhsakna a la dawng tho e tiin an sawi thin.

Thenkhat chuan heng  thil hi khawthlang (US) lam hri, khawpui lian (Aizawl) chinte tan chauha ngaimawh awm, tin Biological science thiamna ril takin mihring hormone a zir chianna atang a ngaihthiamna nasa tak awm theiah kan ngai maithei. Mahse he thil hian kan rinna leh kohhran inenkawlna, kristiante chindan (tradition) thil tam tak a nghawng pawi theih a vangin tun atanga he tiang chungchanga zir chianna leh hmachhawn thiam tura inpuahchah lawkna kan neih fo a tul takmeuh a ni. Mi thil chik mi thenkhat chuan mhiring 200 atanga 300 awm tlinna/awm khawmna chinah chuan he tiang mi hi pakhat tal awm ve-ah an ngai thin a. Society leh kan sakhuanain heng mite tan hian hmun a la ken ve tak tak loh avangin a lang apauin thingtlang lamah chuan an la inlar chhuak ve lo chauh ah a ngaih theih ang. Heng boruak tun hma a ngaimawh awm loh, tuna khawvel ram tin nghawng mek ni ta hmachhawn tur hian thil 5 kan tih ngei ngei tur a awm thei ang a, chungte chu;

1. Fate enkawl kawngah a hma ai zawnga tan lak kan ngai
2. He tiang thil chungchanga Pathian thuin min zirtir dan kan bih chian a inzirtirna pek nasat kan ngai
3. Medical lama thiamna nei, liberal science pawm leh hmuh dan ni lo. Conservative christian doctor ngei hnen atanga zirtirna (Seminar, awareness prog.) dawn leh buatsaih.
4. Rilru lama harsatna lian tak neite an nih avangin, he tiang mite hi ensan ngawt lova tanpui theih dan awm apaiang kan dap a tul
5. Harsatna tawk apiang tena an rin ngam, counseling center tualchhung kohhran tinin kan neih a tul.

2. ZU LEH RUIH HLO DANG AWLSAMNA
Zoram mipuiin kan hriat tlanglawn, Mizoram Liquor Prohibition & Control Bill, June 23, 2014 –a Council of Ministers ṭhu khawmin ‘Mizoram Liquor and Total Prohibition (MLTP) Act 2005’ thlakna tura a lo pawm tawh avang khan tunah chuan District khawpui tin deuhthawah sawrhkar phalnain zu zawrh a ni ta.  Mizoram sawrhkar hian MLPC Bill hi a tidanglam a nih loh chuan heng khaw hrang hranga zu zawrh chhuah hi a bul tanna chauh a ni ngeiin a rinawm.

Chawngte hi khaw te chhe lo tak, mihring pawh hnamdang zarah tam tak chenna a ni a. Sawrhkar phalna ni chiah lem lo va chakma ten zu an lo zawrh thin avangin zu tamna leh in mite zalenna khua pawh lo ni tawh thin. Rei lote-a ualau zawka zu dawr, khawi veng ber emawa la inhawng ve ngei tur mitthlana atangin; tunhma zawng aia ‘zu leh ruihhlo dang awlmsamna’ hi khawtlang leh kohhran hian a hmachhawn ve mek niin a ngaih theih ang (tunah pawh duh duhin, duh hun hunah in tur an nei thei reng nachungin).

He thilin kentel a neih ngei ngei tur; hun eng emaw chen min chamchilh a kan buaipui zui ngai ni bawk thil pawimawh tam tak a awm thei ang a. Chung zingah chuan relationship crises (inlaichinna kehchhia), nawmsip bawlna pung, kan life expectancy rate ( mihring dam chen rei zawng) nasa tak a tlahniam tur (2015 a khawvel life expectancy chu tiang hi a ni: japan - kum 85, Italy-kum 82, France-kum 82, UK -81, S.Korea -80, US- 79, china-75, India-68 etc.  India hi khawvel ah a rank chu 167 a ni a. India ram bikah Kerela sang berin an life expectancy hi kum 74 a ni a. Mizoram hi 59 vel tura ngaih a ni), te hi a langsar zual an ni ang a. Tin, heng bakah hian kohhran huang chhung bikah – tluksanna emaw rinna phatsanna, sual zep ruk nei chunga rawngbawl, kohhran thlahthlamna, etc nasa takin a pung ngei  bawkin a rinawm.

Heng boruak hmachhawn tur hian thil tha tih tur tam tak awm theite zingah, hengte hi thalai/kohhran te hian thlir hmaih lo i la thil duhawm tak a ni ngei ang:

1. Zu leh ruih hlo laka kohhranin inkaihhruaina (rules and regulation) kan neih inzirtir thar a, a theih ang ang a khauh taka ken kawh
2. Zu leh ruih hlo do tur a kohhran leh khawtlang tanrual
3. Pathian thuin zu leh a inhmangte chungchang thu a sawi ngun lehzuala mi dangte zirtir
4. Zu leh ruih hlo avanga harsatna tawk apiang ten tluk luh nana an hman ngam tur, counseling center tualchhung kohhran tinin kan neih a tul.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA
Tun hnaite a chhuak Times of India (July 25,2015 issue) in a tarlan danin  kawvel pumin tunlai a an buaipui thil thenkhat zingah -  climate change (khawlung zual zel), Islamic State ral lian, Russia leh ram dang innghirnghona, Iran neuclear programe, South China Sea avanga buaina te hi a langsar ber berte an ni a. Heng zinga kan sawi hmaih Cyber attack chu US leh a sangawi zawnpui ram ten an buaipui berte zing a mi a ni. Tunlai Social media leh a kaihnawih thil tam takin mihring nun a nghawng dan hi ram tam tak buaipui a ni reng a. A la ni zel hrih dawn ni pawhin a lang.

Kum 2010, thenkhat tan chuan tun hnai te kum 2013 vel atang  khan social media te hi mizo thalai ten hmelhriatin nasa takin kan lo hmang ta a. Mizo thalai ten smart phone, computer/laptop hmang leh internet kal tlang a kan chhawr leh luh chilh langsar ber berte chu; facebook, whatapp, blog, leh browser chi hrang hrang hmang a cyber-world (cyberspace an ti bawk) a kan rilru chak zawng leh duh apiang kan tih lawrna hi a ni mai awm e.

Mihring tana a tangkaina leh a tel lova kan awm theih lohna hi hmuh hmaih lo tur a nih reng lai hian  { entir nan, a hnathawh langsar zual te- information ( hriattirna) min pe, entertainment (mi tihhlimna)a siam, mi educate na tha lutuk a ni, watch dog role( ram, khawtlang ven hna) a thawk thei, agenda setting (thu pawimawh vantlangin kan ngaihchan tur) hna a thawk, propagation role (thu vawrdarh hna) a thawk, etc}. Tunlai thalai ten social media kan luh chilh danah erawh ngaimawh awm thil tam tak a awm ta. Hmun awl tlemte kan neihah hian kan sawi kim seng lovang a, kriatian thalaite tana thil ngaimawh awm em em; kan rinna, rawngbawl dan leh, thlarau nun zawng zawng fan chhuak a kawih pawi thin point hnih thum emaw lek erawh chu tarlang I la;

1. Tisa chakna hruai kholo zawng a social media hmanna
2. Kan hun hman dan (time management) nasa takin a chawk danglam
3. Kan hriat loh karin (innocent takin) cyber-fraud/crime ( dan phal loh thil tih ruk) ah nasa takin kan inrawlh.

Heng thil pahum lek pawh hi, Daniala te thian za hoin Pathian laka rimawmna an neih dan tarmit atanga kan thlir chuan thil ‘thik awm’ tak vek an ni. Internet khawih dan thiam za a sawmkua pakua (99%) te hian zahmawh awmna site te hi an tlawh thin a. Chung zingah chuan za a sawmruk pahnih (62%) te hi regular emaw a khat mawi tawk a he site fang thinte hi an ni. Social media hmang a kan hun khawhral zat hi zoram-ah research result mumal ka la nei chiah lo va, mahse darkar sawmhnih pali chhung hian darkar thum hi vantlangin social media avanga kan hun khawhral dan a ni. Tichuan, heng tichung hian a pawi a ni tih kan hriat loh thilah ‘ringtu tha’ tana tiha mawi lo leh inhmeh lo thil tam tak kan ti reng a. Kan nun pumpuia  hnaikaitu, kan Lapa leh Pathian tana kan hun thawl tha tlem azawng pawh hlan kan harsat lai hian social media avang erawh chuan kan inphal em em a. Chuvang chuan, he tiang hri tha lo chim buai kara leng; Lalpa lama rilru pe a, a lama tang tlat thin - thalaite hian inbih letna tur kan ngah takzet a ni.

Pawl leh mimal ang pawhin a do let dan hrang hrang a awm thei ang a. A vei kan awm takzet a nih chuan he tiang hian hma a lak nghal theih ang;

1. Mi thiam, a ngaihna hria ruaiin seminar emaw consultation buatsaih ngei ngei tur a ni.
2. Mi mal personal conviction/commitment ( chhan muumal tak nei a thu tlukna kan siam tawh leh inpekna) cho phur (challenge) leh ti-thar zawng a ruahmanna (program) siam.
3. ‘Media Cell’ hi ‘Evangelical Cell’ kan nei ang hian din ni se. a hnathawh leh tih tur chu ‘a tha zawng a nun kaihruai’ thei thil tamtak a duan theih ang.
4. ‘Multi-purpose Counseling Center’ hi thalai pawl din tawhna apiangah chuan din vek a va tul tawh em.

Tlangkawmna:
Heng a chunga kan tarlant thenkhatte phei hi chu khawvel huap pawh a ‘burning issue’ an tih zing a mi an ni a. Kan ram, khawtlang leh chhungkua min luh khung mek a, kan sakhuana leh thurin thlenga nghawng pawi thei thil an nih avangin kan ngeihsak a, kan bih ngun a, ruahmana fel tak nen kan lo thlir fo a tulin a rinawm. A tawp berah chuan – a chet vel theih nan leh, a hnathawhte  kan hmuh fo theih nan Lalpa hi kan Nun-ah hmun kian i la, tichuan a lama tang tlat thinte lama rilru nghat thitu Lalpa hian kan khawvel leh a chhunga thil inlumlet but but avanga harsatna themlemte te lo chhuakte hi min hmachhawnpui thei ngei ang.