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Various Scriptures by Dr. Joseph "Mike" Willmouth Introduction: There were two churches that sat next to each other, one was Baptist and the other was Methodist. When one church did something, the other didn't want to be outdone and would respond in kind. One day the Baptist church got together and purchased their Pastor a brand new pair of rubber wadders so he wouldn’t get wet in the baptismal. Not to be outdone, when the Methodist church heard about it, they went out and purchased their Pastor a brand new pair of rubber gloves... (submitted by David Carter, to Sermon Central). When it comes to the subject of baptism, and how it relates to the Christian, there are a lot of varying views. For example some churches sprinkle water over the individuals while other immerse them completely when they baptize them. Other churches go to the other extreme and deny that baptism is for the Christians today. Others teach that baptism is essential to the salvation of the Christian, while others believe that baptism is only a symbol or a testimony of one's faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So what is baptism and is it important? Let's look at what the Bible teaches on this subject. . . I. Baptism and Salvation.
A. Salvation is God's gift, not by our efforts (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Gal.2:16).Application: A little girl had faithfully talked with her pastor about baptism. Her mother, wanting to be sure her daughter understood the significance of baptism, asked, "Honey, what does baptism mean?" "Well, it isn't the water that makes you clean ..." she began. Smiling, Mother thought, Yes, she understands, "... it's the soap." -- Verna Chambers, Willcox, Ariz. "Kids of the Kingdom," Christian Reader. Baptism doesn't make us clean, Jesus did when He died for our sins.1) Salvation is a gift of God, and isn't gained by man's efforts, deeds or works.B. Salvation is of God's sacrifice, not our sacrifice (Heb.9:22; 7:27; 1Pet.1:18-19).A) Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."2) In short, the Prophet Isaiah describes our best efforts at righteous works before God are as "filthy rags" because we are sinners in need of God's help to be saved (Isa.64:6). Man's only part in the salvation process is to either accept God's gift or to reject it; Romans 10:9-10, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." If man could earn his salvation through his works or efforts then God didn't have to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to died as our sacrifice for our sins because man already had the Law (Gal.3:24). All in all, there are a little over one hundred Scripture references in the New Testament that speak of salvation being based solely upon faith, trust, belief in Christ alone. 2. Baptism is for believers only (Rom.8:9b; Acts 2:36-41; 8:5-12, 26-38; 10:34-48; 16:14, 33;18:8). A. A careful reading of the New Testament clearly demonstrates that baptism is for believers' only.Application: This means any baptism that does not come about as the result of a person first accepting Christ as their Savior, is meaningless – it just gets you wet and leaves you just as lost as you were before the baptism! The first mention of child-baptism didn't appear until early in the third century, and by the mid-third century infant baptism began to be wide spread. This is why most churches do not practice infant baptism; first because it isn't biblical, and second because it doesn't do anything for the baby besides getting them wet. All the examples of baptism in the New Testament are of people old enough to understand the gospel and to place their faith personally and consciously in Christ for their salvation. This truth is also made clear in the command of Christ to baptize NEW DISCIPLES (i.e., new believers) in 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, 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." Baptism is for believers only, for everyone else, it is just a bath without the soap! II. Baptism's 6-Fold Purpose.
A. Again, look at 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, 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. It is an act of love (John 14:15, 21). - John 14:15, 21, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. . .He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him" (Also see 1John 2:3).3. It is an act of following Christ's example (Matt.3:13-17). A. Matthew 3:13-17, "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?' But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"4. It is an act of publicly identifying ourselves with Christ (Col.2:12). A. Colossians 2:12, "buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."5. It is an act of publicly proclaiming our faith (Rom.6:3-5; 1Cor.15:3-4, 12-23; 2Cor.5:17). A. Romans 6:3-5, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 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. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." (Also see 1Cor.15:3-4, 12-23; 2Cor.5:17).6. It is an act of publicly alining ourselves with local body of believers (i.e., a church; Acts 2:41). A. Acts 2:41, "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them [i.e., the church at Jerusalem]."Application: Baptism is important to a believer, because it the way that Jesus wanted new believers to publicly declare their faith in Him (Matt.10:32-33). Charles Colson, in his book "The Body: Being Light In Darkness," writes that "Most Westerners take baptism for granted, but for many in the world the act requires immense courage. In countries like Nepal it once meant imprisonment. For Soviet or Chinese or Eastern bloc believers, it was like signing their own death warrant." - "The Body: Being Light In Darkness" by Charles Colson and Ellen Santilli Vaughn, 1992, Word Publishing, page 137 Christ took a public stand for you and me, and died for us. Shouldn't we be willing to take a public stand for Him? Jesus states this in Matthew 10:32-33, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." III. Baptism's Mode.
A. The English word "baptism" comes from the Greek New Testament word baptizo, which means to dip, submerge, or immerse.2. Immersion is the only form of baptism that adequately pictures the meaning of the death, burial and resurrection of both Christ and Christians (Rom.6:3-5; 1Cor.15:3-4, 12-23; 2Cor.5:17).- In fact, the word could also be used to refer to a drowning, to the sinking of a ship, or even to the practice of perishing.B. Every time the New Testament refers to the practice of baptism, it used the word baptizo. - The practice of sprinkling for baptism didn't begin until the early part of the second century, where the pouring of water was practice by some churches in cases of emergency or sickness.Application: The Bible teaches that the proper method of baptism is by completely placing the person under water and immediately bringing them back up (immersion). Therefore, sprinkling is not the biblical method used in the Bible for Christians. Immersion is the only form of baptism that adequately pictures the meaning of the death, burial and resurrection of both Christ and Christians. This is the picture that the Apostle Paul gives us in Colossians 2:12, "buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." It is the picture of burying our old lives of sin, and or our new raised lives in Christ; 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Invitation: 2. If you were baptized before you ever really accepted Christ as your Savior, then you haven't been biblically baptized. 3. If you are counting on you baptism to save you, then you are lost and will spend an eternity in hell. A. Your baptism certificate wouldn't save you any more than your church membership will.
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