Baptism

Baptism

(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.”

When our Lord Jesus met John the Baptist for the first time at the river Jordan, He allowed John to baptize Him to show us how we are to wonderfully declare our faith in Him and to fulfill all righteousness.

Baptism is a wonderful and joyful moment not only for the one getting baptized, but also for the other believers that will be witnessing it. It brings joy and encouragement to all because it expresses faith in God and a willingness to follow after our Lord Jesus Christ.

The purpose of this lesson is to give the Bible’s clear and definite teaching on the subject so the individual understands perfectly what God’s intention is regarding baptism.

What Is Baptism

Definition; To immerse; to place into.

Baptism is an act of being immersed or placed into something. 

(Acts 8:38), So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Baptism is placing someone into water. 

That is why we are not to baptize by just sprinkling or pouring water over the person that is to be baptized. We are to immerse them into the water.

What Is the Purpose of Baptism?

Baptism is a Public Profession of;

• Your faith in Christ.
• And desire to follow after Him.

It Is a Look Back

When the person is brought down into the water and then brought back up out of the water, it reminds us that Christ once died, was buried and then rose again for our sins. It also shows the one who is being baptized has put their trust and faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.

It Is a Present Identification

Baptism boldly shows that you are identifying yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and that you are not ashamed of Him.

It Is a Commitment To The Future

Baptism publicly shows your heart’s desire to now follow after the example of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and walk forever in newness of life by forsaking all sin.

(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.

(v. 6), knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Who Is to Be Baptized?

Only those who truly love the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in His Word are to be baptized.

(Acts 8:36-37), 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?” 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.”

Although it is a common practice in certain religions today, God’s Word teaches that baptism is not for babies.

The reason for this is twofold;

Children, before they come to the age where they know what is right from wrong, are innocent in the eyes of God. Their relationship with God is alive.

(Romans 7:9a), “For I was alive without the law once…”

The apostle Paul tells us here that, as a child, his relationship with God was alive. At this point in a person’s life, they are not in need of salvation because they are already safe in God. 

In order for one to be able to be baptized, they must be able to recognize their need for forgiveness of sins and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as their sacrifice. We see this clearly taught in the account of the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip the evangelist. Carefully notice the words of their conversation that express the need for a sincere awareness on the individual’s part in making the decision to be baptized which a baby cannot do.

(Acts 8:36-37), 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?” 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.”

Infants are not accountable for sin and neither are they able to understand ones’ need for salvation through Christ. Thus, they are innocent and safe with God. This is why we never see any infants in the Bible getting baptized. It is always those who first believe in Christ that get baptized, as we will see in our next point.

When Should We Get Baptized?

As soon as a person begins in the faith, they have a new desire to obey Christ’s teachings that include His desire and command for us to be baptized. That is why one should get baptized as soon as possible after their first moment of faith in Christ and true repentance of sin along with their understanding of why they should be baptized.

Here are some examples in the Bible.

• The Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:36-39).
• The apostle Paul (Acts 9:18).
• Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48).
• The Philippian Jailor (Acts 16:29-33).

Why Should One Get Baptized?

Because Christ commanded us to be baptized

(Matthew 28:19), 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,

Because it shows that our faith in Christ for salvation is genuine

Because God’s Word commands us to be baptized, if one refuses to do so, it only shows that the faith of the individual is not genuine and they are not really willing to follow after Christ. Without sincere faith in God and His Word, Heaven will not be theirs.

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

One must realize that baptism, nor any other work of righteousness DOES NOT save us. We are saved from sin and hell by God’s grace through faith in Him. Baptism, like any other work of righteousness only shows that we really do believe in God and His Word and really do trust in His death, burial, resurrection and His shed blood for our salvation.

If you have not been baptized since you have become a believer, contact those in your church that you know would be of help and encouragement to you and let them know your desire to follow Christ in baptism.