Introduction:
Supposedly, it was constructed around 1828; sometime between then and about 1930 it was forgotten and unused till discovered in May of 2002. No one knows for certain when the open air baptistry of Mt. Gilead Baptist Church in Fort Gaines, Georgia, was last used. In fact, it took weeks to locate anyone who even remembered it. Only a few people could recall the church ever having a place to baptize outside. But one member (who said he was “practically born and raised in this church”), remembers playing in the baptistry with his friends in 1932. The baptistry was discovered when volunteers gathered to clear land for a parking lot in the woods across from the church. A deacon operating a backhoe hit something that attracted attention; the heavy equipment strained but couldn’t move whatever it was. Two additional deacons were called to bring hand tools to help clear the decades old accumulation of pine mulch covering the 600 gallon structure. These deacons didn’t know they had uncovered a century old baptistry, they initially thought it might be a grave or a septic tank. No one was as surprised about the find as were members of Mt. Gilead. The bottom line of this is that it was found and is now in use once again. Once the baptismal was found to be functional, the congregation restored the tradition of holding baptisms in it.
WBTU:
500 years ago something was lost that needs to be found and put into use again. It is a biblical teaching of baptism. In this New Testament age, God has appointed the act of baptism as the time when he works the double cure of grace in the believing, repentant sinner.
C. Some claim that the passages that link baptism with salvation are talking about Holy Spirit baptism, not water baptism. But Ephesians 4:5 teaches that there is only ONE BAPTISM
D. This one baptism includes both an inward aspect (application of the blood of Christ, regeneration by the Spirit) and an outward aspect (immersion into water).
E. This view of the meaning of baptism was consistently taught and practiced in Christendom for 1500 years, from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38) up to and including Martin Luther in the early 16th century. The first person to completely separate baptism and salvation was the Swiss reformer Huldreich Zwingli in 1523-1525. Since that time, most have followed Zwingli.
In Romans 6 we have Paul talking, not to unbelievers, but mainly to Christians. Paul talks about baptism as if it was a given that all of them were baptized, immersed into Christ. The NT knows nothing of unbaptized Christians.
Thesis: What is the Apostle Paul telling us here about the meaning of baptism?
For instances:
Union with Christ
We are baptized into a saving union with Christ.
What does it mean to say that we have a union with Christ? These statements are meant to describe the closeness of our relationship to our Savior. Our relationship with Christ is so close that all the power and life that spring from His redeeming work belong to us and flow into our lives. All the benefits of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are ours. Paul says that we are united with Him specifically in His death and in His resurrection. vs. 5
What are the results of our being united with Christ in his death and resurrection? No less than the double cure. Jesus died for the purpose of taking our guilt upon Himself and paying the eternal penalty for our sins, when we are united with Him in his death our guilt is removed and our status before God is such that our penalty is considered paid.
Remember the second part of the double cure. Our union with Christ also provides us with regeneration or rebirth to new life. This is the main point here in Romans 6. Being united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection means that we experience a death, burial, and resurrection of our own. Just as Christ died for the sins of the whole world, in our union with Him we die to our own sin, Romans 6:10-11.
Our old sin selves actually experience a death, Romans 6:6, and is buried out of sight just as Jesus was, Romans 6:4.
Just as Jesus arose from the dead, in our union with Him we too experience an actual resurrection from spiritual death and begin to live a new life. Romans 6:4-5
This is the same ideas as 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Baptized into Christ
Our union with Christ is important. Exactly when does our death to sin occur, and exactly when do we receive “newness to life”? How does Romans 6 answer this question?
In a clear and straightforward manner Romans 6:3-4 says that baptism is the time when we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, and thus the time when we experience our own death to sin and resurrection to new life.
In general terms these verses remind us that we have been “baptized into Christ Jesus.” The word into indicates motion toward a destination or goal. The verb baptized is certainly an action verb, with the destination or goal being Christ Jesus Himself. Thus to be baptized into Christ means that baptism is the action that moves us or carries us “into Christ,” into that close relationship with Him that makes us partakers of the benefits of His saving work.
There is absolutely no indication that this union with Christ in His death happened as soon as we believed or repented. We did not believe into His death; we did not repent into His death. Paul says we “have been baptized into His death, vs. 3. Not plain enough, he repeats the idea in vs. 4. Those who say that our union with Christ in His death, and thus our own death to sin, occurred before baptism are simply not taking these verses at face value. What is true of our union with Christ in His death is true also of our union with Him in His resurrection.
It cannot be disputed that immersion is the only form of baptism that pictures this whole sequence; not other form even comes close. This connection must be intentional; God appointed immersion for this purpose because of its unique ability visually to represent death, burial and resurrection- both Christ’s and our own.
Basis for holy living
Our resurrection with Jesus in baptism shows that a change has occurred within us that breaks the grip of sin upon our hearts and makes it possible for us to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God. The reality of this change is the main point of Romans 6.
In Romans 6 and 7 Paul is dealing with objections that might be raised in opposition to being justified by faith in Christ’s saving work rather than by our own works of righteousness.
In response to Romans 6:1 Paul appeals to the event of our baptism and to the reality of the regeneration that has occurred there. Because of the personal inner death and resurrection experienced at baptism, we as Christians no longer have any excuse for sin or any reason to sin. Sin’s grip on our hearts is broken; we are free from its enslaving power, vs. 6-7.
Holiness is no longer just a duty whereby one is frustrated in not achieving, but a blessed possibility to be grasped with joy and thanksgiving.
We are saved by grace through faith at baptism for good works. How can we keep the reality of our newness of life in our minds? By remembering our baptism. Don’t forget what God did for us in our baptism! What Christian has not lamented, “If only I could die to my sin!” The truth is that we already have- in baptism. Paul does not say, “Think about the time you bowed your head and received Christ into your heart.”
Why would Paul magnify baptism if this were not the specific point where the life changing and heart renewing work of God was actually accomplished?
Some people have the hang up that baptism is a work and since we are not saved by our works, then baptism has nothing to do with our salvation.
We need to make a distinction here between law commands and grace commands. God, as Creator, has given us commands to follow as His creators. We ought to obey these commands, but we can never obey them well enough to be saved. This is Paul’s main point.
Gospel commands are God’s instructions on how to be saved. It is like a doctor to a patient. Take this medicine and do these things and get well. These are God the Redeemer’s instructions to sinners in order to be saved. What must I do to be saved?- Philippians jailor and the crowd on the day of Pentecost. Some would say, Can’t do anything. No works!
Might be a good argument for this person. In Martin Luther’s own day, some of his friends challenged him on baptism. Their question was, how can you teach that we are saved by faith and not by works, and at the same time teach that we are saved in baptism? Isn’t baptism a work? Luther’s answer was, “Yes, baptism is a work, but it is not our work; it is God’s work.
Illustration: A starving man is told where to find a banquet table loaded with delicious and nutritious food, and it’s all free. In order to save his life, this man must believe the message, and he must go to the banquet hall where the food has been laid out. There is nothing meritorious in his believing the message and showing up at the table; someone else brought the food, prepared it, and laid it out for him. Likewise, the lost sinner is told that God through Jesus Christ wants to give him the double cure of salvation. He, too, must believe the message, and then go to the place where this “banquet” is being served, namely, baptism. There is nothing meritorious in his believing the message and showing up for his baptism; someone else brought the salvation and made it available to him.
