Church 101: A Beginners Guide to Church
Part 4 - Baptism and Church
Romans 6:4 (MES) - “When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!”
SOME BASIC VIEWS OF BAPTISM
This is simply a delineation of different vies of the rite of baptism,
Later we will defend what we believe and why we believe it
1. Baptism as a means of saving grace
In this view, baptism is a means by which God imparts saving grace to the baptized
It results in the remission of sins
Thus it is necessary is one is to be truly saved
2. Baptism as a sign and seal of the covenant
In this view, baptism is closely tied to the idea of the covenant
It is both a means of initiation into the covenant and a sign of one’s salvation
As circumcision was the sign of the covenant in the Old Testament
Baptism is the sign of the covenant in the New Testament
Here, baptism has been substituted for circumcision
3. Baptism as a token of salvation
This view sees baptism as an outward token or symbol of the inward change in the believer
It serves as a public testimony of one’s faith in Jesus Christ
There is no direct spiritual benefit or blessing in the act itself
Baptism presupposes salvation, thus it is not regenerative
It is, then, a public testimony that one has already been regenerated
This is often referred to as A Believer’s Baptism
ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED
1. The Meaning Of Baptism
We begin with trying to decide which of the three basic views of Baptism is more sound biblically
That in turn will lead us to an understand of our next two issues
If one is to understand Baptism as a means to salvation then the basic doctrine of salvation by faith alone
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Saying that baptism is necessary to salvation is the same argument used by the Judaizers in Galatians to insist that circumcision was necessary for salvation
The second argument that baptism is a NT equivalent to the OT circumcision doesn’t hold much water either
The NT argues that the external act of circumcision is not to be replaced by another external act but by a circumcision of the heart, an inward act
Romans 2:29 - No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
What then is the meaning of baptism?
Romans 6:1-11
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This passage is saying that Baptism is an act both of faith and commitment
It is a testimony that one has been united with Christ in his death and resurrection
And that he or she has been spiritually circumcised
And it is important to note that baptism is more than a sign…it is a symbol
That is…it is a graphic picture of the truth it conveys
There is no inherent connection between a sign and what it represents
It is merely by convention that green means GO and red means STOP
On the other hand a RR crossing sign is a rough picture of what is intended to indicate
Baptism is a symbol not just a sign because it is a graphic picture of the believes death and resurrection with Christ
2. The Subjects Of Baptism
Who should be baptized?
In other words, do we hold to infant baptism or a believer’s baptism
That is answered in light of our understanding of the meaning of baptism
That is, if we believe that baptism is symbolic of our faith, then we must be able to have that faith
Infants are not mentally capable of personal belief, or faith, so to baptize them goes against our understanding of the meaning and purpose of baptism.
As we do not believe that baptism imparts grace in anyway, then it is reasonable to assume that there must be faith present already for baptism to hold it’s intended meaning
3. The Mode Of Baptism
The question here is…is baptism to be done by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.
In the AG we believe that baptism is most rightly done by immersion
Several passages allude to the act of immersion
John 3:23 – John baptizes in a certain place because there was plenty of water there
Mark 1:10 – When John baptized Jesus he Came up out of the water
Acts 8 – Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch went down into and then came up out of the water
But the best scriptural argument can be found in the passage from Romans 6
Here Paul contends that there is a significant connection between how baptism is administered
One is lowered into the water and then raised out of it
And what it symbolizes
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
Death to sin and a new life in Christ
We conclude that baptism is
A. An outward testimony of an inward change
B. To be done by every believer that is able to make a personal decision of faith in Jesus Christ
C. Most rightly done by immersion
So What? (Lessons to be gleaned)
1. While baptism is not a requirement for salvation, every Christian should be baptized following their conversion as a public testimony of that conversion
Matthew 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize those who were converted under their ministries AFTER salvation
Acts 2:38 - Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
Acts 2:41 - Those who accepted his message were baptized
2. Baptism is a one time act indicative of a permanent change
When you are baptized, you are identifying with the permanence of Christ’s sacrifice
You are recognizing that what he did once for all, you are identifying with once forever
3. Baptism symbolizes our death to our past, our present, and our future
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Romans 6:4-7
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Philippians 3:10-11
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
When we are baptized we are symbolically identifying with the fact that our old person is dead
What we were is gone
What we are is gone
What we would have been is gone
And in the place of that old man is a new one raised up to live a holy life unto God
Let’s Pray
