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The Centrality of the Savior
in Biblical
Baptism
The Lord Jesus Christ is central to everything! He is the
key to our relationship with God, now and forever (John 14:6).
He is our very life (Col. 3:4) and the reason for our living
(Phil. 1:21). The focus of the message in New Testament preaching
was Christ, His death for our sins, and His resurrection
to new life (1 Cor. 2:2; 15:1-4). The essential theme of
the Scriptures is the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:25-27, 44-47).
He was the agent of creation, the radiance of the Father’s
glory, and the exact representation of His nature (Col. 1:16-17;
Heb. 1:2-3). Through Him we are given salvation (2 Tim. 2:10),
forgiveness (Acts 13:38), and redemption (Eph. 1:7). It is
not surprising, therefore, that Paul writes: "He Himself
might come to have first place in everything" (Col.
1:18).
If Christ is preeminent in everything, the sound teaching
of Scripture must always be rooted and grounded in Him and
His marvelous work of salvation. If we would be true to Him
and the Word of God, we must recognize that all aspects of
God’s way of reconciling men to Himself have their
focus in Christ. The coming of Christ in the flesh was for
our salvation (Heb. 2:9,14,17). His sinless life was to qualify
Him as our Savior, the pure and undefiled Lamb of God (1
Peter 1:19; 1 John 3:5). His suffering and death on the cross
and the giving of His blood was for our salvation (Rom. 5:6-9;
1 Peter 2:24). His resurrection to new life was also for
our salvation (John 14:19). His present intercession with
the Father is for our salvation (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25) and
His future coming will be for our eternal salvation (Heb.
9:28; Jude 21). Our presence with Him in glory will continue
to focus on the fact that He is indeed Savior and the reason
for our everlasting bliss (Rev. 5:6-14; 7:17). All of this
should remind us of how indebted we are to Him who loved
us and how grateful we should be for the salvation He has
accomplished from beginning to end!
A person’s coming to Christ Jesus to be saved from
sin centers on Him and His saving work. This is obvious to
all who have read the Scriptures with insight and honesty.
God saves us by His grace and mercy, but He does this through
our faith (Eph. 2:8). Yet what is the object of this faith
that saves? It is a faith that is focused on Christ Jesus
(Acts 16:31), His sacrificial death on the cross (Romans
3:24-26), and His resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-4).
Therefore, it is through Christ that we believe in God (1
Peter 1:21).
When one comes to Christ, he must repent of his sins and
turn to God (Acts 3:19,26). But this "repentance for
forgiveness of sins" is to be "proclaimed in His
[Christ’s] name" (Luke 24:47), thus Christ again
may be seen at the heart of the sinner’s response.
Further, when the sinner turns to Christ and His deliverance,
he must surrender to His Lordship and confess His right to
rule over one’s life. This is directly reflected in
Paul’s words: "If you confess with your mouth
Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the death, you shall be saved. . . . For ‘Whoever
will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved’" (Rom.
10:9,13). Again we see how central Christ Jesus is in the
sinner’s initial coming for salvation.
We observe this same focus on Christ Jesus when we examine
the meaningful act of baptism in God’s Word. The rationale
for this is easy to understand. Scripture is quite clear
that we must express our faith in Christ by being baptized
(cf. Col. 2:12). This is why baptism was the obvious, imperative,
and indispensable outward action as sinners came to Christ
in New Testament times.
Compromises to Baptism Today
Strangely, we find that this very point of a faith-baptism
in coming to Christ is questioned or even opposed by many
people in our day. The opposition comes from two different
major theological perspectives.
The Sacramental Theology
First, much of Christendom says that conversion or overt
coming to Christ is unnecessary. They assert that an infant
should be brought by his parents to the administrator who
performs a religious rite called "baptism" and
through this ecclesiastical ceremony the child will be forgiven,
saved, and granted the Holy Spirit separate and apart from
personal faith in Christ. The child, of course, is totally
oblivious to what has happened to him and later will have
no remembrance of the ceremony that was performed on his
behalf. This sacramental theology says that God saves the
child automatically and conveys a special saving "grace" to
his soul.
We can see that this theology looks upon baptism as a semi-magical
sacerdotal act carried out by a priest apart from faith in
Christ, repentance of sins, confession of Christ’s
Lordship, or commitment to discipleship. Christ, therefore,
is effectively eliminated from baptism as far as the irresponsible
child is concerned.
The Evangelical Theology
The second theological system that questions the Biblical
meaning of baptism may be called evangelical. Certainly not
all within this category would deny Scriptural baptism, but
large numbers of adherents do. We may think of this view
in terms of two varieties.
(1) Faith Only. The first variety says that one is saved
by "faith alone," separate and apart from any outward
actions or confession. Salvation occurs instantaneously,
as an act of God, through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
Many would go so far as to say that regeneration is actually
granted before faith in Christ, but faith immediately follows
this act of God since this is given as a "gift" from
God. This "Calvinistic" variety has been taught
for several centuries, but presently it is not nearly as
widespread as in former years.
(2) Faith Plus Prayer. The other more popular variety of
evangelical "faith only" teaching would say that
one is saved by faith but this faith should be expressed
in some way--generally through a "sinner’s prayer." This
common teaching says that one should "trust" in
Christ and ask Him to "come into his heart" to
be saved. Some of these proponents go further and say that
one must also repent of his sins in order to be saved--although
this is denied by others who say that even repentance is
adding to "faith only." The common characteristic
here is simply viewing baptism as a symbol.
In this second evangelical theology, composed of two varieties,
baptism is thought to have no place at all in one’s
initial salvation from sin. Some combine infant baptism with
this and say that a baptism of belief is not needed. Others
say that baptism should sooner or later follow conversion
as a "church ordinance." Like the sacramental,
infant salvation view, this theology sees no room for baptism
in one’s initial response to Christ Jesus for salvation.
Those who hold this view are just as outspoken as those
who subscribe to the sacramental view. One writer says, "Baptists
believe that no one is a scriptural subject for baptism till
he is already saved" (J.G. Bow, What Baptists Believe
and Why They Believe It, p. 37). Another writer asserts, "We
are baptizing them to show the world and the church that
here is a group of people whose sins have been washed away.
They have been regenerated and made partakers of the Holy
Spirit previously, and are now submitting to the Bible command
that they be baptized" ("Sacraments or Ordinances?," The
Christian Contender, Sept. 1995, p. 7).
This second (evangelical) theological position says that
if baptism were to have a place in conversion or the salvation
event, then Christ would be somehow lowered or replaced by
a human act. Proponents say that baptism would thereby become
the "savior" rather than Christ Himself. They say
that baptism is different from faith, and if anything is
added to faith we nullify salvation by faith. They sometimes
say that if one is saved by Christ alone, then baptism has
no place at all in one’s faith response. For instance,
one article was entitled, "Is Salvation by Christ or
by Baptism?" This shows how many "Evangelicals" (or "Fundamentalists")
misconceive the meaning and place of baptism as an expression
of faith in Christ. Baptism is merely a symbol. It is simply
a "sign" and "seal" of something that
is thought to have occurred in the past.
- Baptism
Only: Sacramental
- Faith Only:
Symbolic
- Faith (Expressed
in Baptism): Biblical
Both of the views
we have briefly discussed (the sacramental view and
the evangelical view) fail to understand what
Scripture teaches about the meaningful act of baptism.
On the one hand,
the "baptism only" view sees baptism as a sacrament
that magically forgives and regenerates an unbelieving
infant. This is the traditional and popular "baptismal
regeneration" view
held by so much of the professing "Christians" of
the world. On the other hand, the so-called "faith
only" view
or "faith plus prayer" view sees baptism as a
later ecclesiastical ceremony or church ordinance that
testifies
to a salvation that is thought to have occurred several
weeks to several years previously. An Unbalanced Baptismal Theology
A third way of looking at baptism is, in some measure, more
Scriptural and is held by members of various churches. They
reject the infant baptism position of the sacramentalists
and they also reject the evangelical position that holds
to a salvation separate and apart from baptism. But in their
zeal for a baptism that is related to salvation, they have
elevated the teaching to a position beyond what Scripture
warrants. Baptism, in effect, becomes the very center of
salvation itself! Faith in Christ, repentance of sin, as
well as God’s grace and the saving death of Christ
all take on a relatively minor role in one’s salvation
in comparison with baptism. Baptism may be looked upon as
a legalistic requirement, almost a meritorious work, that
in some way becomes an effort of self-salvation. This too
is an unbalanced and unscriptural view of this divinely-commanded
expression of faith.
All three of these views fail to have the proper appreciation
for baptism as it relates to our blessed Savior. Each one
in some way detracts from giving Jesus Christ His rightful
an exalted place in this significant act.
Christ is Central to Baptism
What does Scripture teach? This should always be the chief
concern to those who view the Bible as God’s authoritative
Word and will for us. Let us examine the Scriptures to see
that baptism is not an empty ceremony, an ecclesiastical
ritual, or a mere church ordinance. Rather, bap-tism has
amazing signifi-cance and is centered in Christ Jesus Himself!
As we go to God’s Word and see truths we have never
seen before, we shall come away from our study with a new
appreciation for God’s all-wise revelation of the meaning
and importance of genuine baptism in contrast to the rites
formulated and taught by the traditions of men.
(1) Discipleship to Christ
After His resurrection, Jesus met with His followers in
Galilee and gave them His commission to take His message
into all of the world. Notice the words of Christ on this
momentous occasion:
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age." (Matt. 28:18-20).
The basic command of the Lord at this time was that of making
disciples (matheteusate) of all nations. A "disciple" (mathetes)
is a learner--one who follows another and his teachings.
Notice that the participles, "baptizing" (baptizontes)
and "teaching" (didaskontes), characterize the
making of disciples.
We can learn two facts from this passage: First, when one
is truly baptized he becomes a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
He begins to follow the Lord and is committed to Him personally.
Second, this discipleship introduces one into a completely
different way of life. It is a life that is ordered according
to the teachings of Jesus. The disciple must observe or obey
all that Jesus commanded His apostles. This is why immediately
after Luke mentions the baptism of those on the day of Pentecost,
he says, "They [the repentant, baptized believers] were
continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching" (Acts
2:42a). In their commitment to the apostles’ teaching,
they were following the teaching of the Lord Jesus. We can
see that baptism, as viewed in this passage, is directly
related to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is associated with following
Jesus, commitment to Him, and obedience to His teachings.
So much of contemporary Christendom, with its interest in
pleasure-seeking and churchianity, seems to overlook this
practical aspect of discipleship to the Lord.
(2) Ownership by the Lord Jesus Christ
The same Scripture passage we examined above tells us more
about genuine baptism. Notice that Jesus says that the apostles
are to baptize people "into the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 18:19). Many people
wrongly assume that Jesus is simply giving a "formula" that
is to be pronounced over a person before he is baptized.
As we examine the Greek at this point (the language in which
the New Testament was originally written), we see that the
phrase, "into the name of," is eis to onoma tou.
This was a common expression in the first century Graeco-Roman
world.
What did this phrase mean? When used with baptism it would
mean "baptized into the possession of the Father, etc." (Moulton
and Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, p. 451).
Another authority says that the phrase signifies "union,
the passing into new ownership, and loyalty, and fellowship" (The
New Bible Dictionary, p. 861). The leading Greek authority
today states, "The one who is baptized becomes the possession
of and comes under the protection of the one whose name he
bears" (Bauer/Arndt/Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon
of the New Testament, p. 572). One final comment is helpful: "Eis
to onoma implies a transference of ownership, as when we
today speak of paying money ‘into someone’s name.’ This
is noteworthy in the baptismal formula of the New Testament" (F.F.
Bruce, The Books and the Parchments, p. 66). The quotations
could be multiplied, but it seems evident that Jesus is saying
that when one is baptized, he becomes the possession of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Our present concern,
of course, is that one is baptized into the ownership of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
This same fact is revealed at other places in the New Testament.
When Philip went to Samaria, he proclaimed Christ to them
(Acts 8:5) and both men and women responded by believing
and being baptized (vv. 12-13). Luke then says that they
had "been baptized into the name of the [eis to onoma
tou] Lord Jesus" (v. 16b). They had been baptized into
the possession of the Lord Jesus. Likewise, when Paul explained
to the twelve Ephesian disciples the difference between John’s
baptism and baptism into Christ, "they were baptized
into the name of the [eis to onoma tou] Lord Jesus" (Acts
19:5). That is, they were baptized into Christ’s ownership.
One further passage would be 1 Corinthians 1:11-17. Paul
was distressed to learn that the Corinthian saints were calling
themselves after him as well as Apollos and Cephas (Peter).
To say, "I am of Paul," implied that they belonged
to him and were his followers in a special way. Paul asks, "Has
Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was
he? Or were you baptized into the name [eis to onoma] of
Paul?" (v. 13). He reasons in this way: If Paul were
crucified for them and if they were baptized into his name
(into his possession), then they could legitimately say, "We
are of Paul." Instead, Christ was the one crucified
for them and they were baptized into His name--thus they
belonged to Him and should simply call themselves after Him
alone. As one has written, "To be baptized into the
name of Christ is to take a step by which one passes into
the absolute ownership of Christ and owes Him henceforth
allegiance, as a doulos [slave] to his kurios [master or
lord]" (C.H. Dodd, The Interpretation of the Fourth
Gospel, p. 184).
Besides the significance we have discussed above, that of
baptism into the possession or ownership of Christ, the Greek
authorities say that the phrase also denotes that the one
baptized:
- comes under the protection of
- is under the control of
- enters into fellowship with
- comes under the Lordship
of
- enters into the communion of
- is brought into close, personal
relationship with
Keep in mind that what we have seen regarding the Lord
Jesus is also true regarding God the Father and
the Holy Spirit.
However, the point we wish to emphasize is that
baptism is directly related to Christ, our Savior and
Lord. (3) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Mark records the commission of Christ just as Matthew does.
We can learn something further about baptism as we examine
our Lord’s words:
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all
creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall
be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." (Mark
16:15-16).
Notice that baptism is in the context of faith in Christ.
The apostles were to preach the "gospel" or good
news of Christ (v. 15). The one who believes the gospel and
has been baptized will be saved (v. 16a). The one who does
not believe the good news of Christ will be condemned (v.
16b). The important point to notice is that both faith (belief)
and baptism were responses to the gospel. Faith saves only
because of its object--the good news of Jesus Christ. And
baptism saves only because of its inner meaning--the very
faith that looks to Christ as Savior. The one who believes
is to be baptized. Jesus saw no need to say that one who
does not believe should not be baptized for, in those days,
one would not seek to be baptized into Christ if he did not
believe in Him. We observe, therefore, that faith in Christ
and His good news was to be manifested or expressed in baptism
(of the kind that we have already noticed).
The emphasis upon believer’s baptism is found throughout
the New Testament. When Philip preached in Samaria, what
was the response? "When they believed Philip preaching
the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike" (Acts
8:12). After Philip "preached Jesus" to the Ethiopian
(Acts 8:35), this receptive traveler immediately responded, "Look!
Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" (v. 36).
Surely the message of Jesus awakened faith in his heart and
this immediately was expressed in baptism (vv. 38-39). Included
in this preaching of Jesus was at least some explanation
of the baptism that He commanded!
Later, we read of Paul’s mission in Philippi. After
he and his companions preached to Lydia, we read, "When
she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If
you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into
my house and stay’" (Acts 16:15). The term, "faithful," is
the Greek pisten (p i s t h n ), from the adjective pistos
that signifies a believer (Perschbacher, The New Analytical
Greek Lexicon, p. 329). The NIV renders this clause, "If
you consider me a believer in the Lord. . . . " Again
we see that baptism was meant to demonstrate true faith in
Christ. Later in the same chapter, Paul tells the inquiring
jailer, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be
saved" (v. 31). After Paul spoke "the word of the
Lord" to him (v. 32), "immediately he was baptized" along
with his household (v. 33). Faith directly and immediately
was expressed in baptism--sometime in the middle of the night
(v. 25)! What we see in Philippi we also notice in Corinth: "Crispus,
the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all
of his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard
were believing and being baptized" (18:8).
The letters of Paul also give evidence that baptism was
to be an expression of faith in Christ. The apostle writes
to the Galatians: "You are all sons of God through faith
in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Gal. 3:26-27).
Their faith in Christ Jesus was manifested by their baptism
into Him. It is significant that "all" of the Christian
readers were "sons of God through faith" and "all" of
them were "baptized into Christ." Therefore, there
were no unbaptized believers nor were there baptized unbelievers!
Paul also mentions a faith-baptism in his letter to the saints
in Colossae. He writes, ". . . having been buried with
Him [Christ] in baptism, in which you were also raised up
with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised
Him from the dead" (Col. 2:12). Notice how faith is
related to baptism in this passage: One is raised up with
Christ through faith in God’s working--a God who also
raised Christ from the dead. Surely we can see the direct
relationship of faith with baptism.
Many religious and church-going people exten-sively violate
this teaching in our day. The majority of professing "Christians" in
the world have only been "baptized" as babies.
Obviously, they could not have believed in Christ at the
time of their assumed baptism. Their baptism could not have
been an expression of faith in the good news of Christ’s
death and resur-rection. In all of the instances we have
cited, faith preceded baptism rather than baptism coming
before faith. The reason for this is that baptism looses
its meaning when it is simply a religious ceremony performed
for a child. Further, the "faith" of the parents,
of the sponsors, or of the denominational church as a whole
cannot qualify--for Scripture does not speak of proxy faith.
Thus, infant "baptism" cannot be the baptism of
the Scriptures. It is a substitute for true baptism and is
invalid.
Further, most of those who have been "baptized" when
they were older (as children, teenagers, or later) have failed
to have a fully Biblical faith. Scriptural faith is an informed
faith that includes a proper content--something that many
people lack. (For instance, saving faith includes a belief
that Jesus is Savior, the Christ or Messiah, and the Son
of God, that He came in the flesh, lived a sinless life,
died for our sins, was raised from the dead, and was exalted
to heaven.) Saving faith also includes a trust and reliance
upon the crucified and risen Christ who offered Himself for
our sins--a dimension of faith that usually is missing. True
faith likewise includes a surrender of the will and heart
to Christ--an aspect that most do not have. To fail to have
this comprehensive faith is to fail to be properly baptized
into Christ. Thus, even those who have been "baptized" beyond
infancy have neglected to have a genuine baptism as described
in Scripture.
Again we can see how Christ is at the very heart of the
sinner’s response. True baptism is a baptism of faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ!
(4) Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ
In the beginning we noticed that salvation from sin and
God’s wrath was only through the Lord Jesus. As Paul
expressed it, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15). John adds, "The Father
has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world" (1 John
4:14). The sacrificial death of Christ (in which He shed
His blood) was the very means by which God was propitiated
and sin atoned (Rom. 3:24-26; Heb. 2:17; 9:26-27). Those
who realize these precious truths joyfully confess that Jesus
indeed is Savior!
However, although Christ is Savior from sin, this salvation
that He has accomplished and provided must be properly appropriated
by the sinner if it is to avail. This shows the place of
faith in one’s response to God for salvation through
Christ. Faith is the means of salvation for it directs the
sinner’s heart to the very center and basis of salvation--Christ
Jesus. The object of faith is Christ since He is the One
through whom we are saved. What is the place of baptism?
As we have discussed in the previous point, faith is expressed
in baptism. The very content of one’s faith (the person,
death, and resurrection of Christ) is demonstrated and embodied
in this meaningful act. Because baptism is so closely related
to the faith that it embodies, we can see that the same blessings
that are attached to faith are likewise attached to baptism.
In the present instance, Scripture says that one is saved
through faith (Eph. 2:8), but it also relates salvation to
baptism. Remember that Mark 16:16 says:
"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be
saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."
Who "shall be saved"? Jesus answers, "He
who has believed and has been baptized." Evidently He
says this not because there is any merit, achievement, or
power in the act of baptism itself but because baptism is
so intimately related to faith that what is affirmed of one
is affirmed of the other. This is true throughout the New
Testament. As G.R. Beasley-Murray has well pointed out, "For
Paul the inner and outer acts of the decision of faith and
its expression in baptism form one indissoluble event" (Baptism
in the New Testament). Another author concurs: "Everywhere
in the New Testament faith and baptism belong together. .
. . We find no baptism without faith and no faith without
baptism" (Rasmussen). Therefore, Jesus says that one
is saved by faith but He also says that one is saved by baptism--since
baptism expresses faith.
What about Jesus’ further words: "He who has
disbelieved shall be condemned" (Mark 16:16b)? Some
assert by this statement that Jesus is saying that only a
lack of faith will condemn a person. Thus, baptism is thought
to be optional. But we must remember that the sincere people
whom Jesus had in mind would not have refused to be baptized
if they truly believed. This was before people would seek
to separate faith from baptism by "baptizing" babies
before they could believe or by "baptizing" people
who think they have been saved for days, weeks, or even years.
Jesus simply means that one who does not believe (thus is
not baptized) will be condemned. It is like saying: "He
who eats and digests shall live; he who does not eat shall
die." It takes eating and digesting food for one to
live. Do we need to say, "He who does not eat and does
not digest shall die"? No. Why not? Because one who
does not eat certainly cannot digest! Again, we could say, "He
who sows and reaps shall have bread; he who does not sow
will go hungry." It takes both sowing and reaping to
have the grain to make bread. Need we say, "He who does
not sow and does not reap will go hungry"? No, because
if one does not sow, he surely cannot reap!
Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ is likewise connected
with baptism in the events on the day of Pentecost. After
Peter called upon his hearers to repent and be baptized (Acts
2: 38-39), Luke says, "With many other words he solemnly
testified and kept on exhorting them, saying ‘Be saved
from this perverse generation!’" (v. 40). How
did they respond? "So then, those who had received his
word were baptized; and there were added that day about three
thousand souls" (v. 41). These people who had been "pierced
to the heart" (v. 37) could be "saved" (sothete,
from sozo) by heeding Peter’s command to repent and
be baptized (v. 38). Verse 41 says that they, in fact, were
baptized. Thus they were saved (see also v. 47).
The same connection is found at 1 Peter 3:21: "Corresponding
to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from
the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Just as Noah and
his family were "saved through water" (v. 20, NIV),
so people today can be saved by means of water: "Baptism
now saves you" (v. 20). Peter informs us that he is
not speaking of a ceremonial cleansing of the flesh (cf.
Heb. 9:13)--the "removal of dirt [rupou, from rupos,
dirt, filth] from the flesh"--but it is a spiritual
cleansing or "salvation" from sin. But notice the
means by which this occurs: "Baptism now saves you .
. . through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." There
is no inherent worth in the act of baptism, no merit that
would enable the one baptized to achieve his own salvation.
It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that brings the salvation
that is related to baptism. Baptism is simply the faith response
that appropriates the salvation that Christ has already achieved
for us by His death and resurrection! In our response to
Him and His resurrection in baptism, we make "an appeal
to God for a good conscience" (v. 21)--a conscience
that is cleansed and saved through Christ.
We can therefore see that just as salvation is centered
in the crucified and risen Christ, so baptism, as an expression
of faith in Him, is also directly related to our salvation
from sin and its dreadful consequences! Baptism "saves" us "through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
(5) Forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ
We already made reference to the response of those on the
day of Pentecost. To the inquiring crowd on that day, Peter
declared:
"Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
Peter’s entire message in the preceding verses (vv.
14-36) was focused on Christ Jesus. He spoke of the pouring
out of the Holy Spirit (vv. 14-21, 33)--which was the activity
of Christ (cf. v. 33; Matt. 3:11). He went on to speak of
the miracles of Christ Jesus (v. 22), His death (v. 23),
His resurrection (vv. 24-32), and His exaltation (vv. 33-35).
He finished his words by declaring, "Therefore let all
the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him
both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified" (v.
36).
In response to this, the people recognized their sin and
asked, "Brethren, what shall we do?" (v. 37). This
is when Peter replied, "Repent, and let each of you
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of your sins" (v. 38). Notice that baptism is "in
[epi] the name of Jesus Christ." This is not the construction
we noticed earlier, where the preposition eis was employed,
but some Greek manuscripts here have the preposition epi
with the dative, "signifying that baptism rests upon
the authority of the Lord Jesus and is spiritually effective
only through His personal presence and activity" (The
New Bible Dictionary, p. 863). If, however, the preposition
is en (as suggested by other manuscripts), it may be a reference
to invoking the Lord in baptism (see 22:16), confessing the
Lord Jesus at baptism (see Romans 10:9), or the name of Jesus
being spoken at the time of baptism (see F.F. Bruce, Commentary
on the Book of Acts, p. 76). Either rendering centers baptism
squarely on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The main point we wish to notice is that Peter’s sinful
and guilty inquirers were to repent of their sins and be
baptized "for the forgiveness of [their] sins" (Acts
2:38). Some have suggested that they were to repent and be
baptized "because of the forgiveness of their sins," but
it is absurd to think that they had already been forgiven.
Their guilt was the very reason for their inquiry! Besides
this, eis (for, into) is found some 1773 times in the Greek
and not once is it translated "because of"! Further,
some eighty-one (81) translations render the phrase "for
the forgiveness," "so that you may be forgiven," or
with a similar meaning. Further yet, the same phrase is found
several other places in the New Testament. Notice these examples:
- Repentance is "for forgiveness of sins" or
eis aphesin hamartion (Luke 24:47, NASB).
- John’s
baptism of repentance was "for the forgiveness
of sins" or eis aphesis harmartion (Mark 1:4; Luke
3:3).
- Christ’s blood was shed "for forgiveness
of sins" or
eis aphesin hamartion (Matt. 26:28).
Did Christ shed His blood for the purpose that sins might
be forgiven? Definitely. To deny this is to deny a cardinal
truth of Scripture. In view of this, we should also see
the repentance baptism commanded of Peter "for the forgiveness
of [their] sins" (eis aphesin ton hamartion) in Acts
2:38 in a similar way. They were to repent of their sins
and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the purpose
that their sins might be forgiven. As one authority puts
it, the phrase denotes "purpose in order to" and
means, "for forgiveness of sins, so that sins might
be forgiven" (Bauer/Arndt/Gingrich, A Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 229). Our translations
are correct in their rendering. But was there any merit
in their
repentance? No. Was there any inherent worth in their baptism?
Not at all. All of the merit of salvation is in the death
of Christ. In this sense, Christ shed His blood for the
purpose of achieving forgiveness, while we are to repent
and be baptized
for the purpose of receiving forgiveness. All merit and
boasting is eliminated. A similar passage refers to Paul’s own conversion
to Christ. You will remember that the Lord appeared to this
Pharisee and persecutor on the Damascus road. Jesus commanded
him to go to the city where, in deep contrition and repentance,
Paul was without sight, refused to eat and drink, and continued
in prayer for three days (Acts 9:1-11). The Lord Jesus sent
His servant Ananias to Paul with this message: "And
now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away
your sins, calling on His name" (Acts 22:16). Just as
those on Pentecost were told to repent and be baptized "for
the forgiveness of [their] sins," so the repentant Paul
was told to "wash away [his] sins" by "calling" on
the name of the Lord in baptism. Paul was to call on the
name of the Lord as he "cleansed" himself or "washed
away his sins" when he was baptized. We know, of course,
that baptism itself cannot cleanse from sin, for the basis
of forgiveness is Christ’s saving death--it is "the
blood of Jesus His [God’s] Son" that "cleanses
us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). The term "wash" in
our text is from the Greek apolouo which means "to cleanse
by bathing" or, in the middle (as here), "to cleanse
one’s self; to procure one’s self to be cleansed" (Perschbacher,
The New Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 46). The very same term
is found at 1 Corinthians 6:11 where we read that the Corinthians "were
washed . . . in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in
the Spirit of our God."
You will remember that Peter told his hearers on Pentecost, "Every
one who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts
2:21). He then told them the context of this calling on the
Lord to be saved: It was in the context of their repenting
of sin and being baptized for the forgiveness of their sins
(vv. 38-39). The same connection is found in the present
text (22:16). Cottrell explains:
"Now the crucial question is this: for what purpose
or to what end was Saul told to call upon the name of the
Lord? Here again the answer is not in doubt. He must call
upon the name of the Lord for salvation. . . . As a person
prepares to be baptized, he should call upon God to keep
this promise; he should call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to
apply His cleansing blood to his sinful heart and to send
the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a prayer of faith in the
faithfulness of God. As it applied to Saul it meant two things.
First, the fact that he was supposed to call upon the Lord’s
name in connection with his baptism meant that he had not
yet received salvation. The whole point of his calling upon
the Lord’s name was to be saved. . . . Second, this "calling
upon His name" was an indication of Saul’s faith
in Jesus." (Baptism: A Biblical Study, pp. 75-76).
Notice one further passage of Scripture:
"In Him [Christ] you were also circumcised with a circumcision
made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh
by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him
in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through
faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having
forgiven us all our transgressions." (Col. 2:11-13).
Here Paul writes of "the circumcision of Christ." It
is a spiritual circumcision that consists of the "removal
of the body of the flesh" (v. 11). Verse 12 connects
this with our burial with Christ in baptism and resurrection
with Christ from baptism. Notice especially the following
verse where Paul explains two of the results of this spiritual
circumcision in baptism: "He [God] made you alive together
with Him [Christ], having forgiven us all our transgressions" (v.
13). Not because of baptism or through any magical accomplishment
of baptism, per se, but through Christ’s own activity
and through God’s own working in the faith-response
of baptism we are "made . . . alive" and we are "forgiven"!
Our forgiveness from the guilt of sin that brings our condemnation
must ever be seen as grounded in the death of Christ. However,
once again we can see that baptism is focused upon the Lord
Jesus Christ--a Savior who grants forgiveness of all of our
sins!
(6) United with the Lord Jesus Christ
When a person is truly baptized, as outlined in Scripture,
he is united with the Lord Jesus. We know that one who is "in
Christ" has a living relationship with Him "If
any man is in Christ," writes Paul, "he is a new
creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things
have come" (2 Cor. 5:17). Further, God "has blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ" (Eph. 1:3; see also vv. 4,6,7,13; 2:13,22; 3:6,12).
Particularly in Paul’s letters this saving truth of
being "in Christ" is repeated again and again.
We know that one enters this living relationship with Christ
through faith. Thus, we read that "through His [Christ’s]
name every one who believes in [eis] Him receives forgiveness
of sins" (Acts 10:43). John 3:16 also reads, "God
so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that
whoever believes in [eis] Him should not perish, but have
eternal life." But we have already noticed that faith,
at the point of conversion or salvation, is to be expressed
in the meaningful act of baptism. Let us observe this in
the following passage:
"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized
into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore
we have been buried with Him through baptism into death,
in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through
the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness
of life." (Romans 6:3-4).
The context of these verses shows that Paul is explaining
why the believer cannot continue in sin even though he is
saved by the grace of God (cf. Rom. 5:15-21; 6:1-2). They
cannot "continue in sin," reasons Paul, because
they have "died to sin" (6:1-2). The apostle then
focuses upon their baptism where they departed from the realm
of sin into an entirely different relationship--one with
the Lord Jesus Himself. He says that "all of us" (this
includes Paul) "who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
have been baptized into His death" (v. 3). The phrase, "into
Christ Jesus" employs the Greek eis which is prospective
(forward looking) in meaning. One writer explains:
"In its basic meaning this preposition indicates motion
toward a destination or goal, especially when used with an
action verb. 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," viz.,
into that close relationship with Him that makes us partakers
of the benefits of His saving work" (Jack Cottrell,
Baptism: A Biblical Study, pp. 83-84).
Perhaps it would be even more accurate to say that God is
the one who brings us "into" Christ--for "by
His [God’s] doing you are in Christ Jesus" (1
Cor. 1:30). But He does this, by grace, as we respond in
faith (Eph. 2:8) when we are baptized "into Christ Jesus" (Romans
6:3). "Men are said to enter ‘into Christ,’ and
to be ‘united to him’ in baptism. But being in
Christ is a spiritual relation, and cannot be reached by
any merely physical act. There must be in baptism, therefore,
the spiritual act of entering into union with Christ. But
this is faith" (N.J. Aylsworth, Moral and Spiritual
Aspects of Baptism, p. 246).
Not only is one baptized into Christ, he is also baptized
into Christ’s death to sin! Further, the one who dies
to sin (vv. 2,6,7,11) is freed from slavery to sin (vv. 6,7,16-22).
Throughout this chapter (Rom. 6), Paul teaches that one is
either in sin or in Christ--and the "dividing line" is
baptism! The faith that relates us to the Lord Jesus and
brings us into Him is a faith that is active and operative
in genuine baptism. Sanday paraphrases the first part of
this chapter in this way:
"Surely you do not need reminding that all of us who
were immersed or baptized, as our Christian phrase runs, "into
Christ," i.e., into the closest allegiance and adhesion
to him, were immersed or baptized into a special relation
to his death. I mean that the Christian, at his baptism,
not only professes obedience to Christ, but enters into a
relation to him so intimate that it may be described as an
actual union." (Romans, p. 155).
This same divine union with our Savior is clarified in another
passage:
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ." (Gal. 3:26-27).
First, notice that we are "sons of God through faith." Faith,
therefore, is the basic response to God through Christ that
brings this blessed relationship. In fact, this letter points
out that faith brings justification (2:16; 3:6,24), spiritual
life (2:20; 3:11), and the Holy Spirit (3:2,5,14). Second,
notice that we are sons of God "in Christ Jesus" (3:26).
Probably this phrase does not indicate the object of faith,
but rather indicates the location, realm, or sphere of sonship:
"'In Christ Jesus' shows the grand scope of the believer’s
whole existence. To be 'in Christ' is to be in his body,
united with his people, and indwelt by his Spirit. Thus,
we might say, 'In Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through
faith.'" (Kenneth L. Boles, Galatians and Ephesians,
p. 94).
Paul begins verse 27 with the word "for" (gar).
That is, he is offering a reason or explanation for the previous
statement. When does one enter Christ Jesus? Paul answers, "For
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
with Christ" (v. 27). They were "baptized into
[eis] Christ." The Greek authority, Marvin R. Vincent,
states that this denotes "not in relation to Christ,
but into spiritual union and communion with him. . . . Paul
here conceives baptism, not as a mere symbolical transaction,
but as an act in which believers are put into mystical union
with the crucified and risen Lord" (Word Studies in
the New Testament). Paul goes on to say that those who have
been baptized into Christ have "clothed" themselves
with Christ. As one would lay aside old and filthy garments
and be clothed with a new garment, the truly baptized believer
lays aside his sin and is clothed with Christ and thereby
benefits by this deep spiritual union with Him.
We can see, therefore, that baptism has a crucial place
in one’s relationship with Christ by faith. One writer
explains:
"Baptism and faith were the inside and outside of the
same thing. . . . The New Testament writers associate union
with Christ, forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Spirit
and many other rich truths to baptism. It is not a magic
rite that automatically conveys all these things, but it
is an occasion when a person really encounters Jesus Christ.
. . . Baptism marks the transition from death and condemnation
to a new life of peace with God and membership in the body
of Christ." (Clark H. Pinnock, Truth on Fire: The Message
of Galatians, p. 51).
While our union with Christ is effected by faith, this initial
faith is found in the context of baptism--we are "baptized
into Christ" and "baptized into His death." Again
we observe that true baptism is entirely Christ-centered
in its focus!
(7) United to the Body of Christ
It should be clear from our foregoing discussion that when
one is Scripturally baptized, he is baptized into Christ
Jesus and into a relationship with Him. But closely related
to this, one who is united to Christ Jesus by faith in baptism
is likewise united to His spiritual "body." This
body is composed of individual "members," each
of whom experience and enjoy a personal relationship with
Him who is the Head of the body, Christ Jesus.
Notice how Paul describes all of this. He writes, "You
are Christ’s body, and individually members of it" (1
Cor. 12:27). In another place, he says that Christ is the "head
of the body, the community [ekklesia]" (Col. 1:18; cf.
v. 24). In yet another place, we read that God gave Christ "as
head over all things to the community [ekklesia], which is
His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph.
1:22-23). If one has been "baptized into Christ Jesus" (Rom.
6:3; Gal. 3:27) through faith (Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:12), surely
he has likewise entered His spiritual body or community of
believers.
On the day of Pentecost, Peter commanded the guilty inquirers
to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of their sins that they might receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39). How did these receptive
hearers respond? Luke informs us: "So then, those who
had received his word were baptized; and there were added
that day about three thousand souls" (v. 41). Through
their baptism of repentance, these people were "added" to
the believers in Christ. In fact, several verses later these
people are described as "those who had believed" (v.
44). Thus, those who truly repented, those who genuinely
believed in Christ, and those who had been baptized in the
name of Christ were part of the same body, the same assembly,
the same community of disciples (cf. v. 47). The New Testament
presupposes that those who are genuinely baptized are part
of the body of Christ and, conversely, those who are members
of Christ’s body have been baptized. This is a simple "given" in
the apostolic writings--a fact that no one questioned then--an
no one should question now.
We may consider membership in Christ’s body by considering
the Holy Spirit. Follow our reasoning here. Scripture frequently
shows the close relationship of the Holy Spirit and baptism.
Even at the very time when Christ Himself was baptized, the
Holy Spirit came upon Him (cf. Matt. 3:16; Luke 3:22). Although
there are vast differences between our Savior’s baptism
and our baptism, we still see this connection. On Pentecost,
those who would repent and be baptized, were to be given
God’s "promise"--the "gift of the Holy
Spirit" (Acts 2:38,39). Peter says that God gives the
Holy Spirit to those who obey Him (5:32). Paul writes that
God saves us according to His mercy "by the washing
of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom
He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Titus
3:5-6). The "washing" (loutron, l o u t r o n )
means a "bath" or "laver" (W.E. Vine)
and likely is in the context of one’s baptism when
he is cleansed from sin (cf. Acts 22:16). But notice that
this is directly related to the "renewing by the Holy
Spirit" who is granted to us richly "through Jesus
Christ our Savior." Both baptism and the Holy Spirit
are directly related.
The same connection is found in Galatians. One becomes a "son
of God" by faith in Christ (3:26) that is expressed
in baptism (v. 27). Then, because we are sons of God in this
way, "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into
our hearts, crying ‘Abba! Father!’" (4:6).
The Spirit is directly related to one’s baptism into
Christ. Perhaps this may even give us a clue to the meaning
of Christ’s enigmatic statement, "Truly, truly,
I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
Here is one birth but with two aspects--both water and the
Holy Spirit.
With this in mind, we can read 1 Corinthians 12:13 with
much profit: "By [or "in"] one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether
slaves for free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." Whether
we see the Spirit as the actor who leads one to the waters
of baptism or whether the Spirit Himself is the element of
the baptism, we can see how important the Holy Spirit is
in this vital introduction of the believer into the body
of Christ. Notice that we were "all baptized" and
we were "all made to drink of one Spirit." Every
believer has experienced this introduction into the body
through baptism, just as "all" are sons of God
through faith (Gal. 3:26) and "all . . . were baptized
into Christ" (v. 27). We can see that every single believer
has been baptized into Christ and into His body, the community
of believers! There were no unbaptized believers (in contrast
to the "faith only" position) nor were there baptized
unbelievers (in contrast to the "baptism only" position).
All true believers had experienced the "one baptism" (Eph.
4:5) consisting of the element of water and the element of
the Holy Spirit. "Though it has two aspects, an outward
and an inward, baptism is but a single event. . . . that
single moment when our bodies were immersed in water and
our spirits immersed in the Holy Spirit" (Cottrell,
pp. 94-95).
Notice two other passages that may help us. As we noted
earlier, Paul argues that since the saints at Corinth had
actually been baptized in the name of Christ, they should
be united in one body rather than divided into parties, each
giving allegiance to a different prominent leader (cf. 1
Cor. 1:11-13). Rather than suggesting that baptism is optional
or unessential in this passage, Paul shows that one who is
baptized in Christ’s name actually belongs to Him and
is one with all others who have experienced the same baptism.
Once again, therefore, we have been reminded that Christ
is at the very center of baptism. God not only relates us
directly to Christ in baptism but He brings us into the intimate,
living relationship with other believers through baptism.
(8) Identified with the Lord Jesus Christ
Associated with this union with Christ Himself, we must
also see that in baptism one is identified with Christ in
a remarkable manner. Our conversion to Christ relates us
to all aspects of His saving work. Notice these points:
Notice how this relates to Biblical baptism. In the context
of baptism, Paul says that "our old self [man] was
crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done
away with, that
we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Rom. 6:6).
Again, referring to our baptism into Christ, Paul writes, "Now
if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also
live with Him" (Rom. 6:8). Our death "with Christ" was
also a death to sin (vv. 2,11) by which our "body
of sin" was done away with (v. 6). Further, Paul specifically
says, "We have been buried with Him through baptism
into death" (v. 4) and have been buried with Him in
baptism" (Col. 2:12). This is not all. What occurred
after Christ’s own death and burial? He was brought
to life (Rom. 14:9; Rev. 1:18)! Likewise, one who has been
buried with Christ in baptism is then brought to life: "He
[God] made you alive together with Him [Christ]" (Col.
2:13). Just as "Christ was raised from the death through
the glory of the Father" (Rom. 6:4), we too are "raised
up with Him through faith in the working of God" (Col.
2:12) so that "we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom.
6:4). Paul goes on to add an additional identification:
God "raised
us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly
places, in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). Can you see the crucial place that baptism has in this spiritual
unity of the believer with Christ and his identification
with the experience of Christ? Yes, aspects of it are a mystery,
yet it is a truth that we can believe and in which we can
rejoice! The one who comes to Christ in faith by being baptized
into Him expresses his personal faith and trust in Christ’s
atoning death for sin, His burial (which confirmed His death),
His resurrection to new life, and His subsequent life. Furthermore,
the one who comes to a true baptism, in his own experience,
dies to sin, is buried in baptism into death, is raised to
new life, and subsequently lives a new life as a new creature
in Christ! (See Roman 6:4,11-13, 16-22; Col. 3:1-4.) We can
see that our identification with Christ and His own experience
is full and meaningful. His own experience becomes our own
experience. And both our faith and our experience is focused
on Him who is our Lord and Savior!
Baptism Looks to Christ
It should be clear by now that the baptism of Scripture
is a meaningful act that focuses upon the Lord Jesus Christ
in many different ways. Although we have examined eight aspects,
one who studies the subject will find other fruitful areas
as well.
There are several comments we must make about these truths
we have discovered. First, baptism is far more important
than many people have assumed. Large numbers of religious
people have simply conceived of baptism as an inconsequential
religious ceremony or church ordinance that is required of
a church member (or to become a church member) and they have
entirely overlooked the Biblical meaning of the act. People
such as this need to go back and look at baptism again. If,
in fact, their baptism was unlike the baptism of Scripture,
they actually have not been baptized! They need to submit
to this requirement of the Lord as soon as they have saving
faith and repentance.
Second, our study should have convinced the majority of
professing "Christians" who have only been "baptized" (sprinkled
or poured?) as infants that they have failed to experience
the genuine baptism of Scripture. Their assumed baptism occurred
before they possibly could have an informed faith and trust
in Christ, before they could personally respond to the gospel,
before they could repent of their sins, and before they could
purpose to live a new life in the Lord. They have missed
out on the marvelous aspects we have learned about baptism
in the present study. They, too, need to consider their own
relationship with God through Christ and determine to come
to Him as Scripture directs--through a genuine baptism into
Him and His death.
Third, we must ever guard against thinking of baptism as
a personal accomplishment or work that merits salvation.
Some who do understand a relationship between baptism and
forgiveness or salvation have fallen prey to the subtle error
of thinking they could, in some way, achieve their own salvation
by this means. They conceive of salvation in a legalistic
way in which one offers to God a mental "faith," a
superficial repentance, and the work of baptism--and thereby
think that God owes them His eternal riches! They may think
of salvation something like a spiritual slot machine by which
one inserts certain "pay" (of belief, repentance,
confession, and baptism) for certain "rewards" (forgiveness
and the kingdom of heaven). How sad--and how wrong! How far
this is from the "good news" of Christ Jesus as
described in the Bible.
This theology entirely misconceives Biblical salvation and
the meaning of God’s grace. Paul says that the promise
is "by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace" (Rom.
4:16a) and "if it is by grace, it is no longer on the
basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace" (11:6).
Paul adds, "By grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as
a result of works, that no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9;
cf. Rom. 4:4-5; 5:1-2). To summarize, the gift of salvation
is:
- by grace
- through faith
- not of ourselves
- not a result of works
This shows the need to think of baptism in Biblical terms
and not in the terms of a faulty theology. Although
baptism is the place and time when the sinner reaches
out in
faith to accept the salvation that is freely offered
by our God
of grace, baptism must never be looked upon as
a work of man that is a means of self-salvation or the
basis
of forgiveness! Our study on baptism, therefore, speaks to three faulty
systems that fail to understand and appreciate Scriptural
baptism:
(1) Those who believe and practice infant baptism, most
of whom hold to the error of "baptismal regeneration" and
fail to see baptism as an expression of repentance of sins,
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, commitment of life, and commencement
of discipleship to the Lord. Most of those "baptized" in
infancy never subsequently respond in genuine faith and baptism
to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
(2) Those who claim to believe in "believer’s
baptism" but relegate baptism to relative insignificance
and often strongly deny the Scriptural teaching that baptism
has a vital place in one’s initial response of repentance
of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
They may substitute a "sinner’s prayer" in
the place of Biblical baptism. Often, in their zeal to refute "baptismal
regeneration," they have likewise renounced the proper
place of true baptism and have accepted a "watered-down" baptism
of contemporary Protestantism.
(3) Those who sometimes strongly teach that baptism of believers
does have a place in conversion, but who often fail to have
a genuine faith in Christ, fail to see the need for a thorough
repentance of sin and the self-life, fail to embark on a
radical life of sacrifice and discipleship, and who sometimes
conceive of the whole conversion experience in legalistic
terms. Frequently they have entirely misconceived the content
of the gospel, the significance of the cross, the merit of
salvation, and the meaning of the grace of God. In their
zeal for baptism, they may overlook that which gives baptism
its meaning!
Thinking in Scriptural Ways
The only solution to the theological confusion
on baptism is to go back to the Scriptures once again and
see baptism
as it is set forth in our only infallible source of truth.
We have attempted to go back to the Word of God and show
how baptism is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as
He is the center of Scripture, the center of life, and the
center of our message, so He is the center of salvation from
sin to God. If Christ means anything, He
means everything!
Baptism focuses on the Lord Jesus. Through
baptism, God calls us to become disciples of Christ Jesus.
Through faith
expressed in baptism, Christ makes us His own posses-sion.
In baptism we demonstrate our faith in Christ and our reliance
upon His saving death and resurrection. When one is truly
baptized, he is saved by grace through faith. When one responds
to Christ by repenting
of his sins and being baptized, he is forgiven of sins. When
one is baptized, he is baptized into Christ Jesus and into
a relationship that is filled with joyful wonder. When one
is baptized, he identifies with the saving events of the
gospel of Christ and demonstrates his own experience of salvation
from sin. In many and varied ways, Scrip-tural baptism fo-cuses
on the Lord Jesus Christ!
It is time that we cast off the human teachings and traditions
that nullify the commandments of God. Jesus warned those
who would neglect "the commandment of God" and "hold
to the tradition of men" (Mark 7:8). He said that they
would even "set aside the commandment of God in order
to keep [their] tradition" (v. 9). In this way, they
were guilty of "invalidating the word of God by [their]
tradition" (v. 13). In each of the three theological
deviations mentioned above, there are many human traditions,
hallowed by time and passed on by religious leaders and confessions
of faith, that need to be renounced in favor of a truly Scriptural
baptism. No doubt, many other aspects of their theology likewise
need to be set aside. Our plea is to go back to the Scriptures
and see what they reveal about this vital subject and every
other topic of which God speaks.
Your Experience of Baptism
Since we have seen that the baptism of Scripture is so utterly
important, we must urge you to seek answers for yourself
and ask what you personally need to do in response to Christ
Jesus. If baptism is centered in Christ Jesus, you cannot
be saved apart from coming to Him as He has revealed. Seek
no substitutes. Do not be deceived by any counterfeits. Be
content with nothing other than what you see revealed on
the pages of God’s Word.
If you have come to the point in your life when you see,
as never before, the meaning and purpose of baptism and its
direct relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, now is the
time for you to submit to this meaningful act. Have you truly
repented of all known sin? Do you believe in God the Father
and in the Lord Jesus Christ, His dear Son? Are you trusting
in Christ’s sin-offering at the cross as your only
means of forgiveness and only hope of salvation? Are you
willing to lay your will and life down, and take the cross
of discipleship? If this describes you, now is the time for
you to come to Christ and yield to the baptism that He commands--the
baptism that is centered in Him personally!
Whenever we proclaim the good news of the crucified and
risen Christ and someone wishes to respond to it in faith
by being baptized, we encourage the respondent to look to
Jesus as His only hope of salvation. As the person is led
into the waters to be "buried with Christ in baptism," the
words we speak and the scriptures cited lift up the Lord
Jesus and show the significance of baptism into Him. We encourage
the person to confess Jesus as Lord and call upon Him for
salvation. As the person is actually baptized, we encourage
him to fix his thoughts on Jesus who indeed is Savior and
Lord. As the person is "raised with Christ" from
baptism we glorify and praise Him as the only Savior from
sin and the living Lord. In our further admonishment of the
newly baptized believer, we encourage him to continue to
look to Jesus as Savior and follow Him as Lord. In the words
of the apostle Paul:
"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep
seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the
right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not
on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your
life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our
life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him
in glory" (Col. 3:1-4).
This is the focus we must ever have! Christ must be the
center of the good news of salvation from sin, death, hell,
and God’s wrath. Christ must be at the center of the
sinner’s faith. Christ must be at the center of the
believer’s baptism into Him. Christ must be at the
center of our new life in Him. And Christ must be at the
center of all that we think, say, and do as submissive, obedient
believers in Christ Jesus.
May this little study serve to draw your attention to Him
who loved us and delivered Himself up for us (Gal. 2:20).
May it encourage you to renounce your previously assumed "baptism" if
it was unscriptural and not centered in Christ Himself, and
may it stimulate you to seek a truly Scriptural baptism that
is everything that God wants it to be. May your faith, your
love, your salvation from sin, and your very life be centered
on the blessed Savior of us all--the Lord Jesus Christ!
A New Creature
Buried with Christ, my blessed Redeemer,
Dead to the old life of folly and sin;
Satan may call, the world may entreat me,
There is no voice that answers within.
Think it not strange that things I once cherished
Cannot allure me or charm as before;
For in the flesh with Christ I have suffered,
Old things are passed, I love them no more.
Dead unto sin, alive through the Spirit,
Risen with Him from the gloom of the grave,
All things are new, and I am rejoicing,
In His great love, His power to save.
Sin hath no more its cruel dominion,
Walking "in newness of life," I am free--
Glorious life of Christ, my Redeemer,
Which He so richly shareth with me.
--T.O. Chisholm
Richard Hollerman
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