BELIEVER’S BAPTISM

Church Truths Series

I WHYSHOULD ONE BE BAPTISED?

A. Baptism is one of thetwo ordinances that are practiced by the church

1.Some groups call baptism a “sacrament”, which is a religious practice that is thought to impart a special “grace” from God to the one baptized.

2. However, God’s grace is given to all who put their trust in His Son, without exception.

3. Therefore, one is baptized, not to obtain God’s grace/favor, but because he already has received that grace.

4. Baptism does not save; rather it is practiced after one’s salvation experience to demonstrate that he or she has been saved by faith in Christ

5. There are several verses in the Scriptures that declare that one who does not believe on Christ will be lost, but there are no passages that say that one who is not baptized will be lost.(John 3:18,3:36,8:24)

B. There are threerequirements for ordinances to be Scriptural for the Church today:

1. It must be commanded by the Lord in the Gospels (Matt 28:18-20 “Go . . . teach . . . baptize . . .”)

2. It must have been practiced by the early Church in Acts (Acts 2:41; 8:36-39 Philip & the Eunuch; 10:48)

3. It must be expounded (explained) in the epistles (Romans 6:4)

4. Baptism meets all three of these requirements to be an ordinance of the Church

C. Baptism is commanded by the Lord for each believer – those who are already saved (Matthew 28:19,20)

1. Baptism is, therefore, an act of obedience to the Lord

2. Obedience is essential to discipleship –

- John 14:15 “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”

- John 13:17 “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

D. Baptism is importantto those who wish to follow and be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ.

- “Faith in Christ brings you salvation. Obedience to Christ brings you great blessing (happiness).”

II WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?

A. Those who have been saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

1. “They that gladly received His Word were baptized.” (Acts 1:41)

2. There are other instances where those who believed were then baptized (Acts 8:12,36-39, etc.)

B. Those who are saved and who understand its meaning and who want to obey the Lord’s commandments

1. This rules out “infant baptism”, as practiced by some denominations

2. Baptism neither “adds to” the work of salvation, nor is it essential to salvation

C. For these reasons, it is important that our people are taught the doctrine of baptism

III WHEN SHOULD ONE BE BAPTIZED? (How long after professing to be saved)

A. Since the events in the Book of Acts indicate that those who got saved were baptized almost immediately, many believe that assemblies should baptize as soon as possible after a person makes a profession of faith in Christ

B. In the New Testament baptism followed faith in Christ as one of the evidences of that faith.

C. Some feel that it is advisable to wait for a period of time after the “profession” to allow for instruction in the meaning of baptism, and to allow for some evidences of true “transformation” in the believer’s life

D. It is difficult to know for sure which approach is correct, but it seems certain that one should be baptized as soon as it can be done. (Acts 8:35-38)

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IVHOW IS BAPTISM TO BE CARRIED OUT?

A. The method of baptism practiced in the New Testament was always by immersion in water

1. The Ethiopian of Acts 8:38 “went down into the water” to be baptized

2. Matt 3:16 says of Jesus’ baptism: “when He was baptized, (He) went up straightway out of the water”

3. “Being baptized is going into, under, and then outof, the water”

B. The word for “baptize” in the original Bible was “baptizo”, which means “to dip” or “to immerse”

1. The translators simply “carried the word over” into English, spelling it “baptize” (a transliteration)

2. If they had translated it, they would have used either “immersed” or “dipped” in place of “baptized”

3. If they had done that, the “method” of baptism – immersion or sprinkling – would not be in question

V WHAT IS THE MEANING OF BAPTISM?

A. Baptism is an important ordinance for members of Christ’s Church which has symbolic meaning

B. The meaning/significance of baptism is three-fold:

1. First, it is a “confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior” to all who witness the event

a. It is a declaration of one’s allegiance to Christ, and that the person now belongs to Him

b. Therefore, it is good to invite unsaved family and friends to observe.

2. Second, it is a “picture” of what Christ did to make our salvation possible

a. The water of baptism is a “picture of death and judgment”.

b. The act of going into, under, and then out of, the water speaks of the Lord’s death, burial and

resurrection from the grave, which were necessary to save us from our sins.

3. Third, it shows the believer’s “identification” with Christ –

a. In His death – Galatians 2:20 and Colossians 2:20

- We have “put away” the old life (II Corinthians 5:17)

- We practice Romans 6:11 – We “consider our old selves to be dead unto sin.”

b. In His burial – Romans 6:4 “We are buried with Him . . .”

- Burial is proof of death – only the dead are buried

- That’s the reason “immersion” is the valid method of baptism – sprinkling covers the head, while immersion “buries” the whole body, as Christ’s whole body was “placed into the grave”

c. In His Resurrection– Romans 6:4 “as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

4. Just as one “proclaims the Lord’s death” at the Lord’s Supper, he “proclaims” his own death, burial, and resurrection with Christ through being baptized.

VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

A. We don’t read in the New Testament of “unbaptized believers”

B. Again, baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and a confession of one’s faith in Him

1. “And hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whosoever keepeth His word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in Him. (I John 2:3-5)

2. One of the evidences of “new life in Christ”, is a desire to confess Him to others

3. Baptism should be an “early” confession of all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior!