The story is told about the baptism of King Aengus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king’s foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king’s forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, “I thought it was part of the ritual.”
Over the centuries there has been a lot of confusion about Christian baptism. The Church has debated what baptism accomplishes, to whom it should be administered, and how much water should be used. For the most part, every Christian denomination has its own approach to baptism.
Even now, when I say the word “baptism” it conjures up a wide variety of images in our minds. For those of you who grew up in churches who practiced infant baptism, you think about the times either you or another family in your church stood up before the whole congregation, pledged to raise the child in the faith, and was sprinkled withed water as the pastor prayed. I haven’t met anyone who remembers their own infant baptism. On the other hand, the word baptism may cause you to remember the time when you got saved as an adolescent, teenager, or adult, and then you made your profession of faith before the church before you were dunked in a baptismal, river, lake, or even swimming pool.
This morning I am going to attempt to bring some clarity to the issue by going back to the basics of baptism. We will explore 4 fundamental questions about baptism, so let us get started!
1. What is Baptism? (Romans 6:3-4)
Christian baptism has traditionally been defined as an outward symbol of an inward reality, or to say it another way, it is an outward testimony of what has occurred inwardly in a believer’s life. Baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. In Christian baptism, the action going under the water symbolizes dying and being buried with Christ. The action of coming out of the water pictures Christ’s resurrection.
The Apostle Paul, in Romans 6:3-4, presents a clear explanation and paints a beautiful picture of baptism. It is a symbolic act of identifying with Jesus Christ. It is obviously not meant to be understood literally because we are not actually crucified or resurrected when we put our faith in Christ. Standing upright in the water is a symbol of being “crucified” with Christ, being immersed in the water is a symbol of being buried with Christ, and being raise out of the water is a symbol of being resurrected with Christ. It pictures and proclaims the death of our old life to sin, and our resurrection to walk in newness of life. As Christ was raised up from the dead, by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Baptism also shows our faith in the Trinity of the Godhead. In Matthew 28: 19, Jesus gives us the baptismal formula—“ baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Water baptism then, is the outward testimony of the believer’s inward faith. It is a picture of what transpired when you placed your faith and trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save you from your sins. It does not atone for sin. Only the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin. A sinner is saved the moment he places his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is a visible testimony to that faith.
French writer Henri Barbusse (1874-1935) tells of a conversation overheard in a trench full of wounded men during the First World War. One of the men, who knew he only had minutes to live says to one of the other man, “Listen, Dominic, you’ve led a very bad life. Everywhere you are wanted by the police. But there are no convictions against me. My name is clear, so, here, take my wallet, take my papers, my identity, take my good name, my life and quickly, hand me your papers that I may carry all your crimes away with me in death.”
The Good News is that through Jesus, God makes a similar offer. Something wonderful happens to us when we are baptized. When we are baptized, we identify ourselves with Jesus. We publicly declare our intention to strive to be like Jesus and follow God’s will for our lives. When we are baptized, our lives are changed. We see things differently than before. We see other people differently than before. Baptism enables and empowers us to do the things that Jesus wants us to do here and now. We are able to
identify with Jesus because He was baptized. And we are able to love as he loved. Such identification is life changing. That kind of identification shapes what we believe and claims us.
2.) Why should we be baptized? (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38)
We should be baptized because the Bible tells us that we should be baptized! Baptism is an act of obedience. In Acts 2 Peter preached a powerful sermon that cut to the heart of his listeners. When they were convicted of their sin and realized that even their sins contributed to the death of Christ, they cried out in desperation, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter responded with the simple phrase, “Repent and be baptized!” After someone renounces their sinful life and turns to Jesus in faith, they are to publically profess that faith through baptism. Baptism is really the first act of obedience for followers of Jesus Christ.
Likewise, if we look back to Jesus’ baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19, we see that baptism is an essential part of becoming a disciple. He commanded his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus did not make baptism optional; it is a mandatory step in the discipleship process. If people are not willing to publically profess their faith in Christ by identifying with his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, how can they be considered true disciples?
The unfortunate reality today is that many people get baptized for the wrong reasons. Some people get baptized because they think that they will have a better chance of getting into heaven. Others get baptized because their parents make them get baptized or there is family or social pressure to have your children baptized. Others get baptized because their friends are doing it. There are all sorts of wrong motives baptism.
Some of you may have seen the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou. This is a whimsical retelling of Homer’s Odyssey set in 1930s Mississippi. Three hapless escaped convicts–Everett, Pete, and Delmar–are hiding out in the woods, running from the law. There they encounter a procession of white-robed people going down to the lake to be baptized. As they move toward the water they sing, “Let’s go down to the river and pray.” As the baptism ceremony begins, Delmar is overwhelmed by the beauty and the mystery of this rite. He runs into the water and is baptized by the minister.
As he returns to his companions, he declares that he is now saved and “neither God nor man’s got nothing on me now.” He explains that the minister has told him that all his sins have been washed away. Even, he says, when he stole the pig for which he’d been convicted. “But you said you were innocent of that,” one of his fellow convicts exclaims. “I lied,” he says, “and that’s been washed away too!” Later the three convicts steal a hot pie from a window sill. The one who felt that his sins had been washed away returns and places a dollar bill on the window sill.
Delmar wasn’t made perfect by his baptism any more than any of the rest of us are made perfect by our baptism. But he was conscious that it was time for him to make a new beginning. That is why in understanding baptism we begin with repentance.
Baptism really should be one of the first acts of obedience after coming to true faith in Jesus Christ. To publically identify with Jesus in this way is a biblical mandate. Have you publically declared your allegiance to Christ by undergoing the waters of baptism?
3.) Who and when should we be baptized?
Let’s begin with who should be baptized? In Christian baptism, there are two requirements before a person is baptized: 1) the person being baptized must have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior, and 2) the person must understand what baptism signifies. If a person does not know the Lord, it wouldn’t make any sense for them to be baptized. If a person knows the Lord Jesus as Savior, understands that Christian baptism is a step of obedience in publicly proclaiming his or her faith in Christ, they should be baptized.
This is certainly the pattern that we see in the book of Acts. In Acts 2:41 we observe that they received the word, and then they were baptized. In Acts 8:12, 36, 37 we find that they believed, and then they were baptized. In Acts 10:43, 44, 47, it is plain to see that those who believed received the Holy Spirit, and then they were baptized. (Lost people do not receive the Holy Spirit).
So, who should be baptized? According to the established Bible pattern, only those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior should be baptized. Baptism is important for believers because it is a step of obedience—publicly declaring faith in Christ and commitment to Him—an identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
When is the believer to be baptized? The Bible teaches that water baptism follows shortly after spiritual baptism (the new birth). The established pattern throughout the book of Acts is belief then baptism. Notice the example of Paul (Acts 9:18), Cornelius (Acts 10:43-48), and the Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:33).
Obviously, I believe that the biblical evidence clearly favors believer’s baptism over infant baptism. Throughout the whole Bible we only see a precedent for believer’s baptism. There isn’t a single example of an infant baptism anywhere in Scripture.
4.) How should we be baptized?
Should we sprinkle, pour, or immerse people in water when we baptize? Well, our English word “baptism” comes from the Greek word “baptism” which literally means “to immerse.” As a matter of fact, immersion in water is the only form of baptism found in the Bible. In Matthew 3:13-16 and in Mark 1:9-10 we find that John the Baptist needed “much water” for baptism. In Acts 8:38-39 we are taught baptism by immersion. In Romans 6:3-6 we see that baptism must fulfill three types: death, burial and resurrection. It is also referred to as being “planted”, and being raised. It is not difficult to see that the only mode of baptism which fulfills all these pictures is the immersion of the believer in water. Furthermore, scriptural expressions such as “much water” (John 3:23), and “down both into the water” (Acts 8:38) are very conclusive evidence that water baptism is by immersion.
The mode of baptism varies in different Christian groups. Immersion was the original form of the rite. Affusion, or the pouring of large amounts of water over the subject, was introduced rather early as an alternative method of administration. Aspersion, or sprinkling, was first introduced to accommodate the sick and infirm, but was not generally accepted until the thirteenth century.
As for the mode of baptism, I believe that immersion is the most biblical form, and we are wise to stay as close to the Bible as we can. On the other hand, we must remember that baptism is a symbolic act and like the church throughout history, sometimes we must adjust our practices to fit the context. Therefore, I don’t have any problem with pouring or sprinkling if the baptism is taking place in an area where the person cannot be immersed. Immersions should be the preferred mode, but to be sprinkled or poured doesn’t mean you are any less baptized!
A man, a woman, and a redneck were scheduled to be baptized. The man was baptized first. When he came out of the water, he said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want!” Then the woman was baptized. She came out of the water and said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”Now it was the redneck’s turn. He didn’t know any verses from the Bible, so when he came out of the water he yelled, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Indeed, there is a lot of confusion about baptism. I hope that this sermon has brought some clarity to the issue for you. Baptism is the outward symbol of what has already transpired in the heart of the person who has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for full salvation.
Have you taken this first step in your walk with the Lord? Have you been obedient to the word of God concerning this matter of believer’s baptism? In Acts 2:41 we read, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized…” What is your response?