POINT #1: Water baptism is practiced in historical and modern day Judaism
- Baptism was a sacramental ceremony to symbolize purification and the removal of sins.
o Read Leviticus 16:23+24 The priests were required to bath themselves before entering the Holies of Holies
o Read Mark 1:4+5 John is calling people to repent and be baptized before the coming of the Kingdom
o God used a great flood to cleans the Earth
- Baptism was sometimes used as an initiation rite to consecrate a change and/or conversion
o Noah and his family went through a type of baptism when they passed through the flood and God assigned them to re-multiply the Earth
o Converts to Judaism today are baptized by immersion
What is your experience with Baptism?
POINT #2: Water Baptism does not bring salvation
- Read Matthew 23:25 Jesus told that Pharisees that water will clean the outside but it does not clean the heart (it is our hearts that needs saving)
- Read Hebrews 5:9 Jesus is the source of eternal salvation
- Read Romans 10:9-13 Paul tells us that if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord then you will be saved
o The resurrection was a sign that God the Father excepted Jesus as a sufficient sacrifice/punishment for all of human kind’s sins
o Proclaiming Jesus is Lord is saying that you submit to him and make Jesus ruler in your life
Do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead?
Will you submit to Jesus and let him rule in your life?
If, “yes,” then continue.
POINT #3: All Christians should desire to be baptized
- Read Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus commands us to be baptized and to baptize others
o “In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit” is a way of identifying that God is the one baptizing and not a human. God is the only one who can forgive sins and deem someone righteous. This also denotes that God is the one you are to follow since you were baptized in his name (see 1 Corinthians 1:12-15)
o See Acts 8:26-39 This is a story of a Ethiopian asking to be baptized after his conversion through Philips teaching
- Read Matthew 3:13-15 Jesus was baptized at the age of 30(ish) then began his ministry
o Refer back to point #1: God the Father consecrated Jesus as his “beloved Son”. Immediately following Jesus’ baptism (see Mark 1:12) he was tempted and then began is ministry of proclaiming the gospel; this denotes a change from private ministry to public ministry. Perhaps we can anticipate temptation and a movement into (or greater power in) ministry following our baptism.
o Refer back to point #2: Jesus did not need to be cleansed/repent of sin
- Read Romans 6:3- 7 Baptism is a symbol of identifying with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. Our “old self” is crucified with Jesus so we are no longer enslaved to sin. If united with his death, then we are also united in his resurrection and sin will have no dominion over us for we are under the grace of God. We are now slaves of God who are sanctified (and being sanctified) and we will receive eternal life (see Romans 6:20-23)
POINT #4: Baptism bonds you to a community; the church of God
- Read Romans 5:9-11 Not only are we saved from the wrath of God but we are also brought into right relationship with (we are reconciled to) God to where we are no longer called enemies of God but children of God; we are adopted into his family (see Romans 8:14+15)
o Through Christ’s work on the cross and his resurrection, believers (of all ethnicities, background, and nationality) are unified into one family, also known as the body of Christ
o Read 1 Corinthians 12:13 We were all baptized into one body and thus should be unified, recognize our function, exercise that function without desiring another, and value functions that are different from your own
- Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 When sin entered the world, relationship between mankind and God was broken and relationship between Adam and Eve (and subsequently all of mankind) was broken (see Genesis 3:16 & 4:8). Since we have now been reconciled to God we now have the power (and motivation/duty) to be reconciled with others. God has extended a huge amount of grace towards us therefore we are expected to show grace towards others.
o Read Matthew 6:9-14 Jesus warns us to forgive others just as we have been forgiven by God
o Read Romans 12:10-13:7 and Colossians 3:12-15 Paul instructs us to be unified, strive to live in harmony, and to serve other Christian. He also instructs us to care for anyone who has a need and to be a respectful earthly citizen
o Read Mark 12:29-31 Jesus says that it is most important that we love God and love our neighbor (which he tells us is everyone)
Final Thought/Summary: Baptism is a symbolic ceremony, which all believers are commanded to partake in after conversion. Baptism symbolizes the believer’s unity with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection and their new life in him through grace. It is a public declaration of faith in the Gospel of Christ and the induction into the family of God.
If I was baptized as an infant, should I be baptized again? Refer to point #2: as an infant you were not a believer therefore at some point you had to convert, then we can refer to point #1, 3, and 4 where it states that baptism is a proclamation of conversion and union with the family of God. Baby baptism is really more like a ceremony to dedicate the baby to be brought up in the ways of God but it doesn’t secure or bring salvation. Jesus was also dedicated to God when he was a baby (see Luke 2:21-24) and Jesus also received water baptism as an adult, therefore setting an example to us.
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