God's purpose in baptism
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<Mathew 28:18-20>
A. There is one way to be saved.
A. There is one way to be saved.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
1. God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved.
For 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, so that no one may boast.
B. Baptism doesn’t add anything to your salvation.
B. Baptism doesn’t add anything to your salvation.
If baptism played any part in saving someone, then this means that the death and resurrection of Jesus aren’t sufficient for salvation because Jesus’ sacrifice must be improved by baptism.
1. Baptismal regeneration is sometimes taught using <John 3:5> in that a person must be “born of water and of the spirit” to enter God's Kingdom.
1. Baptismal regeneration is sometimes taught using <John 3:5> in that a person must be “born of water and of the spirit” to enter God's Kingdom.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
However, this thought continues through v.8, and the other two references to the new birth come exclusively as a work of the Holy Spirit (v.6, 8) rather than baptism and the work of the Spirit.
I’ll clear up a misconception about John 3:5 as long as we’re here.
At first glance you might think that Jesus is talking about the need to be physically born, with the reference to “water” picturing the amniotic fluid in the womb.
However, that’s not likely what Jesus was talking about here since the two nouns “water and Spirit” are the object of just one verb, “born” and one preposition “of.”
If Jesus were talking about two events, physical birth, and spiritual birth, it seems that He would have said, “born of water and born of the Spirit.”
Scripture uses the word “water” as a reference to the inner cleansing by God.
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Jesus, like others in Scripture, compares the work of the Holy Spirit to being washed with water.
2. At Paul’s conversion Ananias told Paul to be baptized and call on Jesus' name to be saved.
2. At Paul’s conversion Ananias told Paul to be baptized and call on Jesus' name to be saved.
‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
Although there are two commands in this verse, “be baptized” and call “on His name” the washing away of sins is the result of “calling on His name” only.
This idea is further strengthened when you look at other passages where both salvation and baptism are mentioned.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
· This thought begins in v.23, and the context is about salvation being by faith (cf. v.24-26), not salvation by faith and baptism.
3. Baptism follows salvation as an act of obedience.
3. Baptism follows salvation as an act of obedience.
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
(cf. Matthew 28:18-20)
C. What’s the purpose of baptism?
C. What’s the purpose of baptism?
In short, baptism is a sign of God’s covenant with those who have become Christians by faith in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is helpful in understanding this question.
The Rainbow
“I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations;
The rainbow in the sky is a sign (symbol) of the covenant God made never again to destroy the earth through a flood.
Circumcision
“This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.
Circumcision was a sign of the covenant that God made with Abraham to give him descendants, land, and that his family would be a blessing to all the earth. (Genesis 17:1-14, 18:17-19)
Israel keeping the Sabbath.
“But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
‘So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’
God didn’t save people because of or through these signs; rather their purpose was to be a reminder of God’s promises that the people’s faith would be strengthened.
In a similar way, baptism is also a sign of the New Covenant God has made in Jesus.
The Old Testament speaks of the New Covenant that God would make.
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
The New Covenant is instituted in the New Testament.
For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Jesus, as the promised Messiah came to inaugurate the New Covenant through His death and resurrection.
In this New Covenant, those who repent and believe Jesus have their sins forgiven and are given a new heart that Loves God and is Law His Law, and we’re indwelt with the Holy Spirit.
Baptism, along with the Lord’s Supper is a sign of the New Covenant.
Baptism, along with the Lord’s Supper is a sign of the New Covenant.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
At least three things are happening in baptism.
At least three things are happening in baptism.
1. The Christian’s obedience to Jesus' command. (Matthew 28:18-20)
1. The Christian’s obedience to Jesus' command. (Matthew 28:18-20)
2. Baptism encourages Christians.
2. Baptism encourages Christians.
· The fellowship of seeing another person that God has supernaturally raised to life.
· The Christian who hasn’t been baptized is encouraged to do so.
3. Baptism testifies to the unbeliever to repent and follow Jesus.
3. Baptism testifies to the unbeliever to repent and follow Jesus.
D. Do you have to baptized by immersion?
D. Do you have to baptized by immersion?
There are three primary reasons to understand that biblical baptism means to immerse under water.
1. Linguistically immersion is what is intended.
1. Linguistically immersion is what is intended.
a) There are two verbs used in the New Testament that teach baptism by immersion.
· “bapto” is used four times and means to dip, to dip into (as in dipping a cloth into dye.
· “baptizo” is used several times in the New Testament and it means to submerge or dunk under water.
b) The noun used in the New Testament is “baptismos” and refers to a Christian who is immersed into the water.
Each time you read the word baptize or baptism you are accurate to substitute the word “immersion.”
2. Contextually immersion is the most natural understanding of the text.
2. Contextually immersion is the most natural understanding of the text.
Matthew 3:5-6
Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
No reason to go all the way from Jerusalem to the Jordan River if you’re just going to sprinkle water.
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
“went up immediately from the water” Jesus was down in the water. Why be in the water if you’re not being immersed?
John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized—
“much water” You only need much water if you’re immersing people.
And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.
He went “down into the water” and he “came up out of the water.”
3. Theologically immersion fits best with the picture of what baptism symbolizes.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Baptism pictures being buried with Christ and resurrected to new life.