What Does it Mean to be Baptist- Believers Baptism

Three Reasons why people attend a Baptist Church

Conditioning- Family Identity

Convenience- You like what they have to offer “right now”

Conviction- Baptist because it is what you believe most accurately represents what the Bible teaches.

Baptists hold most beliefs in common with other orthodox (true, bible based) churches

Trinity

The Solas

Inerrancy of Scripture

Deity of Jesus

The Resurrection

So what sets us apart?

The focus of today will be Believer’s Baptism.

What does the Bible Say?

Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Acts 2:41 “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

Acts 10:47–48 ““Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.”

Acts 16:15 “And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.”

Romans 6:2–5 “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

Baptism represents the union I have with the death and resurrection of Christ.

It represents that the old me has been buried and that I have been spiritually raised to life through my faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 4:5 “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”

Baptism is our mark of entry into the people of God.

A general summary of Baptism from the Bible would be that it is for those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord. It represents the spiritual resurrection that has happened to them, and it is the way that they are recognized by the church as belonging to Jesus.

Why do some churches baptize babies?

Some reference places where entire “households” were baptized.

Generally around these verses it will be clear that those who were baptized were the people who received the Word, believed, and repented.

So go so far to say that it wipes away original sin, but the Bible makes it clear that faith comes by hearing the Word.

Others try to make the connection that the New Covenant is simply a greater expansion on the Old.

The sign of the Old Covenant was circumcision and the sign that you are a member of the New Covenant is baptism.

This makes sense because it is supposed to represent the union I have with Jesus.

Paedobaptists (believers in infant baptism) try to argue that just like children were included in the Old covenant, that they are members of the New Covenant. Or, they are at least treated like they are.

So it boils down to this, baptism is for those who are in the New Covenant, so in order to answer who its for we need to see who the Bible says are members of the New Covenant.

Hebrews 8:6–13

Key Takeways-

V. 10-12: If you are a member of the New Covenant, this means you know God, and He has forgiven your sins.

This is only true of believers.

V.13: The Old covenant is obsolete and has been replaced by the new which is comprised of only Christians.

The Verdict: The Bible demonstrates that Baptism was performed on believers as a sign that they have become members of the New Covenant through faith in Christ. Thus, only those who have been born again should be baptized.