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Ezekiel 36:
Prayer
Introduction
Since we just finished up our series on Jonah, and since we celebrated a baptism this morning, I thought it might be helpful teach on baptism.
After all, we are Baptists, so it only makes sense that we would discuss the topic at least once in a while.
There is a sense in which I am preaching to the choir this morning – preaching about baptism to Baptists, so this is not going to be an in-depth argument for a Baptist view of baptism although there will be some of that.
The reality is that for nearly 500 years, Baptists have been having this discussion with non-Baptists, so I doubt one short sermon is going to be able to plumb the depths of those discussions.
So again, this is not a polemical sermon against paedobaptists, but a positive (though brief) message of what Baptists believe about baptism.
Scripture
We will be looking at a number of passages this morning as we consider a theology of baptism, but perhaps one of the most central passages on baptism is which we will be our sermon passage this morning.
If you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s Word.
We do this to show appreciation to God for His Word and in recognition that these are among the most important Words we can possibly hear today.
says,
“What shall we say then?
Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
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.
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
Thank you, you may be seated.
Sermon
I think the first thing we should do is define what we mean by baptism.
There should be a basic definition of Baptism in your bulletin which we will use as something of an outline for the rest of the sermon itself.
So, what is baptism?
Baptism is a church ordinance wherein a believer is publicly immersed in water signifying their union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.
I don’t think that this definition is all that can be said about baptism, certainly longer, more precise definitions could be made, but I believe that this is the minimum that can be said.
This definition covers the big points, at least from the perspective of someone who holds to believer’s baptism.
How does one go about baptizing?
What does baptism look like?
It requires the immersion of a person (a believer) in water.
Why immersion, why not just sprinkling or pouring or something like that?
There are three main reasons.
First of all, words have meanings.
Greek words have meaning and the Greek word for baptism literally means to submerge or immerse.
Secondly, in New Testament baptisms, we see submersion taking place.
Look at Jesus’ baptism in
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
We see similar language in when Philip baptizes the Ethiopian Eunuch.
They see that there is much water.
They go down into it and rise up out of it.
It is hard to rise up out of water, if a person has not been submerged into the water.
The third reason that we immerse people is because it better represents what has happened.
Baptism is the Gospel in a picture.
A person dies with Christ, is buried, and is raised to walk in newness of life.
Immersion paints that picture more vividly than sprinkling or pouring or other forms.
We have “what” and “how” covered, so now let’s look at who.
Who may or should be baptized, and who baptizes?
The short answer to that question is believers.
Those who have been saved.
Who have repented of their sin and are trusting in Christ should be baptized.
We see that over and over again as the model in the New Testament.
For example, look at which says,
“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
Or look at which says,
Or again at which says,
Even our passage this morning in assumes that those who had been baptized were believers.
Paul’s argument is basically, that you’ve been baptized into Christ, so why would you continue sinning.
If everyone – believers and unbelievers and children alike – had been baptized, the thrust of Paul’s argument is largely blunted.
Paul has no category for those who have been baptized but are not believers.
One last passage and we will stop beating this dead horse and move to another.
The Great Commission in says,
“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.”
What we see in that passage is that the “them” who are to be baptized and taught is not all nations, but is disciples made from all nations.
That is to say, disciples – students, followers of Christ, believers – are to be baptized.
There is a second question within the concept of “Who”.
Can just anyone baptize someone else?
The short answer is no.
Baptism is a church ordinance that involves not just the person being baptized, but also the covenant community that they are being baptized into.
This is actually a really important point and concept that other important church doctrines are connected to, and unfortunately we don’t have the time to dive too deeply into it.
So, let me be as succinct as possible.
is clear that the church is the people of the New Covenant.
Baptism is the initial covenantal sign.
Much like circumcision was in the Old Covenant, in the New Covenant, Baptism marks or separates the people of God from the rest of the world.
But, the New Covenant is a different covenant than the Old.
The church is not meant to be a mixed multitude.
In Israel, there were those who were born Israelites, but who were not actually of true Israel – who were not circumcised of heart.
In the New Covenant, that is not the case.
If you are united to Christ (in His death, burial and resurrection), then you are part of the New Covenant and therefore part of the covenant community – the church.
This is why Baptists have historically practiced church discipline.
If a person shows themselves to not actually be a believer through unrepentant sin, then they are separated from the covenant community – with the hope that they will realize their sin and return.
That is why we expect people to be baptized before they become members.
Only those who have been united with Christ – who are believers – should be members.
People proclaim their union with Christ through Baptism – More on that later.
It is the church that Christ gave the Keys of the Kingdom to.
The church has great power in affirming or rejecting a person’s profession of faith by inspecting their fruit.
Faith which is not connected intimately to a local church is a dubious faith – at best.
I want to unpack a concept really quickly, then we will move on to “why”.
While faith and repentance is a personal act by definition, salvation is not only a private and personal act.
Remember all those verses earlier where people believed and then were baptized?
Baptism is an outward sign of an inward work.
The biblical response to the Gospel is first, repentance and faith, and then baptism.
This is really an important point.
In Scripture, the way we profess our faith, - the way we tell people that we are Christians – is through baptism.
Biblically, it is not repeating a prayer, or walking down an aisle, or giving a testimony or any other thing that is our profession of faith.
Baptism is our profession of faith.
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