--“That which is born of the flesh is flesh” – Physical life by our Mothers (childbirth)
--“that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” – Spiritual life
by the Holy Spirit (baptism)
Every First-Century
Believer was Baptized
Let me begin by making a few concise statements of what the
Bible affirms concerning baptism:
1. The word baptism is a transliteration of a Greek word
that literally means immersion
2. Every believer in the first century was baptized, and
those who weren’t were commanded to
3. *The Bible affirms that baptism is our only guarantee of
salvation
Will
someone be saved that was not baptized? I don’t know . . . Probably . . .
The Bible affirms in the book of
Acts that there were some people who received the Holy Spirit that had not been
baptized, but we must admit that they were/are the exception, not the rule. Let
me explain why I teach that baptism is our only guarantee (and of course I am
assuming that the baptized individuals that we are talking about are true
believers who have repented of their sins and confessed Christ as Lord and
Savior).
Eph 1:13-14 states what as the
guarantee of our inheritance? The gift of the Holy Spirit
When does the Bible teach that you
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Baptism Acts 2:38
Romans 6:1-4
In Rom 5:20 we can see that the Law was given that sin may
be known. And it has been proven by the Apostle and by our experience that
humanity is made up of sinners. Sin has abounded to the present time. But the
New Testament teaches that grace has met every sin. Not only does grace reverse
sin, but it does much more. The question now becomes, should we
continue in sin that grace may abound? The answer is non-negotiable and firm –
Certainly not!
The main point of chapter six and the chief concern for the
Christian is that we are dead to sin. Why does the Apostle want to use
the language of death on this point? First, it creates an immediate tie with
the death of Christ. Second, it marks a decisive and final break in one’s state
of being. Christians have a decisive break with sin. We are not only spared
from the penalty due to sin, but we are no longer controlled by the power of
sin.
The main question today is, when can we say that we died to
sin? The Apostle says in baptism.
As sin has the power to control us, so does the death of
Christ. His atoning work has the power to save us from the wrath of God.
Something Special
When I was baptized, and I can probably safely assume that
when you were baptized, we didn’t know exactly everything that was taking
place. We had a good idea of what God was doing, but as we have grown in Christ
we have a better idea today. There are many that claim that baptism is nothing
more than an act of obedience. I beg to differ! Something special happens at
the time of baptism. The New Testament affirms the continual practice of
baptism and it describes the significance of it. The great Reformer, Martin
Luther, said, One is baptized so that he
“may receive in the water the promised salvation” (Cottrell). God meets us in
the water to do a mighty work in our souls. Baptism is neither a work on our
part nor on the part of the minister, but it is a work of God Almighty.
Conclusion
You may be surprised to find out that, “. . . the entire
Christian world for the first 1,500 years of its history was in agreement:
water baptism is the God-appointed time when he first gives saving grace to
sinners” (Cottrell). The common view of baptism today began around A.D. 1523.
What is it that we usually hear from denominations on the subject? Something to
the effect of, baptism is an outward sign
of an inward work. Most denominations today claim that baptism is not
necessary for any part of salvation. The only importance that it has is its
representation.
Yet, we want to teach and practice everything the Bible
teaches about baptism. We are not interested in making it more important than
Scripture does, but we are not going to “water it down” either (excuse the
pun). Therefore, baptism is not simply for church membership, or obedience, or
to illustrate new birth (it does all those things), but it is primarily to
unite us with Christ Himself. Baptism is the extraordinary moment when we break
with sin and become united with Christ as His Spirit comes to dwell within!
As you stand in the waters of baptism with a repentant
heart- you die with Christ; as you are immersed in the watery grace of baptism-
you are buried with Him; and as you come out of the water- you are raised to a
new life in the likeness of His resurrection. If you believe, but have never
been baptized, then let’s do it today. Give your self to Christ and receive
life.