I recently began a new sermon series called Commit at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. This post is based off of the second sermon in that series, which you can listen to here. I was helped by two books as I prepared this sermon: Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamieson and Going Under by Jim Elliff.
Sermon Text: Various Scriptures
In our last post, I argued that the local church is not optional for a believer and that we are required by Scripture to join and commit to a local church. We saw this paradigm in Acts 2:36-47.
We saw that the preaching of the gospel creates the church. As the gospel is preached, it demands a response. Those who are convicted of their sin are commanded to repent of their sin and trust in the person and work of Christ. After trusting in Christ, these new believers receive the Holy Spirit and are baptized. Those who were baptized were “added” to the church’s membership.
Acts 2:41
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
After trusting in Jesus, the first step of obedience is to be baptized. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
BIG IDEA: The first step of obedience to Christ after salvation is to be baptized.
In my post today, I have three objectives. The first, is that if you are a professing Christian but have not been baptized, then I want to show you from the Scriptures that you need to be baptized. The second objective is to help all of us better understand what baptism is and why it’s required for church membership. Third, I want you to be able to understand when baptism isn’t really baptism.
We must be baptized because Christ commands it (Matt 28:18-20)
Matt 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.”
After Jesus was resurrected and sometime before He ascended back to the Father, He gave His disciples what we call the Great Commission. First, He told them that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him (v. 18). Then, He commissioned them to make disciples by going with the good news of the gospel, baptizing those who respond in faith, and then teaching them to obey the commands of Christ (vv. 19-20).
Surely anyone can read this passage and see that the first act of obedience for a new convert is to be baptized. After a new convert is baptized, he is to be taught (or discipled) to obey Jesus in all of life for the rest of life.
Throughout the book of Acts, we see the apostles obeying this command of Christ. They spread the gospel and as they see people converted to Christ, those people were baptized. That’s exactly what we saw last week in Acts 2.
Acts 2:38 – Peter to those Jews gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Acts 2:41
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
If you read the rest of Acts, you’ll see this same pattern:
- The gospel is proclaimed.
- People are converted.
- These converts are baptized.
- These new believers are organized into churches.
So, the first thing we see is that we are commanded by Christ to be baptized. Next, I want to teach you about baptism.
What Baptism Is – A Definition of Baptism
What is baptism? Here’s a definition of baptism from a book called Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamieson:
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
Bobby Jamieson, Understanding Baptism
What I’m going go to do for the rest of our this post is to unpack this definition and hopefully help you more fully understand baptism and its importance for individual Christians as well as the church.
What if you were in a swimming pool and your friend came up and dunked you in the water and said, “You’ve been baptized.” My guess is that you would probably have some reservations. You would rightly suppose that your friend is wrong. But why?
The first part of our definition says that baptism is a church’s act.
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
Typically, we think of baptism as more of an individual act – “You need to get baptized in order to publicly identify with Christ.” Baptism is not something that you do to yourself. There are two parties involved and both parties proclaim something through the act of baptism. Certainly, baptism is a believer’s act, but it’s also a church’s act.
Matt 16:18-19
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus tells Peter and the rest of his disciples that he will build His church upon them. Ephesians 2:20 says that the apostles are the foundation of the church. But notice also, that Jesus gives the keys to the kingdom to his disciples. He goes further and says that whatever they bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever they loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
What Jesus is doing here is giving authority to his apostles (and by extension, true biblical churches). Jesus is in heaven right now, but the apostles, and later local churches have the authority to make judgments based on the Word of God. Said another way – Jesus governs the church through His Word and churches are to be faithful to follow Jesus’ words.
In shorthand, Jesus is saying that local churches have authority from Him to bind and loose. One decision that churches make is who to baptize.
Churches have been given the authority to baptize, not individuals.
The main point here is that churches have been given the authority to baptize, not individuals. The only exception is when you are a missionary on the mission field, and you are the only Christian in a particular area. This is what we see in the case of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.
Even though baptism is performed by an individual such as a pastor, he is acting on behalf of the local church and under their authority.
So, baptism is a church’s act.
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
When a church baptizes someone, the church is affirming a believer’s profession of faith in Christ. As far as they can tell, the person being baptized has truly repented of his or her sin and placed his or her faith in Jesus.
Very few if any church gets it right 100% of the time. There will always be goats among the sheep and tares among the wheat. But Jesus knows who truly belong to Him and He will sort them out at the final judgment (Matt 25:31-46). As a church, we should do our due diligence to discern whether or not someone has truly been united with Christ. Therefore, as your pastor, I will personally meet with anyone before baptizing them.
So, the church affirms a believer’s union with Christ through baptism. In addition, baptism portrays a believer’s union with Christ.
Rom 6:3-5
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.
In this passage, Paul is saying that believers, because of their union with Christ, experience their own death and resurrection. As Christ died for sin, we have died to sin because we are in Him. As Christ was resurrected, we are raised to walk in newness of life.
Does this happen because of baptism? No. It is our spiritual union with Christ that brings about these benefits, but water baptism provides an outward sign of an inward reality.
Water baptism provides an outward sign of an inward reality.
Because we have come to know Christ, we have died to sin (Gal 2:20). Because we have been united to Christ, we have new life and one day we will experience a physical resurrection. By going down into the water, we act out the death and burial of our old selves. By coming up out of the water, we act out our being raised to new life in Christ. This beautiful picture is lost by those who sprinkle rather than immerse, which is our next topic of discussion.
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
Why do we as Baptists believe that immersion, rather than sprinkling or pouring, is required for baptism?
Three Reasons Baptism Requires Immersion[1]Jim Elliff’s book Going Under helped me here.
First, there is the meaning of the word “baptize” in its original language (Gk. baptizo). Baptizo has been transliterated instead of translated. The word baptizo means to immerse. So why was baptizo transliterated instead of translated? The reason is that when the Bible was translated into English in the 14th and 16th centuries, too many powerful people (one being King James) had already been sprinkled. Therefore, the translators didn’t want to offend King James, who paid for the translation into English.
John Calvin, a leader of the Protestant Reformation (and supporter of infant baptism) said this about the word baptizo:
The very word baptize, however, signifies to immerse; and it is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient Church.[2]Allen translation of Calvin’s Institutes, p. 599.
It wasn’t until 1311 that the Catholic Church officially changed the form of baptism from immersion to sprinkling and it wasn’t until 1644 that the Presbyterians approved sprinkling instead of immersion. Even when they approved the change, it only passed by one vote (25-24).
The very first act of sprinkling on record happened in A.D. 250. A man was on his deathbed and wished to be baptized. Since he was too sick to be immersed, they poured a bunch of water on him. They didn’t just sprinkle, the poured water over him profusely.
So, the first reason we immerse is because of the meaning of the word baptize, which comes from the Greek word baptizo.
Second, we see clearly that immersion is what happened in the New Testament.
Much water was used (John 3:23)
John 3:23
John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized.
People came to the water (Acts 8:36).
People went down into the water (Acts 8:38).
People came up out of the water (Mark 1:9-10; Acts 8:39).
Acts 8:36-39
And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
Mark 1:9-10
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.
Third, immersion rightly pictures what has happened to the believer spiritually.
This is what we just talked about when we discussed Romans 6. Baptism by immersion is a picture of us dying to sin and being raised to walk in newness of life. This picture of a death and resurrection is only possible through immersion.
So, baptism is done by immersion. We previously saw that baptism is a church’s act. Now, we see that baptism is also a believer’s act.
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
Baptism is only for those who believe in Jesus. It is the first act of obedience for a new Christian. Some churches teach that you are not saved until you are baptized. Friends, baptism does not save you. Water baptism has no power to change us spiritually. I want to show you quickly that in the New Testament, believers were baptized.
Matt 28:18-20 – Once again, we’re told to make disciples by going with the gospel and then baptizing those who respond.
Acts 2:41
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Those gathered at Pentecost who repented (Acts 2:38) and believed (“received his word”) were the ones who were baptized.
Acts 9:17-18
So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;
Before Paul was baptized, he was called brother and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44-47 – Gentiles are converted and receive the Holy Spirit.
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
We see the same thing we see in Acts 2. Peter preached the word. The Holy Spirit fell on these folks and they were converted. Here in Acts 10, Peter and the rest of the Jewish believers were astounded and immediately recognize that these are new believers. Therefore, they should be baptized!
The consistent witness of the New Testament points to the fact that believers in Jesus are the ones being baptized. You don’t get baptized to become a believer. You get baptized because you are a believer. The physical act of baptism doesn’t save us, but the mercy of God. Look at Titus 3:4-5.
Titus 3:4-5
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
Baptism doesn’t wash away our sins. Regeneration of the Holy Spirit does. Baptism pictures outwardly what has happened inwardly.
Baptism is a believer’s act. But what does baptism accomplish for the believer? That’s the next part of our discussion.
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
When a believer is baptized, he is going public with his faith. When a big-name professional athlete signs with another team, the first thing that happens is the team has a press conference and gives him a jersey with the team’s name on it. That’s what is happening in baptism.
Baptism is a believer’s public declaration that he belongs to Jesus. Friends, there are no secret disciples of Jesus. We are to follow Jesus in plain sight and the world should know who we belong to. Baptism is where we publicly declare and commit to Christ and his people.
Baptism is one way that we acknowledge Jesus before men in obedience to Matthew 10:32. When we are baptized, we are in a sense swearing an oath of allegiance to King Jesus. Recalling the Great Commission, we have heard the gospel. We have received the gospel. We have been baptized. Now, we are to observe (obey) all that Jesus has commanded.
Notice also, that we are not just committing to Christ. We also are committing to his people.
Recall once again Acts 2:41.
Acts 2:41
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
To be united to Christ is to become a member of His body. To join ourselves to Jesus is to join His people and commit to loving, serving, and submitting to them. Baptism is where a believer publicly commits to Christ and his people.
Finally, through baptism, believers are united to the church and marked off from the world.
Baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing himself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him from the world.
When someone is baptized, both the believer and the church are making a statement. The believer is declaring that he belongs to Christ and he is willing to submit to Christ’s people. The church is declaring that they believe that the person being baptized is truly a Christian and that based on that credible profession they are receiving him into their membership.
As a church baptizes a new believer, he is marked off from the world. When the church baptizes a believer, they are saying to the world, “Look here! This one belongs to Jesus!” He is given the jersey of Christ. He no longer belongs to the kingdom of darkness. He has joined the kingdom of light. He belongs to Jesus.
Conclusion
This morning, we’ve seen that baptism is commanded by Christ for believers. If we profess faith in Christ, then we’re commanded to be baptized.
I’ve given you many Scriptures to give you a biblical view of baptism.
As we conclude today, I want to give you some examples of when baptism isn’t really baptism.
The first is if you were “baptized” as an infant. We’ve seen that baptism is by immersion and is for believers. Even though churches might use the word baptism, by definition, it was not a baptism.
Second, perhaps you were “baptized” before you truly became a Christian. Some people were “baptized” at a young age but later come to realize that they were not saved when they were baptized. Remember, only true believers are to be baptized. Therefore, if you were not a Christian at the time of your “baptism”, your “baptism” wasn’t baptism. But you should only be “re-baptized” if you are strongly convinced you were not a Christian when you were baptized.
Third, perhaps you were baptized at a church that does not preach the true gospel. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If you were baptized at a church that doesn’t preach salvation by grace through faith, then a “baptism” by a gospel-denying church is not really baptism.
The fourth example is when your baptism has no connection to a church. Where there are gospel preaching churches, new believers should be baptized in connection with one of those churches. The location of the baptism, whether it’s in a church building or a pool or a river isn’t important. What is important is that the gathered church is affirming this believer as a Christian and that the believer is making a public profession before the believers he will be committing to as a member.
If one of these four scenarios fits you, then I would encourage you to visit with your church’s elders (pastors) and receive their counsel.
In closing, baptism expresses several truths.[3]Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 35-39 When we’re baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are proclaiming that God is triune and that all three persons of the Trinity share in the work of salvation.
When we are baptized, it is a visible picture that our sins have been washed away. The water that washes the body is a picture of the cleansing that the soul has experienced.
When we’re baptized, it is a picture of our union with Christ. We have been united with Christ in His death and His resurrection. It’s a picture of the new life we have in Jesus. We have died to ourselves and we have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Have you trusted in Christ?
Have you publicly committed yourself to Christ and His church through believer’s baptism?
As a church, we need to take great care regarding who we baptize.