Baptism
"You must be born again . . . "
John 3
What does the Bible say?
Jesus Commanded It
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' " (Matthew 28:18-20)
"Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' " (John 3:5)
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16)
It Is Only For Those Who Have Believed in Jesus Christ
"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41, after Peter's message of Christ)
"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8:12)
"Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, 'See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?' And Philip said, 'If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.' And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." (Acts 8:35-38)
"One of those listening was a woman named Lydia . . . The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' " (Acts 16:14-15)
What does Baptism mean?
God's love for you is based on what Jesus did for you on the cross and can never change. If your faith is in Christ alone, your salvation is complete in His grace and mercy. (Romans 3:22-24; 9:30-33; Ephesians 2:8-9)
However: Baptism is a step of obedience to the One who gave His life for you, and Scripture shows it as an integral part of salvation. According to Scripture, you cannot have one without the other - there is no middle ground. Throughout both the Old and New Testament, we are told that those who truly believe in God are those who obey His commands. And this commandment of baptism comes directly from Jesus, Himself. (see Matthew 28:18-20; John 3:5; Mark 16:15-16)
In Acts 2:38, it is said that repentance and baptism are "unto the remission of sins", and in Acts 22:16, under the figure of washing, that baptism takes away sin; in Titus 3:5, that we are saved by the "washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit"; and in I Peter 3:21, that baptism "saves" us. We are said to be "baptized into Christ" (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3) and in baptism, to "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27); and we are told that through faith we become "sons of God" when we are "baptized into Christ" (Galatians 3:27-28). In Romans 6:3-6 we are taught that in baptism we put off the old life and enter upon the new; and in Acts 2:38 baptism is said to be a condition of the reception of the Holy Spirit.
On the subject of Mark 16:16, Dr. R.C.H. Lenski writes: "Both acts (belief and baptism) would precede the future act of salvation; and the meaning would be that the moment one comes to faith and baptism, salvation would be his. . . . For one thing, faith and baptism always go together; the moment a man believes he will want and will have baptism. By believing he clings to the gospel, and part of that gospel is baptism. But believing is subjective, the act of baptism is objective. They go together in this way. Baptism cannot, therefore, be a mere sign or symbol that bestows nothing. If it were no more it could not be so vitally connected with salvation. Baptism bestows and the believing baptized person accepts and receives this great 'salvation' from the Savior. For anyone who comes to faith, baptism is the great means of grace, i.e., the channel by which forgiveness, life and salvation are bestowed upon him. As he believes the Word, so he will demand all that the Word promises in baptism and thus the baptismal act itself. He who claims to believe but refuses and rejects baptism most surely deceives himself about believing; his could be only a highly pathological faith. . ."
According to Scripture, this true belief and baptism must be together. You cannot have one without the other and expect to obtain salvation. Baptism alone is of no value - there is no "magic" in getting wet. It is the belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as proscribed in Scripture that makes baptism efficacious. And, as Dr. Lenski reminds us, belief without baptism is not true belief.
At Fulton Union Christian Church, we will baptize only believers (no infants, who are not yet capable of belief) and we will baptize you by total immersion into the water. Why?
1. "baptizo" (Ancient Greek) = to immerse
2. It is a clear picture of our salvation - identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:3-4)
Should I be Baptized?
Here are some good reasons not to be baptized . . .
1. I want to be baptized, but I'm not sure what it means to receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.
2. The main reason I'm doing this is because someone else wants me to do it.
3. I want to be baptized so I can be part of the group.
4. I'm not sure what it means to be baptized.
Being baptized is a personal decision that you need to make. Here are some questions to ask yourself to see if you are ready for baptism. . .
1. Do I understand that I am a sinner, who needs to repent? Do I believe in Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior? Have I put my trust in Him, that He died to pay the penalty for my sin and rose from the dead, and because of my faith in Christ, I need to be obedient to Him as my Lord and Savior?
2. Do I understand that baptism is something that Christ commands everyone who believes in Him to do?
3. Do I understand what water baptism is a picture of - going under the water, being under the water, and coming back out of the water?
If you would like to pursue baptism, please speak with one of our elders: Bob Hasapes, Rex Hitts, Jim Irmen, or Pat Reckner.
"Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32)
To "confess" or "profess" (I Timothy 6:12-13; II John 1:7; Romans 10:10) means to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ, and our dependence on Him for salvation, and our attachment to Him, in every proper manner. This profession may be made in uniting with a church, participating in the memorial of the Lord's Supper, in conversation and in conduct. The Scriptures mean, by a profession of faith, an exhibition of it in every circumstance of life and before all people. It is not merely in one act that we must do it, but in every act. We must be ashamed neither of the Person, the character, the doctrines, nor the requirements of Christ. If we are; if we deny Him in these things before people; if we are unwilling to express our attachment to Him in every way possible, then it is right that He should disown all connection with us, or deny us before God, and He will do it.
Top of page Fulton Union Christian Church - 5232 County Rd. HJ - Delta, OH 43515
|
