Let's discuss Baptism

When most people talk about being baptized, they strictly refer to water baptism. For many, this equates to salvation, but that is not true; water baptism never saved anyone. There is a baptism that saves, and that is the one I want to discuss.

Baptize by definition means to immerse, submerge. It also means to dip.

Baptism into death

In Romans 6:3-11 we read, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into his death? We were buried 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 death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in 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. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Our lives in Christ must be a life of imitation. Paul clearly reveals this in the preceding verses. Paul using the temporary sign gift of revelatory knowledge[1] explains to us what the purpose was for Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

Jesus’ death served two purposes. First, Jesus died for God. “In what way” you may ask. Jesus had to die to satisfy the Father’s wrath and hatred against sin. Sin always will result in death. And since Christ became our substitute he willingly gave up his life for ours. So in this sense, Jesus had to die as an act of obedience to his Father. The cross was the alter by which he offered a perfect sacrifice to God. By the way, Jesus regarded his death as a baptism; no water involved (Luke 12:50).

Secondly, Jesus died to take away the sins of all those who would believe in him and grant them eternal life.

Now, what does Paul mean that we have been baptized into Jesus’ death? Paul is speaking metaphorically of course. This baptism into death is one of identification with our Lord, but make no mistake, it is a real death; the death of the old man of sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, we were too – as a new man in Christ. The old man of sin was buried.

That is why the scripture admonishes, reminds and warns us to live holy now that we have been converted.

Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Ephesians 4:22, “That you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Jesus’ death (or baptism) was for the conversion of sinners to live like him in this world so that others who are affected by our righteous living can also be brought into the body of Christ.

Now that we have been raised to new life through baptism, we must reckon ourselves dead to sin in as much it no longer has dominion over us, and alive to God who we joyfully serve as a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17).

Putting it another way the old man with his sinful ways cannot serve God because he is of the flesh which represents death, and the new man who is redeemed and alive to God cannot serve the flesh. It's illogical, why would a living person serve a dead one? The dead cannot respond.

Do you see the radical change Christ has conferred upon us? He literally has taken away eternal death from us and buried it in ground, and in exchange given us eternal life now! We will experience the fullness of our salvation when we are glorified in his holy presence. I for one can hardly wait!

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Simply it is when a sinner is converted and brought into the body of Christ. It is another way of saying someone is saved. One cannot be Spirit baptized without being saved; they are synonymous. Contrary to popular belief by those in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, babbling in unintelligible speech (or what many regard as speaking in tongues), is not evidence someone has been baptized by the Spirit. How do I know this? Because in the first century when that temporary sign gift of was operative, not all spoke in tongues (1 Cor 12:30).

In 1 Corinthians 12:13 we read, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and have been made to drink into one Spirit.”

When one is Spirit baptized, they have acknowledged they are a sinner in need of Savior to wash away their sins. There are many references to this baptism. Let’s look at a few.

Ezekiel 36:24-25: “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out from all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.”

Titus 3:4-6: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom he poured on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Ephesians 1:7: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Ephesians 5:25-26; “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word.”

Revelation 1:5b: “To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

And one thousand years before Christ King David said, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity” (Psalm 32:1-2).

Water Baptism

The purpose of water baptism is to declare publicly what has happened to one inwardly. It can never take away sins. When we are water baptized, we are identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The old man of sin is dead and buried in the grave, and the new redeemed man is the one brought back from the dead. This coming out of the water is symbolic of the new birth. When John the Baptist was on the scene, he was baptizing people so they could acknowledge their sin – a baptism of repentance, (Matt 3:6), and to wait for the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

So for those reading this article who may have been baptized perhaps as a child or even as an adult, and you never repented of sin, and believed on Christ for salvation, your baptismal did not mean anything.

Once one is saved, then baptism makes sense.

In conclusion, there at least four baptisms in scripture. 1. There is John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance. This baptism no longer exists. 2. There is Jesus’ baptism of suffering and death mentioned in Luke 12:50. 3. There is the sinner’s baptism into the body of Christ (I Cor 12:13). 4. There is the sacrament of water baptism of the Christian identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of their Lord (Acts 2:41;8:38;10:47-48).

---

[1] This gift was endowed by the Holy Spirit to the gospel writers to dispense revelation that had never been given before. Once the N.T. scriptures were complete, this gift ceased to operate (1 Cor 13:8).