By oldhermit
I. What is Baptism?
The word baptize comes from the Greek word βαπτίζω – bap-tid'-zo. This is a verb meaning to dip, plunge, or immerse. The following definition is taken from the Thayer's Greek Lexicon, 1981 edition. “To cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water.” When the word baptize is used in conjunction with the directional preposition εἰς - meaning into, it stresses the direction into which the immersion takes us. For example: In Matthew 28:19, the apostles were charged by Jesus to baptize disciples 'into' the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, baptism places one 'into' the possession of God. In Galatians 3:27, Paul tells the Christians at Galatia that having been baptized 'into' Jesus they are thereby clothed with Christ.
Baptism then serves as a connecting agent that unites us with Jesus. In 1Corinthians 12:13, Paul says that we were baptized 'into' one body. Baptism then is what supplies one entrance into the Church – the body of Christ being the Church. In Acts 2: 38, Peter says that baptism is 'into' the remission of sin. Immersion into Jesus Christ then, is a transference of one into the removal of sin.
II. Baptism is a Revealed Symbol
The idea of revealed symbols is a subject that we will discuss in another study but, for now, I think it is important that we understand the function of baptism as a revealed symbol. Symbols always represent something beyond themselves. A revealed symbol is an image or a representation that is provided to man by God to help him understand the significance of an action, a behavior, or an object and serves to connect the symbol to the unseen reality that is represented by the symbol. As an act, the symbol of baptism is simply the complete immersion of an individual in water. As a representation however, baptism creates a picture of something that is much greater than the physical act itself.
A. In Romans 6: 3- 6, Paul reveals to us the representations connected to the act of immersion. Immersion is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” When one submits to the act of immersion, one is personally engaging in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus. In baptism one is:
1. United with the death of Christ. “All of us who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into his death.”
2. United with the burial of Christ. “We are therefore buried with him by baptism into death.”
3. United in the resurrection of Christ. “We are also raised in the likeness of his resurrection.”
This is very striking imagery. By going down into the water, one is participating in the death of Christ. As one is immersed under the water, one is participating in the burial of Christ. As one is raised out of the water, one is participating in the resurrection of Christ. Immersion then is a symbol that connects us to the cross as we are crucified with Christ. It is the blood of Jesus that saves men from sin and Paul explains that immersion is the symbol that connects us to the cross. This is the only place one may come into contact with the blood. It is here that “our old self is crucified with him that our body of sin might be done away with.” It is also important to understand that baptism is a symbol of obligation on the part of the individual for Paul goes on to say in verse six, “that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” We are obligated to leave behind us the sinful behaviors of our past and to no longer engage in those things because we are now dead to sin. Our obligation now is to walk a new life. In verse 13, Paul charges us not to “go on presenting the members of our bodies to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness.” As such, we are now to consider ourselves “slaves of righteousness,” verse 18.
B. In Colossians 2:11-13, Paul links the idea of circumcision (which is also a revealed symbol) to the symbol of baptism. “In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your bwhole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the circumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” Just as fleshly circumcision is the removal of the foreskin from the flesh, immersion represents the removal of sin from the individual. This is accomplished by God in the act of baptism as an act of “faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead.” Before one is baptized, one is dead in sin. Immersion represents a change in one's spiritual status. “He made you alive together with him having forgiven all your transgressions.” There is much more to learn regarding baptism as a revealed symbol but this will suffice for now. For now it is only important that we introduce the basics of the idea.
III. What Does God Accomplish for Us in the Act of Baptism?
A. God takes away our sin, Acts 2:28; 22:16, Romans 6:3, and Colossians 2:11. God removes that which prevents us from being reunited with God.
B. God brings us into Christ, Romans 6:3-6. This makes us his possession.
C. God clothes us with Christ, Galatians 3:27. We are now able to share in his righteousness.
D. God adds us to the body of Christ, 1Corinthians 12:13. He makes us part of a body of fellowship that God has called his people.
E. God makes us a new creature in Christ, Romans 6:3-21, Colossians 2:11-13. He has given us new life by destroying the old man of sin and recreating us in the image of God.
F. God frees us from the bondage of sin, Romans 6:3-21. We are now privileged to be servants of righteous and of the Most High God. We no longer have to be held in bondage to the sin that once enslaved us.
G. God saves us and gives us a clean conscience, 1Peter 3:18-21. We no longer have to be tormented in our minds because God has saved us from the sin that plagued our hearts.
IV. What is it that Saves a Person?
There is a variety of elements the Bible speaks of as being part of the salvation process. These include:
A. Faith, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8.
B. Belief, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.” Acts 16:31.
C. Confession, “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10.
D. Baptism, “The like figure unto which even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” 1Peter 3:2.
E. Hope, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Romans 8:24-25.
F. Grace, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8.
G. The gospel, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and in which you stand; By which also you are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.” 1Corinthians. 15:1-2.
H. And even fear, “and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 23.
It is not intended that anyone should choose one of these elements and disregard the others. One cannot for instance, choose to only believe without any regard for confessing Jesus as Lord and Christ and declare himself saved. One cannot simply choose to be baptized and disregard faith and declare himself saved. Jesus said, “man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. Faith, belief, confession, baptism, hope, grace and fear all have their divinely appointed function within the framework of ones' salvation. To disregard or to marginalize the importance of any one these elements represents a disregard for what God tells us in scripture. Any one of these alone will save no one. The exercise of all of them will save anyone. God has ordained all of these things to work together so man can “...be reconciled to God. For he has made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2Corinthians 5:21-22. We must remember that God offers salvation to man God's own terms and not ours. If we choose to deviate from the terms and conditions which God has provided we can not hope to receive the benefits that are connected to them.
