THE PURPOSE OF WATER BAPTISM
If salvation is by grace, then it is, as
Ephesians 2:8-9 says –
not of works. This means that salvation from God is a gracious gift received by
faith. There is nothing needed in addition to faith, in order to be saved. So, when someone teaches that anything in addition to faith is necessary to qualify someone for salvation,
including water baptism, they are preaching different Gospel! (
2Cor. 11:4;
Galatians 1:6) This is called
Baptismal Regeneration. It is the idea that it is water baptism which actually saves someone.
Paul paints a picture of water baptism in Romans 6. In this passage, he describes a believer being identified with Christ in His death by being buried into the water. Paul says that just as Jesus was killed on the Cross then buried in His tomb, when the believer is baptised they are dying to their old way of life, and putting their life of sin to death. But as Jesus was raised from the dead, the believer is raised up from the water.
BAPTISM AS A COVENANT CEREMONY
The link between sealing a covenant and the act of water baptism is made by Paul in Colossians 2. He argues against circumcision by teaching that it was the sign of the Old Covenant. He goes on to say that it is water baptism which is the sealing of the New Covenant. A common type of a covenant was where two parties joined together in an exclusive life-long partnership. They gave each other the right to each other’s property and things. They exchanged symbols of their agreement to defend each other by an exchange of branded weapons (weapons identified as belonging to the other party). They blended their names. They publically pledged their devotion to each other. And they made an incision in their flesh from which they could let their blood mingle as a symbol of their union.
When we come to Christ, we enter into a commitment to have a relationship with Him. This commitment is converted into a covenant when we are baptised. In this sense, Water Baptism is more than symbolic, and without being sacerdotal (
the mediating magic of a priest), it is
sacramental. A sacrament is the term given for something that is –
(i) rich in symbolism;
(ii) ties together the past, the present, and the future; and
(iii) conveys a spiritual reality from Christ.
Water Baptism is indeed
rich in symbolism as described in
Romans 6:1-4 (the picture of the believer identifying with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection). It ties the past, present and future together by remembering Christ’s death (the past), celebrating the present (the new convert is being baptised now). And baptism looks to the future hope of our physical resurrection.
.