RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-11-17	Is Water Baptism Important?
		Christian baptism is one of two ordinances of Jesus for the church. The other is the Lord's Supper or Communion. Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Jesus instructs the Church to teach His word, make disciples, and baptize those disciples. We are to do these everywhere among “all the nations” until the end of the age. So first of all baptism is important because Jesus commanded us to do so. Baptism was done before the founding of the Church. The Jews baptized Gentile proselytes (convert to Judaism) who came to God to signify they were “cleansed.” John the Baptist used baptism to prepare the way of the Lord (Is.40:3; Ml.3:1). However, John required everyone, Jews and Gentiles, to repent. John's baptism was not the same as Christian baptism (Ac.18:24-26; 19:1-7). John's baptism was a baptism of repentance (Mt.3:2; Mk.1:4). John preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Mt.3:2) and “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Mt.3:8). Christian baptism is done in “the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. So it has a deeper and more spiritual significance. This distinguishes it from John's baptism, and thus, it is called Christian baptism. When a person comes to faith in Jesus we are spiritually “baptized” by the Holy Spirit (Ro.8:9; 1Co.12:13). 1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. This spiritual baptism places us into the Body of Christ, which is the church (1Co.12:12, 27). Water baptism is a “reenactment” of the baptism by the Holy Spirit. Christian baptism is the means by which believers make a public profession of their faith in Christ. They have already believed, and now they want to make their profession of faith in Christ public. By being baptized without saying a word, they are saying, “I confess faith in Christ”. “Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin”. “I now will live a new life for Him”. Christian baptism also illustrates believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Ro.6:3, 11). Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. The context of Romans 6 is talking about Spirit baptism. And so water baptism pictures Spirit baptism. Spirit baptism saves, but water baptism does not! This is the proper order of things. That is, salvation first (Spirit baptism), followed by water baptism. Water baptism is NOT required to go to Heaven. But it is associated with salvation. A new believer in Jesus Christ should desire to be baptized as soon as possible. So in summary there are at least three different water baptisms in the Bible. (1) Gentiles who convert to Judaism; (2) John the Baptist's baptism of repentance; (3) Christian baptism which identifies us with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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