What is Baptism? Rom 6:1-10

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore 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. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 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. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

What is Baptism?

Today we are going to celebrate baptism and we are going to look at three questions What is baptism? What is its importance and what is required for baptism?

I’m confident that you all have seen a baptism before, there are many things that we do, but often we don’t spend time thinking about it. For example, what did you have for breakfast? for many Americans cereal is the main choice for breakfast. Why is that? Where I grew up, almost everyone eats bread and butter, or bread and jelly for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Why here does everyone eat cereal for breakfast? why do we do it?, we don’t think about it. If you want to know more about that there is a good documentary called The food that built America on the History channel.

Today we are not going to talk about breakfast but we will take the time to think about baptism. So What is baptism?

If you read throughout the Old testament you will see that there is no mention of baptism. The first time baptism is mentioned is in the gospels when John the baptist comes onto the scene calling people to repent and be baptize. It is interesting to consider that no one questioned John’s practice of baptism, the religious leaders only questioned his authority but not the practice. The reason the practice of baptism was not questioned is because it was a practice that developed during the intertestamental period, the four hundred years between the prophet Malachi and John the baptist. If you came on Wed nights the last few weeks you learned a little more about the historical background of this time period. Therefore, when John came calling people to be baptize it was not something completely new, it was a practice somewhat familiar to the people.

During this four hundred years the practice of baptism developed and it became a practice for Gentiles that became Jews and also for a specific Jew sect that use baptism as a purification ritual. Even though we don’t have an exact date of when baptism started, we know that it was a ritual used for a gentile to become a Jew. A gentile convert would have to be circumcised, go through baptism and also offer a sacrifice.

Baptism is not mentioned in the OT, nonetheless the root of baptism is in the Levitical law (Lev 8, 14, 15, and 16) were God instructs different washings with water and baths to remove uncleaness. These washings were also for the high priest before he would enter the most holy place, entering God’s presence.

Now during the intertestamental period and during John the baptist’s time to go through baptism symbolized the recognition that you were an unclean gentile. That’s why it was quite offensive and radical to many Jews that John was calling the Israelites to repent and be baptize. They were aware of what baptism was, but it was too outrageous to call Israelites, descendents of Abraham to be baptized. During that time as an Israelite it was a huge humiliation to be baptized, it was to confess that you were unclean. It was like today to voluntarily say that you want to be added to the National Sex offender public list.

To publically confess that you deserve to be put on the death row. It’s no wonder that many of the religious leaders refuse to be baptized by John. Imagine for a second that you were a Pharisee and people would look up to you, as someone who is an example of conduct and honor. If you would get baptized, all of your societal prestige and honor would have taken away, people would look down on you, other Pharisees will not want to do anything with you, you would loose friends and honor.

It is no surprise that many Pharisees chose the approval of man rather than of God, they thought because they were descendents of Abraham they didn’t need to repent. They thought they didn’t need a savior, they were following the law they were doing the right things. Sadly a lot of people today think the same, that you if do the right things you will be ok, like the Pharisees they are not seeing their need for a Savior.

Considering this context one could see why John the baptist was so shocked and he refuse to baptize Jesus Matt 3:14 “14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”” John knew that Jesus was sinless, that He was the Messiah, so it didn’t make sense at all for Jesus to be baptized. Jesus gave the reason for him to be baptized it was “fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”.

Jesus had to be associated with us, not only the incarnation, becoming fully man. He had to do what we should have done, the ones that are unclean and needed to repent and to be wash clean. His ministry on earth as the Messiah ended with the culmination of taking our sins on himself on the cross and His ministry started when He was baptized as He identified with us. When Jesus humbled himself by associating with us, that’s when He was also exalted by God the Father when he said “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and resting on him. At Jesus’ baptism like at the cross Jesus humbled himself to take our place, to be dishonored, despised and rejected so we could receive His righteousness. Today when we follow Him in baptism we receive the glory and honor for being united with Christ, because He took the shame and humiliation of taking the human form and willingly identifying himself with us, unclean sinners.

In the gospels, not the whole NT, just the gospels, besides the baptism of John the only other time that baptism is mentioned in in the great commission of Jesus in Matt 28, after the Resurrection Jesus commanded his disciples to go to all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

As an Evangelical church there are only two sacraments or ordinances that we practice: The Lord’s supper and baptism. Ordinance is defined as God-ordained ceremony. Baptism and the Lord’s supper do not cause anyone to be saved, they are only signs of a grace already received by faith. Baptism does not save, it is a ceremony that symbolizes what God has done in our hearts, as a public testimony to others of our personal trust and faith in Christ.

Titus 3:5 “5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” Baptism is only meaningful if it truly represent of what happened in someone’s heart, the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, there are no works that can save us, baptism cannot save us. It is only by repentance and faith in Jesus that anyone can be saved. Like first century religious leaders there are many people today that think that they don’t need to repent. Maybe this is because the overemphasis on God’s love and a lack of emphasis on God’s holiness and justice. “Do what your heart says”, “you only live once” etc

Many think of Jesus as something that you might want to try, that Christianity might help you achieve your desires. That’s is not the gospel, Jesus is not going to serve so we can get what we want. God wants us to recognize that He is the creator, that He is Holy, and while He is love He is also completely righteous, and therefore will not let sin go unpunished. We are all descends of Adam and Eve and we are born in sin and by nature children of wrath. This is the bad news of the gospel, that of ourselves we are hopeless, destined to receive the judgment that we all deserve, hell, eternal separation from God and eternal punishment, where the worm does not die where there is torment day and night forever and ever.

By His grace alone God may open all of our eyes to recognize who God is and who we are and where we are destined to spend eternity. But thanks be to God, that He made a way, the only way. Jesus took the penalty that we deserve, and He gives His righteousness in return. At the cross while Jesus was receiving the due penalty for our sins, He was thinking of me and you, and on top of that He gives us the righteousness that we didn’t have. If you understand this you have to give a response.

This is something that affects your life, your eternity. There are only two options, you can respond negatively or positively. You may refuse the gospel the free gift of life. The consequence is you are going to remain in your sins and the wrath of God remains on you and one day, after death or at Christ’s return, you will receive God’s judgment eternality. The only other possible response is to accept the gospel by repenting and putting our faith in Jesus. This is not like many take as a fire insurance, you accept Jesus but then you live on like you were before, living for yourself. True repentance and faith means Jesus is your Lord and Savior, He is in charge of your life and you live for Him.

Repenting is to stop, turn around and walk opposite direction, recognizing our sinful state, then walking by faith in obedience and trust in Christ, having Jesus as your Lord and savior, believing that He died for your sins and that He gave you His righteousness. This is the gospel, you don’t give Jesus a try, you are all in or you are not in Him.

Salvation is by faith alone, when what we desire is to live our lives for God, our pleasure is to be obedient to Him above all. The visible practice of baptism cannot change someone’s heart, salvation happens in our hearts. Baptism is a celebration of something that happened in our hearts.

What is its importance?

Since baptism doesn’t save, why should we do it? First and foremost, Jesus commanded us to do so. If you repent and trust in Jesus and He is your Lord and Savior you want to obey Him, because you love Him.

But is there any other reason, besides our public declaration of our faith in Jesus? These two: obedience and declaration are very strong reasons for us to be baptized. But Scripture teaches us that there is a 3rd reason as well, it represents our connection to Jesus’ death and resurrection. We see this in Rom 6 :1-10.

Here in Rom 6 Paul is saying that our baptism is a symbol of our connection to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Paul says the following in Rom 6:3 “3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”

So when we go under the water of baptism, we are saying I want to be connected to His death, I want to die with Him, I want Jesus to take the punishment that I deserve, that our old self was buried. “we were buried therefore with him” When temptations come we can say to ourselves I’m free to say no because sin will have no dominion over me because my old self was buried with Jesus.

During baptism we don’t just stay under the water, but we come up from the dead, we are saying that we are also connected to His resurrection. That we believe that Christ’s sacrifice was perfect, sufficient and complete to take away all my sin so now I can live for Christ. How should we live after baptism? v 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

For those of us watching the baptism, it is a moment of rejoicing. We are having a glimpse of what angels see. I would think that angels are watching baptism, because they can see as we rejoice in God’s works. Luke 15:10 Jesus said “10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.””

At baptism we are watching a physical demonstration of what happened at the heart when someone repents and put their faith in Jesus. We see someone publically connecting himself with the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are going to see the physical representation of a spiritual reality. We can rejoice, laugh and shout because God is good, He didn’t leave us to receive what we deserve, but He made a way for us to know Him and enjoy Him forever.

What is required for baptism?

What are the requirements for baptism? You need to have heard the gospel and understood it. That is that God is the creator He is holy, we are sinful and in need of a savior. Jesus is the only Savior, He is the only way. The only other requirement for baptism is that you have repented and put your faith in Jesus. That you have truly repented and turned away from your ways and now you believe and live like Jesus is your Lord and Savior. This faith is not just something you have done in the past, but it is something you are living everyday, and your delight is to love and serve the Lord Jesus.

All of us here have met the first requirement to have heard the gospel, the only other requirement is to respond positively to the only way of salvation through Jesus Christ. So if you have repented and trust in Jesus, there are plenty of reason to be baptized. So if you have not yet taken this step I encourage you to be baptized not out of obligation to Jesus but out of your love for Jesus.

We have it very easy, we have water right here we don’t need to go anywhere and the water is even warm. I saw baptisms in Ireland done on the ocean where the water was maybe 50 degrees and the wind was blowing hard. But, there are many believers today that when they want to be baptized they have to go across another country. We cannot complain, we have it very easy, it is right here and the water is even warm.

But, what if you have been baptized before should you also be baptized again even today? My question back is were you truly a believer when you were baptized? If you were there is no need to do it again, rather join with angels in the rejoicing as we do the baptism today.

However, if at the time of your baptism you had not repented and put your faith in Jesus, but that happened after you were baptized then I encourage you to be baptized again, because the baptism is a representation of what happened in your heart. A specific example of this might be infant baptism. As an infant you had not repented - rather your parents and family had you baptized in the hope you would one day make this choice on your own. If you have chosen to repent and follow Christ, what a more beautiful way to honor and love God, than to elect to be baptized again, even today.

If you want to be baptized today you can, just remember you need to understand clearly the gospel and you have responded to Jesus in repentance and faith, and you are living like Jesus is your Lord and Savior. If you want to be baptized today just come talk to me while we sing a song as we get ready for baptism.

If you are concerned about wet clothing, we have extra towels and clothes for you to wear for the baptism so you can wear your current dry clothes home.

What is Baptism? Rom 6:1-10

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What is Baptism?

What is its importance?

What is required for baptism?