Why Is Baptism So Important?
Texts: Act 2:37-38; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27
Introduction
1. Have you ever wondered why baptism is so important?
2. Baptism by itself won't save you. I once heard a Black Baptist preacher say, "You can go down a dry devil and come up a wet one!"
3. Baptism won't make you:
a. Smarter
b. Richer
c. Better Looking
4. Proposition: Baptism is important because it is a sign on the outside of what has already happened on the inside. It is a sign of:
a. Forgiveness
b. New Life
c. New Character
Transition: First of all, baptism is...
I. A Sign of Forgiveness (Acts 2:37-38).
A. To Show You Have Received
1. Peter's Holy Spirit anointed preaching had a dramatic effect on those who heard it. Luke tells us that "Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, '“Brothers, what should we do?”'
a. The response to this Spirit-inspired prophetic word was immediate. The people were "cut [pierced] to the heart."
b. For Luke, this is as it should be: the heart, the inner life, is the source of all the thoughts, motivations, intentions and plans of sinful human beings
c. No longer were they saying "What does this mean?" The Holy Spirit's message stung their consciences.
d. They recognized their guilt and spoke to Peter and to the other apostles (who were evidently still standing with him), wanting to know what they must do (Horton, Acts: A Logion Press Commentary).
2. So Peter tells them, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
a. Peter gives two stipulations and promises two blessings. They must repent and be baptized, and they will receive the forgiveness of sin and experience the Holy Spirit.
b. As Lord, Jesus demands repentance and baptism, which is an outward expression of allegiance to him.
c. Repentance was plainly called for: it called for a complete change of heart, a spiritual about face (Bruce, NICNT: Acts, 69).
d. As Savior, he offers the unmerited gift of forgiveness (Fernando, NIV Application Commentary, New Testament: Acts, 106).
e. Our sin and guilt is removed as far from us as "the east is from the west" (Ps. 103:12)—an infinite distance.
f. They are not only forgiven, they are really gone, out of existence, never to be brought up against us any more (Horton, Acts: A Logion Press Commentary).
3. Why are these conditions so important?
a. By repentance and baptism we show that we have met the conditions for receiving forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit.
b. By making repentance and baptism conditions for the reception of salvation blessings, Luke does not imply that salvation comes by merit or ritual.
c. It is not by water that we receive forgiveness, but only by the blood of Jesus.
d. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT)
In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
e. However, baptism is an outward symbol that repentance and forgiveness has already occurred.
B. Forgiveness
1. Illustration: A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. "But I don’t ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy." "But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. "Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for." "Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman’s son. (Luis Palau, Experiencing God’s Forgiveness, Multnomah Press, 1984).
a. The truth of life is that we have all sinned, and therefore, need forgiveness.
b. Romans 3:23 (NLT)
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
c. We can't deny it.
d. We cannot hide from it.
e. We cannot run from it.
f. We need to God's forgiveness.
2. The truth of the Gospel is that, by the Grace of God and the death of Jesus on the cross, we can receive forgiveness.
a. Romans 3:24 (NLT)
Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
b. We did not earn forgiveness.
c. We cannot by forgiveness.
d. But by the Grace of God we can receive forgiveness when we ask Christ into our lives.
3. In baptism we acknowledge to the world that this is already happened.
a. It is a symbol of our surrender.
b. It is a symbol of our repentance.
c. It is a symbol of our commitment to Christ as Lord.
Transition: Baptism is also...
II. A Sign of New Life (Rom. 6:3-4).
A. Joined and Buried In Christ
1. Here in Romans 6, Paul is making an argument against Christians continuing in their old way of life. He is making the case that our old way of life is something that we have chosen to leave behind us, and that our baptism is a part of that decision.
2. He says, "Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?"
a. To be joined in Christ means that we have entered into a relationship with him.
b. Baptism stands for our whole conversion experience. By it, we have been brought into union with Christ and the powerful events of his redemptive work.
c. The effects of these events are therefore at work in us. That means we now have the ability to "live a new life" (Moo, 197).
d. Paul shows how the transfer from the state of sin to new life in Christ has taken place.
e. In baptism, we are joined to Christ and to his death and resurrection.
3. To look at it another way, when Christ died on the cross and then rose again there was something different about him.
a. He was the same person, but yet there was something different about him.
b. His body was very different. He still had holes in his hands, feet, and side, but he did not bleed.
c. He still had a physical body that could be touched, but he could walk through walls and locked doors.
d. Baptism symbolizes that now since we are joined to Jesus we are different. We may look the same, but there is something different about us.
e. We have left behind an old way of life and taken on a new one.
4. The reason that Paul gives for this is "For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."
a. For a man to be in Christ implies that he was there at Golgotha and in the garden-tomb.
b. What is true of Christ is true of the Christian. For him personally Christ’s death marked the end of the old era, and His resurrection the inauguration of the new era.
c. God transcends time and at conversion takes a man back to A.D. 33.
d. When he is incorporated into Christ on profession of faith, he is given a personal share in the great events of Christ’s work and transferred from his old existence to a new plane of life (New International Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM).
e. Baptism is a symbol of that change.
B. Good Bye Old Life, Hello New Life
1. Illustration: Baptism is a lot like a wedding ring. Baptism is symbolic of the washing away of our sins. It is also symbolic of a new way of life. It has been said that Baptism is to the Christian faith what the wedding ring is to a marriage. It is a symbol. "Like the wedding ring, baptism draws a mark on the ground between the past and the future. Like the wedding ring, it says, "From this day forward, I stand with God" (Herb Miller. Actions Speak Louder Than Verbs. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989, p. 100).
2. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
3. Baptism symbolizes the death of our old life.
a. Once we come up out of that water our old life is dead.
b. Once we come up out of that water the things that used to be important to us are now meaningless.
c. Once we come up out of that water the person we used to be is buried.
d. I have an old friend from high school that I have recently reconnected with via Facebook. His name is Joe Wojno, and back in high school everyone called him "Woj," but since then he has become a Christian. A while back, out of habit, I called him "Woj." He said that he hadn't been called that in a long time, and that I shouldn't call him that because that guy is dead!
4. Baptism symbolizes new birth.
a. It says, "I'm not who I want to be, and not who I should be, but thank God I'm not who I used to be.
b. It says we are not the same anymore.
c. We have new goals, new values, and new purpose.
d. It shows that we have been changed, transformed, and begun a new life!
Transition: Baptism is also...
III. A Sign of New Character (Gal. 3:27).
A. Character of Christ
1. When someone becomes a believer in Christ, they are transformed from the inside out. They become different from the very core of their being.
2. Paul tells the Galatians, "And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes."
a. The concept of "putting on new clothes," is seen as enveloping the believer and symbolizes a new spiritual existence (Fung, NICNT: Galatians, 172).
b. Literally have put on Christ. Christ covers us and gives us a new identity (NLT Study Bible).
c. This metaphor was drawn from the ceremony of re-robbing after baptism and illustrates the complete identification with Christ.
d. In other passages Paul uses the metaphor of "putting on clothing" to mean taking on the character of Christ.
e. Baptism symbolizes an initial union with Christ by faith and portrays our participation of our moral perfection of Christ by faith (Hansen, IVPNT: Galatians, 111-112).
3. Not only does what we do change, but who we are changes.
a. Colossians 3:12 (NLT)
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
b. Listen to some of those things. They are character traits - God's character traits!
c. Baptism is a part of the process whereby God changes us from sinful, selfish, and rebellious people, to where we become like Him.
B. New Character
1. Illustration: I commit myself to being a person of character. Truth, reliability, honesty and confidentiality will be the pillars of my life. I will treat others as I expect to be treated and I will live according to the highest standards of integrity amid all of life’s circumstances (John Maxwell).
2. Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
3. Baptism is a symbol not only of outer change, but deep inner change.
a. A change of priorities
b. A change of desires
c. A change attitude
4. Baptism is a symbol of transformation.
a. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
b. God not only changes who what we do and who we are, but he even changes how we think.
c. We no longer see things the same because now we see things through God's eyes.
d. Baptism is a symbol that everything has changed!
Conclusion
1. Baptism is a step of faith and an indication that we are taking our stand with Jesus Christ.
2. Baptism symbolizes on the outside what has already happened on the inside. It is a sign of:
a. forgiveness
b. new life
c. new character
3. To those being baptized I ask, are you ready to cross the line of no return?
