The Gift of Baptism
Scripture: Acts 8:26-40
We’re going to consider several passages of scripture today, but this one is the key passage for what I think is the main consideration for today - at least it was for me this week.
Today is Baptism Sunday. It’s a very special day in the lives of two of our church family. And even more significant, it’s a father and daughter. In just a few hours from now, Patrick and Kaley will be immersed in the waters of baptism. So as part of our celebration with them today, let’s talk just for a few minutes about Baptism.
Each one of us here likely has an idea about what baptism is. We’ve come from all different backgrounds. Some of us have changed our ideas about baptism over the years, and as we’ve grown in our spiritual walk. I’ve learned something this week that I’m excited to share with you today, that has changed my idea about the significance of baptism.
Generally - just out there - there are concepts of baptism.
Two types: infant, and adult (or believer).
Three modes: sprinkling, pouring, immersion
Three theologies: Salvific, Covenental, Testimonial
Two rituals: sacrament, ordinance
Now I’m not going to look at each of these specifically, but by the end of this message, I hope you will be able to make up your own mind about what you believe about each of the categories, or at least you’ll have some food for thought so that you can make a clear decision about your own theology of baptism.
But what I want to do today instead, is look at some of the statements that are made ABOUT baptism and see if we can unpack some of those statements and understand whether they are truly in line with Biblical teaching or not.
Things we hear about baptism:
1. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace.
This pithy little saying is often heard when we talk about baptism. That Baptism is an outward sign - a visible expression of the grace that God has already given us when we accept Him into our life and become a follower of Christ. It’s an outward sign, to the world, - to the community - that we are aligning ourselves with those who believe in Jesus and seek to follow Christ.
In Jesus day, baptism was required of a newcomer to Israel, on their conversion, and then the more frequent baptisms were cleansings that were rooted in tradition - purification cleansings coming from touching a dead body, or other acts or circumstances that traditionally, made a person unclean.
So what John did, and Jesus affirmed with his own baptism, was to usher in the evidence of the new covenant - the Messiah had come - Jesus is here. God is beginning a new thing - but it’s rooted and grounded in the traditions He has already established with Israel. It’s a very important connection and understanding.
Baptism, then, IS an outward evidence of the grace, and the covenant between God and his people.
2. Is baptism for believers, or for infants?
Oh how the devil can use good things to divide and hurt the family of God - can’t he. There have been wars fought over this question and the most important thing is that we administer grace to one another in our beliefs. Let me tell you what I see in scripture and then you can decide if I’m on track or not. Now I will tell you, Wesleyans offer both infant and believer’s baptism. And we’re going to talk about that in just a minute a bit more.
Do you remember the story of Paul and Silas in jail. And the prison was shaken as Paul and Silas sang to the Lord and none of the prisoners escaped? It’s in Acts 16. This story is sometimes used to argue for infant baptism because it says the jailer and all of his household was baptized. But right before the baptism, in verse 32 of that chapter we’re told that Paul shared the word of the Lord with the jailer and with all who were in his household. Then in verse 34, it says that after they were baptized, they all rejoiced, - WHY? - because they believed in God.
I don’t believe that you share the word of the Lord, or rejoice in your belief, if you are an infant.
Now please don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe you are necessarily doing anything wrong if you baptize infants, or if you were baptized as an infant. I just don’t believe it’s what Jesus commanded in the great commission, or set as an example for us, so I don’t believe it’s necessary for an infant to be baptized and we’ll talk about that in just a minute.
3. Immersion, Sprinkling or Pouring.
You know I believe in immersion. The greek work baptizo means to immerse. Sprinkling as pouring, from my understanding, came from the Catholic tradition. I admit I don’t know a lot about it, but I can’t see any biblical basis for any other mode of baptism except immersion.
The reason I hold that belief is because Romans 6:3 & 4 says, “Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 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.”
This afternoon, as Pat and Kaley are immersed in the waters of baptism, when they are going under the waters, I will say, “Buried with Christ in his death.” And when they are coming up out of the water, I will say, “Raised to new live in his resurrection.” Baptism by immersion then, is a cleansing of the whole body. When Christ died, he died completely, when he rose, he rose to live forever. And the same is true for us.
When we are baptized we are declaring the cleansing of our whole being - no part os us is exempt from the fall, and no part of us is exempt from God’s grace!
Hallelujah! Go all the way under - get it all cleansed!! Get is all resurrected!! Amen!!
Now there are a few more points I want to suggest to you before we close today. These are things that I think are important from scripture, that we need to understand. See, we like everything to be black and white - at least I do. I think it would just be so much easier on all of us, if we had everything set down before us in black and white. But that’s not our God - he’s bigger than black and white!!! And there’s a place in scripture that we see that so beautifully. It’s the story of the thief on the cross. Jesus himself, has already been baptized by John. He said he did it to carry out all that God requires (that’s in Matthew 3:15). But, here’s the forth point:
4. Baptism is not always required for a person to go to heaven.
The thief on the cross proves to us, through Jesus words to him, that baptism is not always necessary for eternal life. It’s like the story I told several weeks ago about the final moments of a person’s life when they finally surrendered to Christ. And every breath inside you and me was crying out - Yes! Yes! That person will go to be with the Lord. That person will cross the vast abyss of death and be ushered into the arms of Jesus. These are exceptional moments of God’s outpouring of his grace through a person’s faith. Jesus said, “Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe is condemned.” Believing is the key, but baptism always follows belief.
That means then, that baptism is not (and I want to make this very clear).
5. Baptism is not salvific.
That simply means, it is not baptism that saves us. Jesus said, in Matthew 28:19 for us to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” So, according to Jesus - who gets baptized? Disciples. Those who are already walking in His way. Jesus goes on to say, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”
But now I want to hasten to add, that even though Baptism does not save us.
Finally, (and our key for today),
6. Baptism does impart a measure of God’s grace.
Right back to # 1 - it IS a public confession, BUT it is more than that. There is a work of God’s grace that is done in us. It can’t just be an outward sign of an inward grace. Think about Jesus. There is nothing in the Bible to suggest that Jesus did anything just for show, and his most direct condemnations were to those who did things for show. So...it’s my conclusion that Baptism IS a work of God’s grace in our lives.
It IS covenantal. It IS testimonial. But it is also a Grace-gift. And if we don’t do it, I believe we miss out on the FULL measure of God’s grace in our lives. Because even Jesus was required by God to do it. Any time we don’t do something God requires of us, we miss out.
The Eunuch - they were on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza - the desert road (not the main road), little habitation - no real public confession there.
It was midnight at the jailers house, but the household went to the baths and were baptized and when they came back up to the house, they rejoiced. There would have been very few, if any, public witnesses at that time of night.
So I just have to believe, that baptism is a work of God’s grace that is the most important. As I’ve studied this this week, I’ve really expanded my understanding of baptism - I believe with God’s help. Doesn’t the Bible say, the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. I believe what I’ve shared with you today is God’s truth.
Patrick and Kaley are disciples of Christ. Not for 30 years, or 40 years, or 50 years - they are new disciples - just like Jesus talks about in his great commission.
It’s the mystery of God’s grace that is at work in their lives - something that will happen to them this afternoon BY GOD’s GRACE, that makes baptism a sacrament, not an ordinance. It’s what makes God’s grace so amazing - we can’t put Him in our boxes. We understand it through FAITH.
_________ and ___________ today, as they are immersed into the waters of baptism will receive an outpouring of God’s grace, an infilling of the Holy Spirit that signifies more than anything a growing into God’s grace - it’s their developing discipleship that we celebrate today. It’s God, through baptism, giving them grace upon grace upon grace to live more fully DAILY, a holy life - a Christ-like life. It’s a joy! It’s a celebration! It’s a celebration of God and his grace. – In the lives of two very special believers. Which - by the way - ____________ and _______ have the honor of being the very first baptisms in Faith Bible Church. I don’t know if you thought of that _____________ - But they will go down in history as the first Baptisms for Faith Bible Church.
Let’s Celebrate!!
