BAPTISM MEANS WALKING WITH GOD
Text: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Luke 3:15- 17, 21 - 22 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, (16) John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (17) His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." ..... (21) Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, (22) and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (NRSV).
“A Boston minister was about to perform the sacrament of infant baptism. The proud parents came forward and presented their daughter to the minister, who took the child in his arms, turned toward the font, and suddenly realized he didn't know the child's name. He turned to the father and whispered, "What is the child's name?" The father replied in a whisper, "Spindonna." The minister thought this was a rather unusual name, but went ahead with the ritual, saying, "Spindonna, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." The father became furious and the mother burst into tears. They took their baby back and stormed out of the sanctuary. After the service, the couple was waiting in the minister's study. The father glared at the pastor, saying "How could you give our child such a ridiculous name?" The pastor looked at the man in disbelief. "I didn't make it up. You did. I asked you what her name is and you said 'Spindonna.'" The father said, "You idiot, I told you that it's pinned on her!" The father then showed the minister a small note with the name Elizabeth pinned to the baby's baptism dress.” (Steve May. The Story File. “All In The Name”. Peabody Hendrickson Publishers, 2000, pp. 57 – 58). Our identity as Christians is important. Every minister wants to get the names right when they are baptizing someone. What is even more important than that is that we remember who we are----our identity as God’s children in the world but not of the world.
Why did Jesus get Baptized if He was without sin? Jesus got baptized because He came to identify with the sinners He had come to save. In fact, it is through Baptism that sinners and the grace of God meet. As Paul put it, Romans 6: 3 - 4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (NRSV).
How much do we identify with Jesus as Baptized believers? Are we baptized in Jesus’s Name? Do we live up to Jesus’s Name in our daily walk?
The following story is about how the grace of God came to a young man who would have given up on life without it. …
“In World War II a certain soldier’s face was horribly disfigured. When he realized his condition he said that he wanted to die. The plastic surgeon told him that he could restore his face if he had a picture to go by. The soldier didn’t have a picture, so he said, “It’s no use, Doc, just let me alone.” “But,” said the doctor, “I can do something for you. Just pick out a picture and I will make your face like that picture.” “It doesn’t matter,” said the boy, “that picture on the wall will be all right.” The soldier did not know it, but this was a picture of Jesus Christ. The doctor performed the operation and it was highly successful. The man was greatly pleased when he looked into the mirror, after he had fully recovered. Then he said to the doctor, “Whose picture was that?” And the doctor told him that it was a picture of Jesus Christ. “What kind of a man was he?” asked the soldier. The doctor gave him a New Testament and told him to read about Jesus.
When the doctor came back a few days later, the soldier said to him, “There is just one thing for me to do. Since I look like Him, I have resolved that I must try in every way to be like Him.” And from that day he was a changed man”. (W. Herschel Ford. Simple Sermons On Salvation And Service. Grand Rapids: Baked Book House, 1955, pp. 33 – 34).
Like the man in this story, we have scars---only our battle scars are spiritual. Spiritually, we also need or needed a new look because before we were Baptized, we did not like the way that we looked. We wanted a change. Baptism made and makes that change possible. Baptism is where the sinner and the grace of God meet.
Remember what happened after Jesus was baptized? He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12 -13, Luke 4:1-12). The same thing happens to us, after we are baptized, Satan strives to tempt us. Being baptized in the name of Christ will not make us exempt from Satan’s attempts to lure us into sinning through temptation to sin. In fact, Satan will try all the harder to bring us down. It is only through Christ we will defeat Satan. But, what happens if we yield to temptation and sin?
1) Repentance: There were some in church’s history long, long ago who believed that once you were baptized, you had better not sin again. Jesus never said that once we were baptized that we would never sin again. But, he did say we must be born again, meaning baptized so that we could be born of God’s Spirit. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9 NRSV). When we walk with God’s Holy Spirit, His Holy Spirit helps us to produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8) that can be observed in our daily behavior.
2) Wedding ring: Like a wedding ring, our baptism illustrates that we are no longer our own because we belong to God. Like marriage, Baptism involves a relationship. Baptism marks the point at which we began to follow Christ. Baptism also marks the point at which we say to God, “From this day forward, I stand with you”. Just as in marriage, two become one flesh, in baptism, we become united with God’s Spirit. (Herb Miller. Actions Speak Louder Than Verbs. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989, p. 100).
3) Inward change: Baptism is not magical. Baptism is not like a vaccination. Baptism will not change our outward appearance but it will change us in our hearts. Baptism is symbolic of the washing away of our sins. It is also symbolic of a new way of life.
4) Baptism is a Seal: To illustrate that point, listen to this story. “An English missionary died in India in the early part of this century. Immediately after his death his former neighbors broke into his house and started carrying away his possessions. The English Consul was notified, and since there was no lock on the door of the missionary’s house, he pasted a piece of paper across it and affixed the seal of England on it. The looters did not dare to break the seal because the world’s most powerful nation stood behind it.” (Billy Graham. The Holy Spirit. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1978, p. 74). Ephesians 1:13 says “You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (ISV)
Perhaps there is someone here this morning who feels as though they are beyond God’s forgiveness. Satan would love nothing more than to use guilt as his wedge to drive you away from God, while making you feel that you are not worthy. But, if you have been baptized and have repented and have believed in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, then you are covered by God’s grace. Baptism is where the sinner and the grace of God meet.
Why then is Baptism so important? Baptism is important for three reasons. FIRST, Baptism is God’s way of saying that He has not given up on us because we are reconciled to God and forgiven through Jesus’ sacrifice. SECONDLY, Baptism is important because baptism says that we can be forgiven again and again. FINALLY, Baptism is important because flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5, I Corinthians 15:50). All of these things point to the reality of the fact that in baptism, we have been baptized into the likeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in character and righteousness (Romans 6:1-11).
How can we continue to walk wet after the water that we were baptized in or with has dried long ago? “ Walking wet” is a metaphor that is used to convey that understanding that baptism is permanent. (Jim and Doris Morentz. eds. Minister’s Annual. Jerry Schmalenberger. “Walking Wet: Baptized into Ministry”. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1988, pp. 28 - 32). Once we are baptized, we are baptized into Jesus’ likeness (Romans 6:1-11). Even though we may sin after we are baptized, the blood of Christ still cleanses us from all of our sins (I John 1:7). Baptism is where the sinner and the grace of God meet.
In The Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
