Why Should I Be Baptized?
Introduction:
Last week we took a look at several facts concerning Biblical baptism. Just a recap:
The Authority = In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit
The Method = 5 requirements
o Water
o Much water
o Going to the water
o Going down into the water
o Coming up out of the water
The Symbolism
o Death & Burial & Resurrection
The Language (Greek)
o Baptizo – dip, dunk, plunge, immerse
o Rantizo – to sprinkle
o Eckheo – to pour out
Finally the person to be baptized
o Believer in Christ
o Penitent Believer
o Confession with your mouth
Again, I know there are several of you who still have some questions about this. Some of the things you heard last week may have struck a cord and you’re trying to take in all this new info. I understand, it is difficult for some to process something like this when you have believed a certain way all your life. But as I said last week, don’t just take my word for it, look at the passages of Scripture we have used and will be using today. Make some notes and then go examine them for yourselves. Take God at His Word. He is the ultimate source of truth.
Well, since we have been over the facts of baptism, today I am going to give you a few reasons as an answer to the question, Why should I be baptized? This is another crucial question going through many minds and hearts right now.
So sit back, and let’s examine the answers to this question together.
Why Should I Be Baptized?
1. For the forgiveness of your sins:
Baptism is a form of spiritual cleansing. Ritual washings took place in the Jewish culture and people were very familiar with them. Some saw baptism in the same way, but it has an even deeper meaning than just a washing.
Ac 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Ac 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
Col 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
Col 2:14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
2. It appears to be the first response people give after placing faith in Jesus as Lord & Savior.
Ac 16:13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
Ac 16:14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
Ac 16:15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home
Ac 16:26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.
Ac 16:27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
Ac 16:28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
Ac 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
Ac 16:30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Ac 16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Ac 16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
Ac 16:33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
Ac 16:34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
Ac 8:34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”
Ac 8:35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Ac 8:36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”
Ac 8:38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Ac 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Ac 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Ac 18:5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. (Skipping to verse 8)
Ac 18:8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.
In each account, the gospel/good news had been preached. Apparently, each time it was shared, the importance of baptism had been shared, because in each instance, the hearers of the Gospel were baptized.
3. It is after baptism that we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Mt 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Ac 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Ac 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
Ac 1:5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Now after this last passage, you may be confused, why hadn’t they received the Holy Spirit yet. By this time, the disciples had already been baptized, right? Yes, this is true. But Jesus was still present with them. They weren’t in need of the Spirit, yet. But the time would come that they would need Him and would receive Him.
Jn 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
Jn 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
4. One other passage that ties in with this one, comes in the very next reason we should be baptized. Jesus was.
Mt 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
Mt 3:14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Mt 3:15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
Mt 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
Mt 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Also recorded in: Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:31-34
All four gospels give account to this happening. Jesus coming to be baptized was a very significant thing. Why did He do it though? He didn’t need to repent of any sin, for Jesus was sinless. So why? I want to break this passage down into 3 parts.
First, the answer is found in Jesus’ words to John.
“Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”
So what is righteousness?
The Lord God always acts in righteousness. That is, he always has a right relationship with people, and his action is to maintain that relationship.
As God acts in righteousness (because he is righteous), so he called Israel to be righteous as his chosen people. They were placed in his covenant, in right relationship with him through faith, and were expected to live in right relationship with others.
Righteousness means a right relationship with both God and one’s fellow human beings.
Therefore, Jesus had come to fulfill all righteousness, that all people of all times, could come to have a right relationship with their God. This is how God works to maintain this right relationship with His people. He has sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins to offer us a chance to have a right relationship with Him. Yet, we must believe in His Son Jesus Christ, and accept Him as Lord and Savior of our lives.
Secondly, Jesus was setting the standard. This happened at the beginning of His ministry. When it came time for Him to begin going out preaching the Good News, He came forth setting an example that all who will confess Him as Lord should follow. We who call on Jesus as Lord, should seek to be like Him, for this is God’s desire for us that we would become like His Son.
Gal 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
Gal 3:27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Thirdly, this baptism of Jesus demonstrates to us the reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit after we are baptized. For after Jesus came out of the water, He saw heaven open up and the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Why is this so significant? When Jesus came to earth, He emptied Himself of all of His divine power, and lived simply as a human being depending fully on the power of His Father in heaven and the power of the Holy Spirit of God.
Phil 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Phil 2:6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
Phil 2:7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
He was still 100% God and 100% man. But He put aside His divine power so that He would lean fully on the leading and guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. This too is what we should do. Not rely on our own powers and abilities but to rely on the Spirit of God. It is recorded in many places that Jesus was led forth in the Spirit of God to live in full obedience to the plan of the Father, which the final result was His death on the cross to take our sins upon Himself, opening the door for us to have a right relationship with the Father.
Lk 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
Lk 4:19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Ac 10:37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—
Ac 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
Mt 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
When Jesus came out of the waters of baptism He was annointed with the gift of the Holy Spirit who was going to be with Him through His entire ministry. God then proclaimed from the heavens that this was His Son and that He was pleased with Him. With this anointing, God the Father had given His stamp of approval. He marked Jesus with the gift that He could be easily identified by. It was His seal of ownership, which He also grants those who believes in His Son.
2Co 1:21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,
2Co 1:22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
The phrases, "set his seal of ownership," and "put his Spirit" indicate what took place at the time of their conversion and baptism. God commissioned believers for his service by consecrating them as his "anointed ones" and imparting those gifts necessary for their task. God "set his seal of ownership on us" by putting "his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Believers are "branded" as God’s property, the reality of their faith is attested, and their status is guaranteed "for the day of redemption"
Finally, Jesus commanded that it be done.
Mt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Mt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mt 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
As I mentioned last week, Jesus shares with us His authority over all things. Now He commands His disciples to do 4 things:
- Go (don’t just sit around)
- Make disciples of all nations
- Baptize them
- Teach them to obey all that Jesus has commanded
Being obedient to His commands is a very serious thing.
Jn 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.
Jn 4:1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John,
Jn 4:2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
The disciples took Jesus at His Word.
2 nights ago my family & I were down in Iowa visiting my dad & step mom. Late Friday night, I was talking to my dad and telling him about the Baptism Sunday that we have coming up. I told him that I preached one sermon on the facts of baptism last week and how this week, I was going to try and answer the question, Why should I be Baptized.
Then we revisited his past a little bit. He was raised up in the Catholic church. He was sprinkled as a baby. All his life, he believed that the sprinkling he received as a child was sufficient. We started going to a Christian Church back in 85’.
There he had heard about baptism by immersion. He had some in depth discussion with our senior minister, Larry. My dad, still standing firm about the sprinkling he underwent as a child. He then told Larry he would search the Bible, and if he found anything that had to do with sprinkling being equated with baptism, that he would be knocking on his door at 3 in the morning and point it out to him.
My dad never found any Scripture to support the sprinkling. He was then immersed into the waters of baptism.
Now, today I have given you a ton of Scriptures, which I encourage you to go home and study for yourselves. Again, don’t take my word for it, but take God’s Word for what it is. The most absolute truth that ever existed. I know that there is a lot to digest here, but I don’t want anyone to miss out on this wonderful opportunity to learn the truth about baptism.
I guess my dad summed it up pretty simply the other night. In fact, I was taken back at his statement. He said,
“You know how I would answer that question, why I should be baptized? Because the Bible says to do it.”
Now, you have to decide for yourself, what you are going to do. You have to ask yourself the question, Why should I be baptized? Don’t do it for any other reason, than that you believe it is the right thing to do. Don’t do it to feel like you’ll fit in better, don’t do it because a family member wants you to. Do it, because you believe with all your heart, that this is truly what God desires for you.
Believe me, you will never regret doing it. In fact, you will be forever thankful that you made that decision. It is one of those days that you don’t ever forget. I myself was baptized Wednesday, June 19th, 1986 along with 6 other people. I had heard the Gospel message and was convicted about the sin in my life. I made a decision and have never looked back on it and said, I wished I hadn’t done that. In fact, I thank God for putting me in that place, where I might be revealed to the truth of His Word and make a decision that would change me whole life.
If you want to talk more about it in person, feel free to give me call or any of our elders and we will be pleased to come talk with you about this.
