Week Two Two Ordinances Series

ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH:

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

I. INTRODUCTION

Various religions have many rites or rituals that a convert must perform either to achieve their definition of salvation or to maintain that salvation. Often these rites have secret meanings and are surrounded in mystical auras only understood by the elite or priesthood of that religion. Some call these types of rituals sacraments, which comes from the word sacred.

Baptists believe that Christ initiated only two ordinances or decrees that Christians are to observe. One is baptism and the other is the Lord’s Supper. Neither of these ordinances saves a soul nor helps that soul to maintain their salvation. You might call them family rules. They are acts of obedience as one born into the Lord's family or Church. As with all the commandments of God, disobedience will affect a person's fellowship with the Lord and their spiritual growth may be hindered, but not their relationship to the Father.

II. BAPTISM

{A} Purpose and reasons.

The following Scriptures show that water baptism is an ordinance and has no sacramental properties.

Galatians 3:27

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 6:3-5

(3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

(4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

(5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

These verses are not speaking of water baptism as we see in the next one.

I Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

His Spirit baptizes us into Christ, not the water symbol of our death, burial, and resurrection to newness of life.

I Peter 3:19-21

(19) By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

(20) Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

(21) The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Although eight souls were delivered physically from death in the water by the very water itself because the ark floated, they were not spiritually saved/delivered by that water. They were physically saved because they had the faith to enter the ark. Their faith in God made them enter the ark, and that act of faith saved them spiritually and physically.

Peter says that in like fashion baptism saves/delivers us not by putting away (salvation) the filth of the flesh (sin), but that it is a symbol of our salvation and helps us heal/deliver our conscience for two reasons: First, It helps us identify with Christ and our new creation; Second, it is a first act of obedience that produces blessing and emotional peace. (answer to/benefit to a good/clean conscience.)

Save 4982 sozo (sode'-zo); from a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saoz, "safe"); to save, i.e.

deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): KJV-- heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

Good 18 agathos (ag-ath-os'); a primary word; "good" (in any sense, often as noun): KJV-- benefit, good

(-s, things), well. Compare 2570.

Mark 16:16

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Acts 1:5

For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (KJV)

Romans 10:9-13

(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

(10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

(11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

(12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

(13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Some would be in a dilemma here; but there is no contradiction between these verses. I believe that Mark is speaking of the commitment required to truly believe the Gospel versus mere mental assent of facts. James tells us that even demons believe but that type of belief will not save them because it is only an intellectual acknowledgement of God’s existence. Many hear the Word and acknowledge that it is God’s Word, but do not exercise faith in it. (James 2:19; Hebrews 4:2)