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Truth for Today: Special Edition

Why be Baptized?                

                                                                                        A.E. Winstanley

 

“The idea of an unbaptized Christian is simply not entertained in the New Testament”. Obviously baptizem is important. Even a casual reading of the New Testament makes this clear. But how important is it? It is not our purpose to consider the variety of answers given by people of different persuasions. Rather let God speak! We will hear His Word, and let plain New Testament statements tell us why one who trusts in Jesus and is repentant for sins, should be immersed in water.

 

Commanded By Christ

The risen Lord gave these final instructions to His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”(Matt 28: 19 – 20). When Cornelius and household heard the good news of salvation, Peter “commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10: 48).

             Obedience in baptizem, and in all else that Jesus commands, is the joyful response of the truly loving heart. Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments”(John 14:15). Where true love for Him exists, obedience is inevitable. Such obedience is essential to our salvation: the Lord Jesus “became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb 5: 9”).

 

Cleansing By the Blood

Our only hope of soul-cleansing is through the sacrifice of Jesus: “behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John1:29). When instructing his apostles concerning the Lords supper, Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt.26:28). Because of Jesus’ shed blood, our sins can be forgiven.

Precisely when does this cleansing take place? When believers asked, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “repent and be baptised everyone one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Saul of Tarsus, now a believing penitent, was commanded, “Rise and be baptised, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16). He later wrote to the Christians of Rome, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?” (Rom. 6:3). In this act of total surrender the trusting soul meets the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood. The Saviour said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16: 16,cf. 1 Peter 3: 21).

 

Crucified With Christ

Read carefully Romans 8: 1 – 5. The writer is refuting the false teaching that Christians may “continue in sin that grace may abound”. He reminds his readers of their baptism. Spiritually, it was a burial with Christ and a resurrection t new life. He then says, “We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin”. In baptism the believer intends to die to his past life. He gives himself to willing spiritual union with Christ. Baptism does not merely dramatize Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, it is also the believer’s personal, and total, surrender to the Saviour, in order to die to the past, be united with Jesus, and henceforth live in glorious fellowship with his living Lord.

 

Clothed With Christ

To be a Christian is to be Christ’s man or woman: to belong completely to the Saviour. Galatians 3:26 – 27 says, “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”. That last phrase means literally, “have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Amplified Bible). Baptism is total commitment to the Lord. In it the obedient believer surrenders unconditionally. It is important to notice that we are “baptized into Christ Jesus” (Rom 6: 3; Gal 3: 27). “Marvin R. Vincent says, that when Paul spoke of the Christians being in Christ, he meant that the Christian lives in Christ as a bird in the air, a fish in the water, the roots of a tree in the soil. To be in Christ is to live continually in the atmosphere and Spirit of Christ… it is to live a life where never for one moment do we feel separated from Him, and we feel His presence and His strength and His power always around us… the Christian is always everywhere and for ever, conscious of the encircling presence of Jesus Christ”.

 

Commencing A New Life

After insisting that “we are baptized into His (Christ’s) death”, the apostle continues, “we were buried therefore with Him by baptizem into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6: 3 – 4). We rise from the waters of baptizem that we “might habitually live and behave in newness of life” (Amplified Bible).

 

Christ In Control

When heart-stricken hearers shouted, “Brethren, what shall we do?” they were told, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2: 38). This wonderful free gift, promised to every believer who repents and is baptized, is the Spirit Himself. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body”(1 Cor 6: 19 – 20).

The one baptized goes on through life enjoying the supreme blessing, the constant companionship of the living Christ: “I will never fail you nor forsake you” (Heb 13: 5). The spiritual presence of the living Lord makes life satisfying, fulfilled, complete. This is life indeed! “And because you are the sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba!, Father!’ ” (Gal 4:6).

 

Buried with Christ and raised with Him too,

What is there left for me to do?

Simply to cease from struggling and strife,

Simply to walk in newness of life.

 

Risen with Christ, my glorious head,

Holiness now the pathway I tread;

Beautiful thought while walking therein,

He that is dead is freed from all sin.

 

Living with Christ, my members I yield,

Servants of God for evermore sealed;

Not under law, I’m now under grace;

Sin is dethroned, and Christ takes its place.