RushwaveUnderstanding Water Baptism
from Church Vision, book 3 in the series The Christian Faith
Baptism is a clear command of God. Jesus Himself said “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19. And the book of Acts records many passages where people are either exhorted to be baptized and/or are spoken of as being baptized. So baptism is clearly one of the rites God calls His church to practice.
God’s plan is for baptism to be presented as the action point in the presentation of the gospel; as the proposed outward, visible action to be taken having made the inward, invisible decision to believe. In other words, instead of preaching the gospel and inviting a person to “raise your hand”, “come forward to the altar”, “repeat after me this sinners prayer,” or some other such thing, the person should be invited to be baptized. They should be told “If you believe in Jesus Christ, come and be baptized.” The individual is then baptized on their profession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God; as Him whom God the Father sent to die for their sins.
The biblical mode of baptism is bodily immersion in water. This is why baptisms took place near large sources of water, such as rivers. The individual was fully immersed and then raised out of the water.
Sometimes conditions do not lend themselves to a person being baptized immediately, but that does not mean baptism is not mentioned in the gospel presentation, nor does it mean the rite should be ignored. The Ethiopian Eunuch to whom Philip preached, and the Philippian jailor to whom Paul preached are two such examples. In both cases the individual believed, but there was not an immediate water source nearby. However in time both were baptized when water became available. Even so, baptism should always be presented as the action point in the presentation of the gospel, all the while recognizing that action point may need to be delayed in certain circumstances.
The gap that necessarily occurs between believing and being baptized is not a limbo state, as if water baptism is the second step required in order to be saved. A person is saved upon believing, and they follow through with baptism as an act of obedience. There is absolutely no saving activity by God in baptism — absolutely none.
It is not necessary to subject people to an extended series of Christian teachings before they are acknowledged as a believer through baptism. In the book of Acts when several thousand people came to the Lord in one day, it was not possible to thoroughly educate them in all the doctrines of the Christian faith. But it was possible for them to know the one doctrine that is necessary for salvation: all are sinners and liable to God’s judgment, and Jesus Christ is the Prince of Life who died for the sins of the world and rose again. That doctrine those thousands of people most certainly could know, especially since many of them encouraged the crucifixion of Jesus.
Not only is there no saving activity on God’s part in water baptism, there is also no spiritual empowerment, special anointing, or supernatural gifting. God is of course free to do as He pleases, and in the book of Acts there was an isolated occasion where He bestowed certain spiritual gifts upon those who were water baptized. But this clearly was the exception, not the norm. And it would have been a serious error for those who did not have such experiences to deem their water baptism as somehow inferior or invalid.
Water baptism should be viewed as an initiation rite, even as any organization or group has an initiation rite. This is not to suggest the church is an organization; it is not. The church is the body of Christ. But this analogy is used simply for the purpose of clarification. There are many organizations, groups and clubs that have an initiation rite – a formal, official way of being inducted or received into that specific community or group. Some require you make a public pledge. Others require you to sign a document. Still others require involvement in a certain ceremony. Whatever the formality, in all these cases the initiation rite is simply the means of being formerly accepted into that particular community or group. And that is what water baptism is. You are simply being acknowledged as a believer and a member of the people of faith.
As the initiation rite into the community of believers, water baptism is only performed once. A person does not have to be water baptized again when they go from one church to another. That would make water baptism the initiation rite into a specific local church; it would be indicating you were now being received into a specific, local, believing community. But water baptism was never meant to be administered this way. In water baptism you are simply professing to be believer.
Water baptism symbolizes having your sins washed away. Physical water is a universal cleansing agent; this is true in every culture and society. Whether it be your body, your clothes, or anything else, water is used to wash away dirt and make something clean. Every person on earth can relate to this, and there is no mystery here. Christianity takes this common, everyday understanding and use of water and employs it in water baptism to symbolize spiritual cleansing: deliverance and cleansing from the spiritual filth of sin. This symbolism is in keeping with what is required for a person to be saved: trusting in God through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Hence when the apostle Paul was converted he was told by Ananias, “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” Acts 22:16.
Those who teach baptism is necessary for salvation are making the same serious error the Jews made as respects the rite of circumcision. In the Old Testament, circumcision was indeed commanded by God. But it was never meant to be the basis of assurance for salvation for even the patriarch Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of faith before he was circumcised. But the Jews constantly made the error of thinking since they were circumcised, they were therefore God’s people on that basis alone. In short, they erred by viewing their righteous standing with God as founded upon their circumcision.
In the New Testament, when certain men repeatedly taught that circumcision was necessary in order to be saved, they were thoroughly rebuked by Paul, and he charged those men as teaching a false gospel. The same could be said of anyone who teaches water baptism is necessary for salvation; such a teaching is a false gospel.
People should not feel secure in their salvation simply because they were baptized, and yet sadly this is often the case. But there will be many who will stand before Christ to be condemned, and they will object and say “I was baptized!” But He will say to them “Depart from Me I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness.”
It must be stressed baptism is not a good work that secures your salvation. It is an act of obedience after having trusted Christ for salvation from your sins. You are saved by grace through faith, not through baptism. The reason a person is to be baptized is the same reason they are obey and fulfill all the other commands of God. Whether it be attending church, telling the truth, giving thanks before meals, and the like, these works are done not to establish our own righteousness and make the good works outweigh the bad. They are done out of sincere love to Him who graciously forgave our sinful debt and put us in right standing on the basis of Christ’ finished work on the cross.
So in summary recognize water baptism is very important, but keep things in perspective and understand its purpose. It is the initiation rite into the community of those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ — you are being identified as a fellow believer in Jesus Christ. It is only performed once upon a confession of faith. And it symbolizes having your sins washed away.
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