Why Baptism?

One thing my children have asked is "why be baptized? Isn't it enough to just believe? As a parent concerned with fulfilling the obligation and blessing granted to us, we try to formulate an answer to that question based on prayer for wisdom and earnest searching of the Word. The conclusion of that effort is this response, which we leave for our children for their edification and spiritual growth....

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Before a study of the purpose of baptism, it is important first to decide to take the Scriptures seriously. Thoughtful consideration must be given to the Holy Word of God; opinions, teachings from men, and preconceived notions must be laid aside, to let the clear meaning of the Word be understood. God’s will is for us to listen for His voice calling to His sheep.

► Scripture is to be taken seriously

We are specifically cautioned to be diligent students of the Word by Peter:

II Peter 3:14-18 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  NKJV

Paul explains to Timothy the power of the Scripture for salvation:

II Timothy 3:14-17 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  NKJV

Scripture is to be taken seriously, and it is to be studied and understood in order that doctrine is settled, that salvation is obtained, and that Christians mature in faith.

To this end, the Scriptures point the way to salvation, effected by the sacrifice (payment) for sins made on our behalf by Jesus. Peter explains in his first epistle:

I Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also suffered once for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.  And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. NKJV

► Jesus teaches His disciples to perform baptism

John 3:3-7 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ NKJV

Mark 16:5, 16 And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature... He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. NKJV

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. NKJV

John 3:22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. NKJV

John 4:1-2 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples)  NKJV

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples took Jesus instructions literally and seriously and performed baptisms for those who joined the church.

Acts 2:8, 39-41 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.... For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. NKJV

Acts 8:12-13 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. NKJV

Acts 18:8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. NKJV

Acts 22:12-16 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.  Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.  For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.  And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ NKJV

Baptism was preached and practiced in the Gospels so that we might live:

I Peter 4:5-6 They (sinners) will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. NKJV

► How does one “live” according to God in the spirit?

We live in the Spirit by first “dying” to self, to allow Christ to resurrect us into the newness of life. But to live, we must first die… Jesus explains with a metaphor in John’s gospel:

John 13:23-26 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.  NKJV

Baptism is a death we share with Christ to become a part of His body.

Luke 12:49-51 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  NKJV

Paul explains this concept that we share in the death and burial of Christ (to then share in His resurrection) in several texts, beginning with a letter to the Colossians:

Colossians 2:8-14 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.  In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  NKJV

And again in Romans, the definitive book on doctrine, Paul explains why we are baptized:

Romans 6:1-7 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.  NKJV

► Joined with Christ into the Body

By participating in the burial and death of Christ, we participate in His resurrection and life, and become part of the body of Christ, a believer joined to the church and an heir to salvation.

Galatians 3:26-29 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  NKJV

There is only one way to enter the body. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians states:

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.  NKJV

And again in I Corinthians, baptism unifies us into one body and one Spirit:

I Corinthias 12:11-14 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.  NKJV

► Why can't you just “believe” and be saved?

There are several steps to salvation; they are:

Hear

Believe

Repent

Confess

Be Baptized

Some verses simply focus on one or two of the steps. Here are several verses all within the same chapter of Romans that each focuses on a different aspect of the entire process:

1 - Hear

Romans 10:16-17 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  NKJV

2 - Believe

Romans 10:10-11 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  NKJV

3 - Repent

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  NKJV

4 - Confess

Romans 10:8-9 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  NKJV

…And be baptized. These four concepts are tied to baptism:

Belief + Baptism

Acts 16:31-33 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.  NKJV

Repentance + Baptism

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance.  NKJV

Confession + Baptism

Matthew 3:6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.  NKJV

Mark 1:5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  NKJV

► But, isn’t baptism just a “work”?

Jesus commanded us to do many things – obedience is not a “work”.

Luke 3:12-14 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”  NKJV

Lastly, it is important to remember for whatever reasons that are His alone to fully comprehend, this is the Will of God – to refuse is to reject the will of God…

Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  NKJV

Pharisees were the ultimate legalists, yet ironically they refused to follow one simple rule.  None of the other "rules" the Pharisees followed saved them.  It really boils down to submitting to the authority of God and being willing to try to obey.  None of us are "good" and none of us deserve the gift of salvation - it seems strange so many people reject that opportunity and invent thousands of rules to make themselves holy but won't submit to this simple command.  

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All scripture citations are from:  New King James Version®. (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson

Signs We Are at the Very End of this Age

Jesus gave us a full review of things that would happen "before" the end of the age, what will trigger the end of the age and an overview of what happens during the Great Tribulation.  This is covered in depth in Matthew 24 and  Luke 21.  

Recognizing the Signs

Are we able to recognize the signs?  Believers are not supposed to be taken by surprise.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6: "You yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night... But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do but let us be alert and sober."  HCSB

The letter to the Hebrews also referred to these signs, and proclaimed that upon seeing these signs, believers should encourage one another when they see the day of judgment drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.  HCSB

Signs We Are Very Close to the End of the Age

1.  False Messiahs

It is important to remember Jesus directly prophesied this would happen.  A web search of "list of Messiah claimants" will lead you to a Wikipedia page listing dozens of self declared saviors of the world.  History is littered with kings, popes, emperors, dictators, and cult leaders who claimed to have divine mandates to lead their followers into some utopian future.  

Matthew 24:23-25 “If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it!  False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note: I have told you in advance.  HCSB

Consider in the last century alone the personality cults of Mao Tze Tung, Ji Xi Ping, Josef Stalin, Adolph Hitler, V. I. Lennin, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Il, Sun Myong Moon, L. Ron Hubbard, and Pol Pot who have mislead millions and caused the slaughter of millions more.  

What do all of these charismatic leaders have in common?  They lead people away from the true Messiah and put their faith in false doctrines and ideologies that are representative of anti-Christ.

2.  The Rise of Humanism

Humanism is simply worship of mankind.  How can people be fooled into lowering standards to worship a creature?   Humans cannot defy death, aging or sickness, cannot live without air, water and food, and have limited intellect and physical strength.  And yet we are "gods"?  This defies reason.  And, in fact, those who idolize mortal men and women (and "other" genders) have darkened minds.  The motivation behind this belief system is to liberate selfish people to do as they wish without negative consequences.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days.   For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!  HCSB

3.  Myths Rule People's Thought Patterns

Everyone does what is right "in their own eyes" and cast off authority:

Psalm 2  Why do the nations rebel and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and His Anointed One: they say “Let us tear off their chains and free ourselves from their restraints.”  HCSB

• The love of self is Humanism (or Narcissism) — the belief that mankind is worthy of worship and the final authority of all things.   See:  Statism.
• The love of pleasure is Hedonism - the belief that pain is the only real evil 
• The love of money is Materialism. 

These false beliefs all originate from the Father of Lies and should be avoided. Anything modern culture praises is suspect, and is likely in direct opposition to God.  These philosophies are not held by 'fringe' groups.  The predominant part of the world population -- even nominal Christians -- are influenced in ways by these false beliefs they may not even recognize.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.  HCSB

Mankind is exceptionally gifted at self delusion; replacing the righteous wisdom of our Creator for moral philosophies that inevitably fail causing destruction in their path.

2 Timothy 4  For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.  HCSB

The world is rampaging toward a "one world government" and an ecumenical religion that has the sound and look of holiness, without the power of salvation of men's souls.  Many twist the Scriptures to justify their immoral lifestyles, and ignore the full counsel of God.  To them, the Scriptures are full of helpful suggestions, and Jesus was a great moral teacher, but not their Lord and Savior.  People without firm moral and logical grounding will fall for any ridiculous teaching, and they cling to myths, catechisms, and traditions that do not have any power to save.

4.  Israel is in the Promised Land

The key to when the "end of the beginning" of the "birth pangs" has come is summed up with the Parable of the Fig Tree.  The Fig Tree is symbolic of the nation of Israel. Jesus explains to His disciples the meaning of the Parable:

Matthew 24:32-34 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.  In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near—at the door!  I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. HCSB

We are to understand that when the land of Israel is repopulated with God's Chosen People, the end is very near - within the lifespan of one generation.  Four signs given in the Old Testament prophecies can be seen to already be at least partially fulfilled.

Fulfilled Prophecies Concerning the End of the Age

1 - Return of the Chosen People to the Promised Land.

Isaiah 11:11-12  On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover—from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coasts and islands of the west—the remnant of His people who survive.  He will lift up a banner for the nations and gather the dispersed of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.  HCSB

2 - The re-establishment of Israel as a State: now a historical fact.

Isaiah 66:7-8  “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?  Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.   HCSB

3 - The Entire World Arrayed Against Israel

Zechariah 12:2 “Look, I will make Jerusalem a cup that causes staggering for the peoples who surround the city. The siege against Jerusalem will also involve Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who try to lift it will injure themselves severely when all the nations of the earth gather against her.  HCSB

4 - And the last remaining piece in the puzzle for Israel today is the complete occupation of Jerusalem and the entirety of the original lands promised to Abraham.

Zechariah 8:3,8  The Lord says this: “I will return to Zion and live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, and the Holy Mountain.”  I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be My people, and I will be their faithful and righteous God.”   HCSB

As of the writing of this post, fulfillment of item 4 could be taking place today with the destruction of Hamas in Gaza.  When will Hezbollah act -- resulting in their destruction -- to restore the northern territories of Asher, Dan and Naphtali?  When will Jordan cede territory to restore Manasseh, Gad and Reubens homelands to the east?  It may come as a surprise to us how quickly it happens....

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Scripture citations are from:  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) © 2009 Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville TN