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....

~~~~~~

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.  

_____________________

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