Sermon Tone Analysis

Publicly Identifying With Christ

Water Baptism and Your Responsibility

The church often struggles under the results of the cancers of traditionalism, legalism, denominationalism, and faddisms.

For example, there was a season when certain denominations worked with the state to make laws, “declaring that anyone who accepted adult baptism after being baptized as an infant would be subject to the death penalty.”

(The Foundation Series for Youth, Believer’s Baptism; Publish by Brethren in Christ, Writer Owen Alderfer) The secret to overcoming the cancers that afflict the church is to have the spiritual heart that reflects a life that says, "It is not what I want, but what God wants for me."

When a person's heart is set on God's heart, that person does not focus on what he or she wants in the baptism celebration ceremony, but their focus is on what pleases God.

I would propose to you that the Lord is not bound to the doctrine of men, but longs for Christians to have Holy Spirit illumination of God’s Word about water baptism.

Jesus gave clear instructions to His church, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

(Matthew 28: 18-20)

Water baptism was administered by John the Baptist.

(Matthew 3:5-12; John 3:23; Acts 13:24) Water baptism was sanctioned by Christ's submission to it.

(Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22) Jesus adopted baptism into His ministry.

(John 3:22; 4:1) Water baptism is the appointed ordinance of the true Christian church.

(Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16) Water baptism is to be administered in the names of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

(Matthew 28:19)

Just what does the Word of God say about Water Baptism?

What is the purpose of this declaration?

What is your responsibility?

Sacrament of water baptism is a very important step in the Christian’s life

After accepting Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, the sacrament of water baptism is a very important step in the Christian’s life.

In Matthew 3:13-17 we read of Jesus being baptized.

The Bible says, “…Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

But John tried to deter Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you.’

Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”

“Righteousness” (δικαιοσύνη dikaiosúnē) here is conformity to all of God’s standards for the believer.

(The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament)

Christ is the standard for Christians.

Jesus was not being baptized for the repentance of sin, for He never sinned.

(2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26) This baptism for Jesus was an ordination, He publicly was fulfilling God’s standard for Him – thus opening the gates of heaven for the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to accomplish God’s will for Him.

(Matthew 3: 16; 4: 1-11) Jesus’ baptism forever changed the way His followers would look upon the celebration of the Christian's rite, water baptism.

When we receive Jesus Christ as personal Savoir and Lord, through faith we become children of God, and when you are baptized you are identifying yourself with Christ publicly.

(Galatians 3:26-29; Act 10:1-47; Acts 8:26-39) The baptism celebration ceremony is a public proclamation of who you are uniting yourself with.

It is like when some kind of ceremony is performed in the exchanging of a wedding ring.

There are witnesses to whom you are pledging yourself to.

Before a soldier can were the uniform, there is some kind of ceremony performed were the soldier makes a public proclamation of loyalty.

From the earliest time in church history to now, the Body of Christ has used symbols to communicate her faith and life.

One of the symbol's of repentance and receiving the new life promised in Christ is water baptism.

(Acts 8:36; 10:37) A wedding ring is an outward symbol that a person is married to someone.

The person God has given them, to be their partner throughout life down here.

The wedding ring is received during a public ceremony of some kind.

A military uniform is an outward symbol that a person is involved with a particular branch of service.

There are regulations on the wearing and caring for those uniforms.

Military personal are expected to wear those uniforms on the appropriate occasions, just as Christians are expected to participate in the act of baptism.

The celebration of the Christian’s baptism is a symbolic act saying, “I am dying to self-centeredness and sin-centeredness for the righteousness of God and Christ-centeredness.”

Mode of this Christian celebration

Jesus and His disciples spoke of the importance of baptism.

However, the New Testament is not altogether clear as to the mode of this Christian celebration.

Baptism ceremonies are performed in fonts, baptistries, in lakes, streams and even the oceans.

Christians throughout history have been water baptized through different methods, such as sprinkling, the pouring of water over the head three times, immersion going straight down, forward and backwards.

The key significance is that the person has accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord by faith.

(Acts 18:8; Ephesians 2:8-10) The person to be baptized has in repentance (Act 2:38; 3:19; 17:30) turned from his old life and put on the new one in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

The new believer is hungry to be taught the things of God and has asked to be baptized.

(Acts 8: 26-39)

What is spiritually key to enjoying a baptismal service is the motive of the person's heart in the baptism ceremony, not the mode.

How do we know this?

There is much debate within Christianity on the proper mode of baptism.

There are several ways to interpreting Scripture.

One is to do a word study.

Example: According to Strong's Concordance - word βαπτίζω, ‘baptizo,' is translated as... “baptize” 76 times, “wash” twice, “baptist” once, and “baptized" once.

It means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk).

It means to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe.

However, there is one Scriptural indication that baptize (baptizo) was translated as (baptismos) in Hebrews 9:10, meaning "various washing" and it is connected to the sprinkling of blood.

It was through the shedding of Jesus' blood, Christians are redeemed.

Biblically, the prototype of sprinkling of blood on certain items was the symbol of being sanctified to God, or rather covered by the blood of Christ.

I personally agree with many other denominations, immersion is the best mode of Christian baptism.

I am in agreement with Rev. Matt Slick, "we should be careful to assert that baptism can only mean immersion..." in regard to the Christian Baptism Ceremony.

This is especially important when we look at the whole of Scripture in regards to being adopted in the family of God, becoming children of God, and accepted by God through the shed blood of Christ.

A true studier of God's Word would consider the whole of Scripture in regard to being saved through the blood of Christ, meaning we are purchased through Jesus, who gave His life on the Cross for the redemption of our sins.

The sacrament of water baptism is a beautiful illustration of the cleansing of God's elect from all their sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son.

I think Satan works hard to get Christians debating over the mode of baptism.

Thus keeping them from grasping the heart of water baptism.

The writer of the Book of Romans wrote it so clearly, “…don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

(Romans 6:3-23)

The symbolic act of water baptism is symbolizing outwardly, the inward dying to the sinful nature to take up a new life, one full of the Lord's leading and blessings.

Water has been used symbolically many times in the Old and New Testament to represent God's cleansing power.

I love that truth proclaimed by Ezekiel, who is writing on behalf of God, explaining the new birth, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and laws.

(Ezekiel 36:25-26) Jesus said you must be born of "water and Spirit..." (John 3:5)

In his teaching on modes of baptism, Rev. Robert Harch pointed out several Scriptural references regarding purification and dedication unto the Lord being performed through the sprinkling or pouring of blood or water.

(Exodus 12:22, Hebrews 11:28; Exodus 24:6-8; Hebrews 9:10, 13,14 19, 21,22; Leviticus 4:6; 9:9; 14:6-7; Numbers 19:18-21)

Any church wanting to enjoy a baptismal service to its fullest, will cast of the cancers of traditionalism, denominationalism, and legalism, so the person being baptized may be Holy Spirit illuminated of the joy of the Lord.

Rev. Robert Harbach writes, "The reformed and Presbyterian churches do not rebaptize members who have been baptized by immersion.

Their baptism is regard as valid."

If churches who sprinkle or pour at their water baptism celebration services can regard immersion baptisms as valid, then churches who do immersion baptisms should respect baptisms that are done differently.

The Lord is not looking at modes, He is wanting His children to publicly indentify with Him as an expression from their heart.

Considering the whole of Scripture, when approached through a heart of repentance and performed in the Names of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, all modes of water baptism should be regarded as valid.

The doctrine of man should submit to the grace of God.

You are expected to live the life

Once you have through repentance received Jesus Christ and identified with Him through water baptism, you are expected to live the life.

Romans 6:3-23 says, “…don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.

For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.

For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.

The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.