Christian Foundations (8) - Water Baptism

The 3 Foundational Baptisms: (1) BAPTISM into CHRIST by the Holy Spirit. (2) BAPTISM in WATER by representatives of the Church, and (3) BAPTISM in the SPIRIT by Jesus Christ. WATER BAPTISM is a Sacrament - a symbolic physical act, that has a spiritual effect. BAPTISM in WATER is commanded upon all believers, for them to testify outwardly and publicly of their Baptism into Christ (which happens at the moment of salvation). In Water Baptism we act out what God has done in our spirit, when we were baptised into Christ. We were identified with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Our old spirit-man was crucified and buried with Christ, and we were raised with Christ as a new man into a new life. In Baptism, we confess our faith, testifying to what God has done for us and in us, which releases God's Power in our life (Romans 10:10). You have to be saved (be a believer) before being baptised. Infant baptism is not biblical. Biblical Baptism is Believer’s Baptism: “He who (1) BELIEVES and is (2) BAPTISED will be saved” (Mark 16:16). The word ‘BAPTISM’ means to IMMERSE, like a garment dipped into a die. The result of this union is permanent change. Thus by definition, Baptism must be by full immersion. Water Baptism is a picture of our death, burial and resurrection with Christ, which is why God ordained it to be by full immersion. Sprinkling with water is a man-made substitute (tradition), which does not fulfil the picture. Christ COMMANDS all His disciples to be BAPTISED in WATER, as their ordained act of obedience and public testimony that they are a follower of Christ. Thus it is not an optional extra. Water Baptism is an act of obedience to Christ. To refuse baptism is disobedience. Jesus Himself was baptised to give us an EXAMPLE to follow, and said it was the RIGHT thing to do (Matthew 3:13-16). Jesus was already righteous, so His Baptism was not to make Him righteous, but to ‘fulfil all righteousness’ in His life (it was an important act of obedience to God). Jesus was bringing in a new kind of Baptism – His Baptism is the MODEL and PROTOTYPE for CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. He is our EXAMPLE. In being baptised we are FOLLOWING the EXAMPLE of our Lord, and so demonstrating we are truly His disciple. Thus by our obedience we are fulfilling God’s righteous requirement for our life. When you obey God in Baptism, you can ask and expect the Holy Spirit to fill you and empower you for ministry, just as He did for Jesus. You are dedicating yourself to God to be His disciple, and God’s Spirit will come upon you to empower you to fulfil your call. *1. Jesus was baptised to give us an EXAMPLE to follow. *2. The risen Jesus COMMANDED that all those who believed in Him through the Gospel should be baptised (Mark 16:15-16, Matthew 28:18-20). BAPTISM is the ordained, public initiation into DISCIPLESHIP for all believers (Matthew 28:19). A DISCIPLE is someone who follows and obeys His Lord’s example, teachings and commands. So if you have not even obeyed His FIRST command to you as a new believer (to be baptised in water), you can’t really call yourself a true disciple. BAPTISM is part of the GREAT COMMISSION of spreading the GOSPEL to ALL people, because the required response to the Gospel is FAITH in Christ, evidenced by WATER BAPTISM. *3. The early Christians diligently practiced Water Baptism by full immersion in obedience to Christ's command (Acts 2:38,41, 8:12,35-39, 9:18, 10:44-48, 16:31-33, 19:5-6). *You are doing 2 things in your Baptism: (1) You are making a PUBLIC TESTIMONY and DECLARATION of your faith in Christ as your Lord and Saviour. (2) You are committing yourself to Christ as His disciple, saying: “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.” In BAPTISM we (1) DEDICATE ourselves to do God’s will, and (2) CALL on Him to fill us with His POWER to do it. Jesus is our example, for He was BAPTISED in the SPIRIT, when He was BAPTISED in WATER. BAPTISM is a spiritual BATH. The natural WATER is a symbol of the spiritual WATER (the Holy Spirit) that WASHES us clean: Acts 22:16: “Be BAPTISED, and WASH away your sins, CALLING on the Name of the Lord." Paul's sins had already been forgiven (9:5-6,17). FORGIVENESS means God has forgiven us of that sin and does not hold it against us. Even when we are forgiven, we can still feel the shame, guilt and stain of that sin in our conscience, and so we also need to receive an inner WASHING or CLEANSING of our conscience. At his BAPTISM, Paul (1) received a WASHING away of his sins (especially his persecution of the believers), and (2) he also CALLED on the Name of Jesus to fill him with the Holy Spirit, so that he would be empowered to fulfil his ministry. So Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17) at His Baptism. Speaking in tongues is the outward sign of being filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4), and Paul spoke in tongues (1Corinthians 14:18).