QUESTIONS/ANSWERS
ABOUT WATER BAPTISM
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
16:16)
Water. Water was around before the creation of the
physical universe (Genesis 1). Scientist says over 70% of the earth’s
surface is
covered with it and there are 326 million cubic miles of water on the
earth.
Every living thing needs water to live, and every living thing is made
of
at least some water. Water is used for everything from cooking to
bathing
to generating electricity, and new uses are being found for it each
day.
Yet, sadly man has under utilized and even discounted its use as a
means
of getting to Heaven.
What is Water
Baptism? The Greek word for
baptism is “Baptisma,” which literally means “to immerse.” It is
metaphorically described as a burial
(Romans 6:3-4) where, just as Christ, died, was buried in a tomb and
rose
from death, we too die, are buried (in the water) and rise to live a
new
life in and for Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:27).
How Does Water
Baptism Save? It is not magic
water. The saving power behind water baptism is the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-4). One is saved when he
believes the message of the Gospel and in good conscience, pledges his
life to God as he confesses Jesus and is immersed in water (1 Peter
3:18-21). Immersion in water allows the blood of Jesus to wash your
past sins away (Matt. 26:28).
What Happens at
Water Baptism? All spiritual
blessings occur at baptism (Eph. 1:3). We will name only a few of them.
(1) The individual receives forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5).
(2) The individual receives the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:16). (3) The individual is added to the universal
church (not a particular denomination), but the worldwide household of
God (Acts 2:47; Matt. 16:18; Rom. 16:16).
Who is a proper
Candidate for Water Baptism?
There are certain requirements one must meet before they can be
baptized in water. They must have faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and
Lord of the universe (Matt. 16:16; Gal. 3:26). They must have SIN and
be repentant of it (Acts 2:36-37; Luke 13:3). They must confess the
Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Matt. 16:15-17). This confession
is made both in word (Romans 10:9-10) and daily, as the
result of a changed lifestyle (Romans 12:1-2).
Is Water Baptism
Really Necessary for Salvation?
Quite
frankly, YES! Jesus said it was necessary for Him to get baptized to
fulfill
all righteousness (Matt. 3:15). Since all of God’s commandments are
righteousness
(Ps. 119:172), Jesus was baptized in water to obey a command of God
given
by John (Mark 1:4-5). Unlike us, Jesus had no sins to be forgiven or
saved
from (Heb. 4:15). However, He obeyed God’s command and showed us how
and
when one receives the indwelling Holy Spirit as a gift (Matt. 3:16;
Acts
2:38). Water baptism (for all believing penitent people) has now been
commanded
by God through Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-48).
John
3:3-5 indicates that water baptism (along with faith and repentance) is
required
to enter the Kingdom of God.
Yes, the Bible
teaches that water baptism is necessary for salvation. Just look at the
Scriptures! When referring to Noah’s Ark, Peter writes, “In it only a
few people (8 souls) were saved through water, and this water
symbolizes baptism that now saves you also” (1 Pet. 3:20-21; cf. Mark
16:16). But you might say, “I haven’t been taught that and I don’t
believe that. I can’t see anything in the water, therefore I am not
going to obey the command to be baptized to be saved.” Well, maybe God
will make an exception in your case. However, do you really think it
wise to take that chance?
I was Baptized
with Water as a Baby! Isn’t that Good Enough? First, you were not immersed (buried in the
water) as the Scriptures command (Col. 2:12; cf. Acts 8:36-39). You
were most likely merely sprinkled with water. According to Catholic
Church documents, sprinkling became an acceptable mode for baptism in
the 12th century because it was more convenient (Faith of
Our Fathers). Many Protestant Churches have followed the Catholic
example. Sprinkling water for baptism is therefore a
man-made doctrine. It is unbiblical and therefore unacceptable by God
as a
mode of baptism.
However, even if one was immersed as a baby, remember, the water is not magical. The one being baptized must meet the requirements (see above) to receive the blessings associated with water baptism. Since a baby cannot and does not have faith, cannot confess Jesus, and is not capable of repentance, infant baptism is not biblical and therefore not valid.
I was Told to
Pray Jesus into my Heart and I Would be Saved. What’s Wong with That? Simply stated, it is not biblical. No matter
how hard you search the Scriptures you will not find authorization to
pray a so-called
“sinner’s prayer” for the forgiveness of your sins. Peter didn’t tell
the
believers in Acts 2 to repent and say a prayer. He told them to repent
and
“BE BAPTIZED” for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38).
Furthermore, Revelation 3:20 (the usual Scripture reference for the
“sinner’s prayer” teaching)
was written to lukewarm Christians as a means of firing them up. It was
not
written to non-Christians as a means to get them saved.
What about the
Thief on the Cross? He was Never Baptized! There is good reason for that. (1) Until
Jesus was resurrected, the Mosaic Law was still in effect. Jesus did
not command water baptism until after His death, burial, and
resurrection (Matt. 28:18-20). Therefore, appealing to the thief for
your salvation is like appealing to Moses or David. Can you be saved
using the same standard of salvation that they used? (2) Water baptism,
as Romans 6 says, is a time where we are immersed into the death of
Jesus. A New Testament baptism for forgiveness of sins and
reception of the Holy Spirit before Jesus died is therefore
non-existent.
Wasn’t the
Philippian Jailer told his ONLY requirement for salvation was to
Believe (Acts 16:31)?
Friends, belief includes more than the mental
acknowledgement of a truth. Belief includes obedience (James 2:17-26).
Please
keep reading in Acts 16. In verse 32 we learn that the jailer and his
household
were taught what to believe about Jesus. Once taught, verse 33 says he
and
his house obeyed what they believed (had been taught- Romans 10:17).
Their
belief (verse 34) caused them to be baptized in water to get into
Christ
where salvation is at (Gal. 3:27; 2 Tim. 2:10). Thus, he was saved by
grace
through faith (Eph. 2:8) as he obeyed God (cf. Heb 5:9).
Didn’t Saul
become a Christian when he called Jesus “Lord” on the road to Damascus? NO! Even though Saul (Paul) recognized Jesus
as Lord and prayed and fasted for three days, he was still not forgiven
(or saved)
by God. Acts 22:16 tells us his sins were washed away when he got up
and
was baptized, calling on the name of the Lord.
Isn’t Water
Baptism a Work and therefore NOT Required for Salvation? Water baptism is
a work of
obedience to a command of God (Mark 16:15-16). Belief, repentance, and
confession
are also works of obedience to commands of God (cf. John 6:29; 8:24;
Acts
17:30; Matt. 10:32-33; 1 John 2:22-23). Obedience to all the commands
of
God are required for salvation (Matt. 7:21; Acts 5:32; Heb. 5:9). A
work that
does NOT save is doing something for salvation that is NOT a command of
God
(like sprinkling water on someone or praying the so-called “sinner’s
prayer”).
In Mark 16:16,
Jesus didn’t say anything about one who Believes and isn’t Baptized, so
therefore it’s not required.
WRONG! When God tells man what to do, that ends the matter. Jesus
placed belief AND water baptism together for salvation. Naturally, if
one does not believe water
baptism is necessary for salvation he will not be baptized for that
reason.
The person who claims to believe in Jesus, but refuses to obey Him (by
being
immersed in water for salvation) really does not believe. Since Jesus
did
not offer salvation without baptism, what right does anyone have to say
otherwise?
I was Baptized
in water
to Join my Church. Is this Biblical? NO! Paul criticized as divisive those who
were baptized into anything other than Christ (1 Cor. 1:13ff). One does
not become a Baptist or a Catholic or any other denominational member
when baptized with
water. The New Covenant baptism commanded by Jesus is where one becomes
simply
a Christian and is ADDED to (you cannot join) the universal church (or
body)
of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:41, 47).
Isn’t Water
Baptism merely an Outward sign of an Inward expression? In other words,
isn’t it just
Symbolic of what has already taken place? Not really! When a man marries a woman they
obviously have strong feelings for each other. Before the ceremony
takes place, they love each other and they have pledged their
commitment to one another. However, in the eyes of God and the law,
they are not married until the official ceremony takes place.
Similarly, inwardly you may love Jesus and have pledged your commitment
to Him; however, you are not married to Him officially until your
baptism INTO Him takes place (Rom. 6:3-4). You put Christ on, thus
becoming the bride of Christ (Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 21:2) at the
point of water baptism (Gal. 3:27).
I received the
Holy Spirit when either (1) I first believed, (2) A preacher laid his
hands on me, or (3) I received my Confirmation. Jesus received the Holy Spirit at His
baptism in
water (Luke 3:21-22). Peter says we receive the Holy Spirit during
water baptism
also (Acts 2:38). Why are you the exception?
I was baptized
as an
adult, so therefore I’m going to Heaven. Loved one, you cannot be taught wrong and
baptized right. You must obey God’s form of teaching (the Gospel) from
your heart or
understanding (Rom. 6:17). You may have been immersed in water as an
adult, but if you did not believe it was for salvation, you simply got
wet. You can
correct your error by submitting to immersion in water again, but this
time
with the correct understanding (see Acts 19:1-5 for an example of
this). Only
those who obey God from the heart and remain faithful to Him unto death
will
receive the crown of life eternal (Rev. 2:10).