Baptism

 

Baptism literally means immersion: to baptise is to immerse or plunge, that is – to cover in fluid

 Baptism is one of the foundations listed in Heb.6:1-2, which follows repentance & faith to bring us into full salvation.

 Jesus gave the command to baptise: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matt.28:19

 “He who believes and is baptised will be saved” Mark 16:16

 The Example of Jesus:

Jesus was baptised to fulfil all  righteousness: “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness” Matt.3:15

 When Jesus came out of the water the Holy Spirit came upon Him: “Jesus came up immediately out of the water; the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him”

Matt.3:16-17.

 Peter preached baptism on the Day of Pentecost: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins” Acts 2:38

Baptism brings remission [cutting off/sending away] of sins

Baptism follows believing in the shed blood of Jesus that cleanses us from sin.

We are saved through repentance and faith to enter the Kingdom

We are baptised to become a member of His body.

 

What happens at Baptism?

We identify with Jesus:

·        in His death - “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death?”

·        in His burial – “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death …”

·        in His resurrection – “… 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”  Romans 6:3-5

 

 We are baptised into Christ “For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on [been clothed with] Christ” Gal.3:27.

 Through baptism we enter into the resurrection of Jesus Christ, even as Noah and his family were saved through water “In the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism [not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God], 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” 1Pet.3:20b-22.

 Baptism gives us victory over our ‘old man’ of sin “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” Rom.6:6

 If we have ‘died’ to our old man of sin we can walk in new life with Him “For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him”  Rom.6:7-8.

“Consider yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord”  Rom.6:11.

 “For sin shall not have dominion over you …”  Rom.6:14.

 Sin no longer has dominion, power, authority, over us!

 Who can be baptised?

“Those who gladly received His word were baptised” Acts 2:41

 “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 baptised” Acts 8:12

 “If you believe with all your heart you may” Acts 8:37

 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptised who have received the Holy Spirit just as we” Acts10:47

 Paul said, speaking to believers in Ephesus regarding John the Baptist, “That they should believe on Him who would come after him, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus’” Acts.19:4-5

When do we baptise?

The same day: the 3000 who received the word on the Day of Pentecost were baptised ‘that day’ (Acts2:41)

Immediately: “He commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptised him” Acts 8:38

The same hour: the Philippian jailer and all his family were baptised the same hour (Acts16:33) 

In what name do we baptise?

Jesus commissioned baptism “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matt.28:19. He was speaking to the apostles at the time.

 Ten days later, on the day of Pentecost, Peter standing with the eleven, commanded baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ [Messiah]” Acts 2:38. All references to water baptism in the book of Acts teach us that the NAME in which we baptise is the NAME of JESUS [Yahweh Saves] and that this name is the manifestation and revelation of the Godhead.

 The revelation that Peter brought on the Day of Pentecost was “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ”

Acts 2:36

Foundational Steps – Heb.6:1-2

 Step 1) Repentance – understand that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”  Rom.3:23

 Step 2) Faith toward God – believing that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin”  1Jn.1:7b

 Step 3) Baptism – obey the command to ‘be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins”  Acts 2:38

 à Remember Jesus said “He who believes and is baptised will be saved”  Mark 16:16

Step 4) Laying on of Hands – expect to “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”   Acts 2:38