Bible Foundations – Subject: WATER BAPTISM Lesson 8

 

Bible Foundations – Subject: WATER BAPTISM Lesson 8 

The commission and commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ is to: “Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

The portion of this 'command' we are concerned with is Water Baptism. Please notice that there is a command by Jesus to be water baptized.

Water Baptism is one of God's triune witnesses in earth to make the complete Christian.

1 John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

As the people of the Old Testament were brought under obligation to the law by their baptism in the cloud and in the sea, we also are set apart and set apart by Baptism.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,  all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea - -

Water Baptism is a “testimony” to the world, and a “symbol” or picture of our “Identification” with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. We are raised to a new life IN HIM.

We will cover four categories of this subject as we study.

1. Who may be baptized? 2. When to be baptized?  
   3. How to be baptized?  4. Why be baptized?

1. Who may be baptized? There is no question that a person must have invited Jesus into their life and become a Christian, before they can be baptized. They must know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and be “Born again”. Mark 16:16  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 8:36-38  Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said,  “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

There is no basis for infant baptism in the Bible. Contrariwise the tragedy of infant baptism is that many people go through life thinking they are “saved” just because their parents had them baptized as infants. The Bible is clear that each person must have a personal relationship with Jesus to be saved.

Many Bible believing churches, will have a ceremony of dedication where the parents promise to raise their children to love God; And to be good examples for their children, so that at an early age, the child will desire to invite Jesus into their life and be baptized in water.

2. When to be baptized?

The revelation of the Scriptures makes it clear that a person should be baptized as soon as possible after they have invited Jesus into their life and they are 'saved.'
Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized;

Acts 8:12 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.

Acts 8:36-37 Now they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Acts 9:18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

Acts 10:47-48  “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. 

Acts 16:30-33 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.

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.

3. How to be baptized.

The word baptism comes from the Greek word “baptizo” which means to be fully whelmed or fully wet. The word was used among the Greeks to signify the dying of a garment or the drawing of water by immersing a vessel into another.

There is no question that Water Baptism is by total immersion. Jesus being our example was immersed into the water by his cousin John the Baptist. Matthew 3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

Acts 8:38-39 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

John 3:23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, because there was much water there. 

Many may question that there might be other ways to baptize a person who believes in Jesus. Let us speculate: Say a person who is sick and not able to get out of bed, or in the case of one dying and on their death bed but they believe in Jesus and desire to be baptized. The fact is that in their present physical state it would be a problem.  In cases like this, God will see their heart and allow sprinkling or pouring as it seems fit.

Also some ask, what about the thief on the cross who received Jesus at the last minute. There was no possible way for him to be baptized in water. Consider that God saw the man's heart and Jesus honored his confession and told him, “today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Although it is important to be baptized in water, it is not the act of baptism that saves one, rather it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the person's confession of faith in Jesus.

However in obedience to the Word and the command of Jesus, it important to be baptized in water as soon as possible after receiving Jesus into your life. The scriptural mode is to be fully immersed in water, leaving the “old nature in the grave,” and rising to a new life in Christ Jesus.

Continued next week