08. Water Baptism

SERMON 8

Water Baptism

In the field of controversy on Bible subjects, no one thought has ever been so hotly contested as the one before us now. If it were not that this book will fall into the hands of many who are not familiar with the Bible on this subject, we would not introduce it as a special theme. But as it is a Bible subject, what does the Bible teach concerning baptism?

A glance at the diagram shows salvation placed in the inner circle. The twelve lines leading there from the outer circle represent as many points of Bible teaching on baptism.

1. Christ promised salvation to those only who do his will (Matthew 7:21), Baptism does or does not belong to that will which we must do to be saved. John says, “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Baptism was not given in the law of Moses, but has commanded by Christ (Mark 16:16). Therefore it comes under the head of grace and truth—belongs to the new will, and those only who do his will, or are baptized, can hope to be saved.

2. Jesus taught salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life, as spiritual blessings into (not out of) the kingdom of Christ; he also taught that except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

3. In the commission, Jesus taught the destiny of two classes, one should be saved the other damned. He predicated salvation alike on faith and baptism when he commanded the apostles to teach, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:15-16).

4. In Luke 24:47 Christ taught that the apostles should begin at Jerusalem, after they were baptized with the Holy Spirit, and teach remission of sins to all the world in his name. We turn to that very place and time, and find Peter commanding the people to repent and be baptized for the remission Of sins (Acts 2:38) .

5. Seven years after this time, we find an angel telling Peter to go down to the house of Cornelius, and to tell him words whereby he and his house should be saved (Acts 11:14). When Peter went down there he must not tell them too much, nor too little, without bringing condemnation upon himself by adding to or taking from the word of God (Revelation 22:18-19). So Peter went and told them what to do to be saved. In his instruction he told them to be baptized in the name of the Lord (Acts 10:48) for Jesus had taught, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”; and Peter could tell them nothing less and fill the divine mission under which he was working at that time.

6. Paul, under the same commission told the jailer what he must do to be saved (Acts 16:30-35); and in telling him what he must do, he preached to him the word of the Lord. The prophet had said that the word of the Lord was to go from Jerusalem (Micah 4:2). Christ taught the same (Luke 24:47). Then turn to Peter at Jerusalem (Acts 2:38), and you will find him teaching believers to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. Associate that with the faith Paul commanded the jailer to have, and you find him so anxious to be saved that he was baptized the same hour of the night.

7. Ananias, working under the same commission, commanded Paul to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16).

So far we have been arguing to show that baptism is for the remission of sins, or brings us to a place of salvation in Christ. It is needless to argue further. A man who will not accept this, neither would he believe even ii' one should preach it to him after rising from the dead.

8. I now call attention to how they were baptized. John baptized in Enon, near to Salim, because there was much water there (John 3:23.)

9. When Philip baptized the eunuch, they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch (Acts 8:38).

10. After the baptizing, they came up out of the water (Acts 8:39).

11. Paul says we are buried with him by baptism into death (Romans 6:4).

12. Our last proof offered is that Jesus taught that we must be born of water (John 3:5). To be born of anything means to emerge out of, or come forth from; and no one will be born of a smaller substance than himself.

Thus we have shown that in the act of baptism it requires (1) much water, (2) going down into the water, (3) a burial, (4) a birth, (5) a coming up out of. Outside of immersion, no one can claim these five items all came into his baptism.

You will notice. that in the diagram, salvation is in the inner circle, and all things necessary to bring a man from the outside to the inner circle is necessary to his salvation. You also notice that we have shown along seven lines that baptism is essential to bring man to the inner circle. The remaining five lines only show how he is baptized. Then, for a man to become a scriptural subject for baptism he must “hear” Christ in all things, as Moses taught (Acts 3:21); “believe” with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (John 20:30); “repent,,' as Christ taught (Luke 13:6); “confess” Christ before men as Jesus teaches (Matthew 10:32); then this man is prepared to be baptized into Christ. When he is baptized into Christ Paul teaches that he puts on Christ (Galatians 3:2.); old things have passed away, and he is in the inner circle where God has located salvation for him. He is then a saved man from all past sins and if he continues in the faith heaven will be his home.

Much more could be written on this subject but enoughhas been given, so far as testimony is concerned. The fault in this religious world is not on baptism, but on faith. Just as long as men argue about some poor fellow who could not be baptized; and that baptism is a non-essential, baptism is not what he needs, but more faith in the Son of God. We have much more water in this world than we have faith, and all the war that has been made about sandy desert travelers and death-bed conversions in the last hundred years, claiming they could not be baptized, has not grown out of a lack of water to baptized them, but for want of faith in the Son of God.

Finally, kind reader, what position do you occupy today? Remember that you are the one who has wandered away from God—-away from home and all the blessings there. Jesus, in his mercy has invited you to come back and live. Along the road he has marked out for you to travel, he has placed baptism. He tells you plainly that if you will believe and be baptized you shall be saved. Then why not make the start? Why not make up your mind to come, accept the truth, obey his command, walk in the way he has said, with the blessed promise that Jesus will be with you when you are called to die, and will finally conduct you to that home whose builder and maker is God?