The purpose of Baptism

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. God's peace be upon you this morning, even as the angels declared to the shepherds, peace on earth, goodwill toward men. And we're thinking this morning of a peace in the midst of a time when many don't know what peace is. [00:00:33] Real peace is that which can carry us through the troubled times as well as the good times, the easier times. For over 2,000 years now, there have been baptisms at service. People have been baptized. There was no word in the language of the people to describe baptism in the beginning. There were washings in the Old Testament. And so when this word came up in other languages, [00:01:07] and you will find it true in many languages even today, It was just a revision of the word in Greek. So you have baptism, you have baptizo, you have baptisma, and other similar words. Because the word really had no significance to many peoples. And in foreign places today, in places where the gospel has not been preached, there's still no word for baptism until Christianity comes in. [00:01:41] So there is an experience that we want to look at today in anticipation of why we're together that is a very vital part of the teachings of Christianity or maybe I should just say of the gospel of Jesus Christ the message of salvation that we've already heard about and it's a practice that the church has maintained these 20 some centuries It is something that is of value and importance even in our day. [00:02:15] A time like this is a time of rejoicing. And it's also a time of importance. The Bible says that when one sinner repents, note is taken in heaven. And the angels rejoiced because somebody has repented and transferred from this lost estate that we've just heard about to one of life and hope. It's something worth rejoicing. The scriptures also say that I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. [00:02:49] For the family, I'm sure there is joy in knowing that this decision has been made and arrived at because it is not only a life-changing decision, but it is an eternal destination decision. It makes the difference for time and eternity. And it is as well a rejoicing for the people of God, the family of God, the church of Jesus Christ. [00:03:20] We rejoice with you this morning. Our hearts are warmed as we look at the great provision of God and your commitment to it. Now when we talk about baptism, it is of vital significance. Much has been said, much effort has been made to describe, to tell, to define what baptism means. Some people say it means to be immersed. Some people talk about a different form. [00:03:55] Some people talk about it being symbolic. and in all reality as I understand the scriptures at least and as I've studied the significance of the word and the experiences in the New Testament it is in a measure symbolic because we could bring all the water possible to this service and pour it over all the people possible and we could not remove one sin. The water cannot remove sin. [00:04:26] We do not believe in baptismal regeneration in that respect. However, I've wondered already if in our efforts to be clear on that point, we may not have overlooked some of the significance of baptism. Baptism is more than symbolic, as I understand the Scripture. Let me read some Scriptures to you. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, the Bible says. [00:05:02] Now, we emphasize, he that believeth shall be saved and shall be baptized. But the Bible says, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Again, the Bible says, Peter said to the Cornelius and his household, or the Scriptures say, He commanded them to be baptized. It is not a suggestion, but it is a command. When Jesus said, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, [00:05:36] He spoke, am I correct, Brother Chester, in the imperative sense. It was a command. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, or disciple all nations, baptizing them. Go and baptize, He said. and again the scripture says when Ananias spoke to Saul he said arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins now that's what the scripture says [00:06:07] I ask did the translators make a mistake in every case did they get the wording wrong and in Acts the second chapter Verse 32, verse 38, after Peter had preached that Old Testament story of how that God moved among His people He led them as a chosen people through which He was bringing a Savior to the world It says the people, well one other thing He said [00:06:39] This brought Jesus whom you crucified And then the people's hearts were pricked, and they said, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, whom you crucified, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. [00:07:13] What did they need to do? Repent and receive remission. That's a very vital part. But why did he say, and be baptized? That's as clear as the first in that statement. It's as evident as the first. So, I have come to the conclusion that baptism is more than symbolic. While it is symbolic, it does speak of a regenerated heart. [00:07:44] There is another dimension to baptism that is of such vital importance in our walk with God. Sometimes God leads us in spite of our ignorance. And I know in my own experience, now this is not doctrine, this is just experiential. I'm sharing with you what I experienced. Many years ago, it became clear to me that one of the involvements in this change that Brother Wendell was talking about is a commitment in our hearts. [00:08:26] It is a definite decision. It is a definite commitment. Oftentimes, when we face something that is difficult, we struggle, we hesitate, we wait, and then finally we get at it when we finally say, I will do it anyway. We make that commitment. It wasn't near as difficult as it was to think about it. Once that commitment is made, I'm wondering if that is not an explanation why in so many cases we find today that people have a profession but without a corresponding walk. [00:09:08] That commitment has never been made. Baptism has become only symbolic. A testimony has become only so much verbiage, but not really a heart declaration. is that why he says repent and be baptized repent and be baptized repent and be baptized is that why Jesus said go and baptize [00:09:41] is that why Ananias why Peter said commanded the people to be no Ananias Peter commanded the people to be baptized it is bringing us to a point for something takes place that is both symbolic but also more than that. We could go to 1 Corinthians, the 10th chapter, and read there the account of how that God led the people of Israel out of Egypt [00:10:11] and he came there to the Red Sea, that big obstruction in their escape with the army, the enemy behind them. Let's read two verses there. In verse 1 and 2 in chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians he says, Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and the sea. [00:10:46] The people were baptized unto Moses. Now, were they baptized? Well, not as we think of it. Some people use this to promote one form of baptism and some another. Some say it declares immersion. To me it seems rather obvious. Who was immersed? Was the Egyptians rather than the Jews? But be that as it may, that's not what I'm going to talk about this morning [00:11:17] But there are a few things I would like to talk about And that is that the people were baptized into Moses You picture that mass of people, two million strong, more or less There was this one man called of God to lead his people Now how do you organize and how do you get corresponding And you're going to lead them, not through paradise, the Garden of Eden, but you're going to lead them through some very difficult experiences. [00:12:05] The Bible says they were baptized into Moses. The Amplified Translation brings it out a little differently. It says they were willing to be committed to Moses, something of that nature it says. They came to this place where there was this sea. Now there was a wind blowing, if you read that account. It was blowing so much that it opened a path in the waters and dried the land so the people could walk through it. [00:12:36] So I don't know how turbulent the waters were on either side. The Bible doesn't say. But I would rather believe that if I came to a similar situation, there is a place where there is a sea, and then that sea would part, my first question would be, but how soon is it going to flow back together again? If I enter into there, is it safe? Is this foolish? But the people trusted Moses to lead them through that path, and in so doing they committed themselves. [00:13:18] Later you will read in chapter 20 of Exodus that when God spoke to the people from that mountain that was trembling with the holy presence of God, The people feared, the people trembled, and they said, Moses, you go, and whatever God says, we will do. They were baptized into Moses, you see. To be baptized into means to commit to the authority of. That's the definition of baptism as well. [00:13:48] To commit to the authority of. So when Moses said it's time to walk through these parted waters, the people were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. The cloud moved, the sea opened, and they followed Moses. And in a very real sense, baptism is a commitment to following Jesus Christ. Not just a symbolic experience we had, but it is a commitment to continue on with Him. [00:14:22] It is like making a covenant. We are called the covenant people of God, and I ponder on that statement. I hear it often. We hear about the Old Testament covenant, the people of the Old Testament covenant, but we are as well a people of the covenant. The Bible calls us the priests, the kingdom of priests with God. Priests interact with God. Priests appeal to God. Priests appeal to the people for God, on God's behalf. [00:14:53] There is a connection. We are the New Testament, if we are redeemed, priests of God. We are the covenant people of the new covenant, which is the promise of salvation that our Lord has made, but a covenant is between two and not one. And so, if we are the covenant people, God has made His covenant, He is keeping His covenant, and in baptism we make ours. It seems to me, as I look at the scriptures and what these different experiences and accounts are saying that come to us. [00:15:32] It is the making of a covenant. Today, we trust, we believe, and I understand rightly so, we believe that a person is not necessarily born the day he's baptized. Although, many in the New Testament were born and baptized the same day. And neither am I going to talk about the rightness or unrightness of that comparison with what we do today. But what I do want to talk about is that those people experienced a relationship with God [00:16:05] and we must experience a relationship with God in order to make a commitment to God that is going to be binding and that is going to be fulfilled by the grace of God in our hearts. When we then are baptized, we are making a statement. We are saying publicly that I have considered like the man who built a tower and didn't count the cost. [00:16:36] You know, he started building his tower and abandoned the project because he didn't have enough to finish, the Bible says. But he is bringing that illustration to us that we ought to be a people that do count the cost. We sit down and we meditate on the things of God. We sense the call of God in our heart. We look at the options. And then we say, by the grace of God, yes. Amen to the will of God. [00:17:09] We count the cost. We are not called to a crossless salvation. But it is a salvation that is lived in the shadow of the cross. Maybe that's not a good term. But it's a salvation that has a cross. And it is an ongoing cross that we carry. When we carry the cross God has assigned to us. I'm thinking of the Old Testament account of the slavery issue that they had when people were sold out, were sold to pay their debts. [00:17:47] There were those people that had served their time, they were now coming to the year of jubilee or the year of release. They had served their time to pay their debt. And they came to the threshold of release. But there was that servant that sat down and contemplated his situation There he was with his master and he said, here I am with my wife, here I am with my children [00:18:17] Here I am well taken care of by my master And he said, I'm not going out, I'm staying here But in so doing, he had to step to the doorpost and he put his earlobe, they put his earlobe to the doorpost. They took an awl and they pierced his ear, not to put in a ring, but as a sign of his perpetual commitment. It was a statement. It was a commitment. [00:18:50] I will not go out free. I have looked at the cost. People today look at the cost. Many people are saying today it costs too much to follow Jesus. But they haven't looked at the whole picture. Let me tell you this morning it costs much more not to follow Jesus than it does to follow Him. It has an endless pay separated from God. [00:19:23] to not follow Jesus. This man made the decision, I will not go out free. I'm going to stay. But you're losing all your freedom. You're losing all your rights. But he knew he gained more than he lost, than he would have lost. Because I am well with my Master, he said. It is well here. That's where that great peace comes in. [00:19:55] Probably has heard this illustration of a man who observed a rich man, a well-respected man, who observed a poor man who was at peace. And he said, I would give everything I own to have the peace you have. And you know what the poor man said? He said, that's what it cost me too. [00:20:26] Everything I have. But in that commitment, that surrender, he gained that peace that every human heart longs for. Without peace, life, what is it? Not only is it meaningless, but it is troublesome. There will always be trouble when there is not peace. The peace of God that passeth understanding. [00:20:57] The peace that the angels announced when they were here with us. It is the dividing line. Baptism, then, is the dividing line. It is the declaration that I will not go out free. I have decided to stay. I have decided to follow Jesus. And if nobody goes with me, I'm not turning back. It is a commitment. And when that commitment is made, it is when that kind of commitment is made that Jesus is made Lord. [00:21:31] And it is only as Jesus is made Lord that we can truly know remission of sins. It is then only that we can truly be saved when Jesus is Lord. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, thou shalt be saved. He doesn't say Savior in that scripture. Now Jesus is our Savior. He must be our Savior. We do look to Him for the remission of sins. [00:22:05] But He is Savior to those for whom He can be Lord. So it is the dividing line between death and life. It is the dividing line between the world and the church. Let us go then to Acts chapter 2. I'd like to read some scriptures there. Before I read, I'd like to quote Menno Simons. I don't know if you like to hear quotes like this or not, but I'd like to read Menno's statement. [00:22:44] Actually, Menno's life, he got into pretty deep water because of this baptism issue. He could not accept infant baptism. He could not accept that a person is saved just by pouring water. Something is intrinsically wrong, Menno said, as he was taught and as he opened his heart to God. So he said this, This is the word and will of the Lord, that all who hear and believe the word of God shall be baptized. [00:23:15] All who believe the word of God shall be baptized. It is scriptural to be baptized, as well as Menno confirmed it. But we've already confirmed it by the scripture. Thereby they profess their faith. Let me read it again. Thereby they profess their faith and declare that they will henceforth live not according to their own will but according to the will of God. In baptism we declare that we will not live any longer by our will but by the will of God. [00:23:50] Further he said, baptism is a sign of obedience commanded of Christ by which we testify when we receive it that we believe the word of the Lord, that we repent of our former life and conduct, that we desire to rise with Christ to a new life, and that we believe in the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. Baptism is a statement we're making, as well as symbolic that we have already experienced the change of heart through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. [00:24:22] Acts chapter 2, verse 36. The last part of Peter's message here, he said, Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? [00:24:55] He had spoken to them, brought them through that Old Testament journey to the coming of Christ and then said, this Christ, the one that you just got done crucifying, through the resurrection, God had declared Him to be the fulfillment of His plan of redemption. He has made Him, He is now your Lord, you are going to give account to Him. Lord and Christ [00:25:26] and the message came home and I trust that all the people that all of us somewhere in life will have that encounter with the revelation with the exposition of the Holy Spirit when He has come to convince the world of sin judgment and righteousness that when we get that picture of Calvary and that cross the day that the clouds came in [00:25:57] the sun hit its face darkness prevailed we see there the centurion we see the soldiers we see the Jewish leaders but all fades away and finally all you see is one lonely, lowly figure kneeling at the cross and he is you.