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The Need To Be Immersed Into Christ (1)
John R. Gentry
Baptism is one of the more controversial subjects in religion. Different denominations teach different things concerning the mode and meaning of baptism. Whenever it is brought up, people generally frown or act disgusted and think, “Why is he bringing this up again? People have been debating this for hundreds of years and have never settled the argument.” However, the truth about baptism as recorded in the Bible has always been the same and will never change. Every Bible believing person must come face to face with baptism. Every individual must conclude for himself the role baptism plays in our salvation, if any, and precisely what baptism is.
Let us erase any and all presuppositions we have about baptism. Let’s assume that we don’t know anything about baptism: what it is nor its purpose in salvation. We are going to let God tell us exactly what he wants us to know about baptism. We will ask a series of questions and let the Bible answer them for us.
What Is Baptism?
You can look in an English dictionary under the definition of baptism and find that baptism is a religious rite administered by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. According to this definition, there are several options when it comes to baptism. What saith the Scripture?
In Rom. 6.3-4 and Col. 2.11-12 we learn that a believer is “buried with Christ in baptism.” Clearly God’s definition of baptism is not sprinkling or pouring, it is a burial or an immersion in the likeness of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. And we learn from all the examples of baptism and from other passages that this immersion is to take place in water (Matt. 3.1-17; Mark 1.4-11; Luke 3.1-22; John 1.24-34; 3.5, 23; 10.40; Acts 8.35-39; 10.47-48; 22.16; Eph. 5.25-27; Heb. 10.22; 1 Pet. 3.20-21).
Conclusion
Lord willing, next week we will let the Bible answer the following questions: 1) What Is Baptism For? 2) What Happens When We Are Baptized? 3) How Many Baptisms Are There? 4) Who Can/Should Be Baptized? I want to encourage you to take your concordance (not your creed or catechism) and study every passage that pertains to baptism. Then you will know what God wants you to know about baptism.
originally published in the Banner-Gazette
2007.11.07