Foundations, Part 3 - Water Baptism
Hebrews 6:1-3 "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement. And this we will do if God permits."
After the foundations of repentance and faith have been laid, now we come to the doctrine of baptisms. Did you notice the "s" the first time you read this passage (baptisms)? Would it surprise you to know there's more than one baptism we need to go through?
As a matter of fact, there are three distinct baptisms mentioned in the New Testament - all of them crucial for a believer to submit to. If all three of these baptisms are part of the foundation for our whole spiritual walk, would it be wise for any believer to stop with just one?
What are these three baptisms?
The Baptism in Water
Now there's some confusion and uncertainty among Christians about each of these. But there shouldn't be...after all, this is an "elementary principle". The church needs to rally around what the Bible teaches about these (not their "pet doctrines" about them), embrace the truth, and then graduate from this!
Each of these three baptisms have certain characteristics in common - although the details are different for each one:
- All three have a medium that the believer is submerged into.
- All three contain a type of repentance
- All three involve an element of death
- All three must be done in faith
- And all three carry the power of resurrection to a new life
Because Baptism in Water is a physical act, it's the easiest for us to understand. Learning about this type of baptism first will set the pattern for the others. Let's take a look at each of these characteristics as they apply to being baptized in water.
The Medium: Water
Simply put, Water Baptism is complete submersion in water. This is not a "sprinkle" or a "pour". The believer is dunked completely under the water and then raised up out of it.
This is clearly pictured in John's baptism of Jesus. Matthew 3:16 says, "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water..." Why did Jesus have to come up from the water? It's a silly question, because the answer is obvious: He went down into the water!
The Repentance: You Were A Sinner
Remember what we learned about repentance? This isn't about sorrow or remorse per say...although it can include them. True repentance is a recognition that you were wrong and God is right. It's an inward change of heart that is reflected by an outward change of behavior.
In the case of water baptism, which is often the first act of conforming to God's will as a believer, the repentance involves your previous life as a sinner. When you choose to be baptized in water, you are confessing that your life before salvation was a life of sin. You're agreeing with God that the "old you" was NOT a good person...no matter how hard you may have tried.
The Death: Crucified With Christ
That repentance leads naturally into this point: During baptism, you're recognizing that the "old you" needs to die. Romans 6:3-4 tells us what happens when you go down into the water: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death..."
Understand this, Jesus didn't die so you could live...He died so you could die with Him. This is what going under the water represents: That old life died with Jesus on the cross! Your Savior carried all that sin and shame with Him to the grave.
What's interesting is that originally people were baptized in rivers. What's the significance of that? It's simple: The water that you went down under is not the same water you came back up from! When a person was submerged in the river, it was symbolic of their old life being swept away - never to return!
The Faith: You've Been Made Righteous
All three baptisms are acts of faith - and this one sets the example. When you're baptized in water, you're outwardly demonstrating the faith that you inwardly hold.
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Water Baptism is a declaration of your faith. Faith in what?
1 - Faith that Jesus carried your sins to the grave. You'll never have to deal with the sins of the past again!
2 - Faith that Jesus extends mercy to freely forgive you. He doesn't hold any sin to your account now!
3 - Faith that He's made you completely righteous...just as righteous as He is!
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
You're not a "forgiven sinner" anymore - there's no such thing! Forgiveness removes the sin. You don't deserve God's judgement anymore because you have been made permanently righteous in God's eyes! And when you're baptized in water - you are proclaiming your faith in this truth!
The Resurrection: Power to Live Righteous
Romans 6:3-4 "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, 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."
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead moved inside of you when you were born again!
In Jesus' case, that power raised His physical body up out of the grave.
In your case, that power strengthens you to live out the righteousness you've been given!
In other words, whatever grip sin had on you before you were saved has been broken now by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ!
This is what you are declaring when you come up out of the water: "I have been raised up, by the power of God, to a brand new life!"
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."
As we close out this point, it's important for you to remember this:
Water baptism doesn't save you, your faith does.
Water baptism doesn't change you, God's power does.
No, water baptism is a picture of what has already happened to you when you were saved. It's a definite point in time when you make this proclamation of faith - "I am a new creation. My past is dead and has been forgiven. And now I have all of God's power at my disposal to live a righteous life."
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