What is Baptism?

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick

If we wanted to create an acrostic with the word "baptism," we would have this simple statement: Baptism is a: Born-again Adult Proclamation, Trusting In the Simple Message. One of the most important understandings of Baptism is that it is a dramatic announcement of something that has already taken place - a person being baptized has been Born Again. From a Biblical viewpoint, water from the tap cannot remove the sin which everyone has inherited and practiced, only faith in Jesus our Crucified and Resurrected Lord can do that. For the religious man named Nicodemus who had come to Jesus secretly to inquire about the miracles he had heard about, this was a difficult idea to grasp. Jesus immediately turned his attention to the most important miracle of all, to be born again. Nicodemus was stunned, able to only think about physical birth. It almost sounds like mockery for him to ask, "How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" (John 3:4) Jesus then patiently explained that this is a spiritual birth which comes about when a person simply believes in Jesus, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) By the way, when Jesus referred to being "born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5), He wasn't referring to the water of baptism. There are two kinds of birth, fleshly birth and spiritual birth. The water He was talking about was no doubt the fluids of the womb - when a woman is about to give birth, we say, "Her water broke." It's also important to understand that baptism is the result of an Adult decision. It is a good thing when infants are brought to be presented to the Lord, but this is for dedication, not baptism. Why? Because the infant is not capable of making a decision for himself, it's something decided for him by the parent(s). In reality, it's a dedication of the parents as they publicly declare their intention to bring up their child to follow the Lord, to the best of their ability, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit. An adult understands what baptism means, that it's not mere ritual, and that baptism does not secure salvation. Adults also are capable of understanding the requirements, as well as the benefits and consequences. Even without any misunderstanding about baptism, Christian parents have a tremendous challenge as they bring up their children in a Christian church. The temptation, often not even recognized, is that we too easily assume that children of Christian parents, those who are sent or taken to Sunday School and church, automatically become Christians. As little children, they may even go the altar, or pray the sinner's prayer in a Sunday School class or VBS, and we think everything is now set for life. In one church I served, we had a Nursery School where the teacher was giving altar calls to 3 and 4 year old children. She believed that once they repeated the prayer, they would be Christians for life. Of course this is the extreme position of those who teach the "Once Saved, Always Saved" doctrine. Obviously, it's not enough just to pray a Christian prayer, children must be trained to live a Christian life. If being an adult means there is a conscious willingness to fulfill the requirements and accept the consequences - what are they? According to Jesus Himself, a requirement is that we take up the cross daily (Luke 9:23). Did you hear that? Actually, the Bible talks much about this being a "daily" experience: Every day trusting Him to provide our daily bread (Matthew 6:11); Every day praising the Lord and performing our vows (Psalms 61:8); Every day calling on the Lord and stretching out our hands to Him (Psalms 88:9); Every day seeking the Lord and delighting to know His ways (Isaiah 58:2); Every day searching the Scriptures like the believers in Berea (Acts 17:11); Every day encouraging others and being encouraged by others (Hebrews 3:13). How many people are eager to say they belong to a "New Testament" church? I don't think so - members in the New Testament church met daily! "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46,47) "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." (Acts 5:42) Perhaps American Christianity has become anemic because we have reduced it to a weekly observance at best - and even at that it's amazing how many people blow off that requirement and miss church, much the same as they would miss attending a high school basketball game when they have been given free tickets by their mother-in-law's step-grand-nephew! There's also some serious consequences that are attached to this decision. Testing, trials, temptations, persecution, suffering - it all goes with the territory of being a Christian. Sadly, many Evangelists are like unethical salesmen who only point out the benefits of the products they sell and omit telling about the hidden costs and problems which may be associated with using the product. Yes, there are promises of Love, Joy and Peace, and Christians often even do better materially, but it is wrong to omit identifying the true "costs of discipleship" - the struggle against fleshly desires, being ostracized and poked fun at by family members and work colleagues, and working hard to build up the church and spread the Gospel to people who have never heard. It's of interest to me that millions of people are willing to commit themselves to "blood, sweat and tears" when it comes to fulfilling their military obligations, serving their country in far off places, but Christians want to exempt themselves from anything other than smooth sailing, easy living, care-free existence - we want all of the blessings but none of the blisters. To believe as a Christian is simple for anyone regardless of age, but to live as a Christian requires an adult decision, a decision to "die daily." (I Corinthians 15:31) To say that baptism is Proclamation means that what has taken place in the heart, is now being broadcast openly. When I meet with baptism candidates, I sometimes note that it's a shame that we have a baptism tank in the church. Of course it makes it convenient, and certainly more comfortable because we can heat the water. But on the other hand, having a baptism service behind the walls of the church means that it is no longer public. Besides, why would we want to be secretive about this? We believe that through simple faith in Jesus Christ we have been forgiven of all sin and have a secure promise of eternal life, why would we not want to proclaim it from the roof-tops? Certainly one of the most dramatic baptisms I personally have conducted was at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Among those being baptized in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in full view of a beach full of sun-bathers, was a young Gypsy girl who had dared to publicly declare her faith. As soon as she emerged from the waves after making her confession, her father, the Patriarch of the Family, ran into the water. With fine clothes and shoes still in place, and an expensive camera dangling from his neck, he called out, "I want to be baptized too!" I loudly asked if he was willing to confess his sins and proclaim his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. After his sincere response, and after someone relieved him of his camera so that it too wouldn't be baptized, we waited a couple of seconds for the next wave, and he too followed the Lord in baptism. Ultimately, whether or not a person is saved from sin and bound for heaven has to do with his or her Trust - it's not about going through the motions of a religious observance. Baptism is the outward evidence of simple, child-like faith. There's a reason "trust" is a good word choice, other than the fact that it begins with the right letter to fit the acrostic. Much of the time, we associate "belief" with what we do with our rational thinking processes. To say, "I believe" means that I give mental assent to a particular list of doctrines: "I believe in the Inspiration of Scripture; I believe in the Virgin Birth; I believe in the Resurrection." The word "trust" is much more comprehensive. Trust carries with it the meanings of confidence, assurance, reliance, dependence. Trust yields the fruit of peace of mind and contentment. Trust dispels doubt, confusion and anxiety. Ultimately, trust provides hope for the future and victory over guilt and fear. When we truly trust in Jesus, we can come boldly into the presence of God, accepted by Him for eternity because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, and all fear of the punishment of death is gone. Then comes the question, "What is this Simple Message?" First, to say it is simple can be offensive to some people. We like to think of ourselves as being sophisticated, educated, even philosophical; simple would seem to be the opposite to that. It would be a put-down to many people if you called them "simple," like calling them "lame-brain," "dull," "half a sandwich short of a picnic," "a French Fry short of a Happy Meal," "not the sharpest knife in the drawer," or "the elevator doesn't go to the top floor" - that's what we call simple. The good news is that even if your IQ is no higher than the number of keys on your piano, you can receive the blessing of salvation promised to those who simply believe. My, how we like to make fun of the people we think are not so bright - like the funny story a member sent me this week which told about someone who went to the auto service center asking for a "seven-hundred-ten". The attendant asked, "What is a seven-hundred-ten?" The customer replied, "You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine; I have lost it and need a new one. I don't know what it was but this piece had always been there." So the attendant gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. The customer drew a circle, and in the middle of it wrote "710". The attendant then went over to another car which had its hood up and asked, "Is there a "710" on this car?" "Yes," was the answer. "Of course, it's right there," and pointed to an upside down oil cap! (Please forgive me because I'm not going to tell you the gender of the customer, nor the color of his or her hair due to the fact that there are several in my family, and if I told you I'd be in big trouble!) What is this simple message? That Jesus, son of Mary and Son of God, died on a cruel cross and came back to life three days later. Because He was the sinless Son of God, His death paid the penalty for all sin so that everyone who simply believes on Him may have their own sins forgiven. No complex mathematical formula; no confusing line of reasoning; no mysterious philosophical system - just a simple message. With regard to baptism, this message is not only spoken with the mouth, but displayed in a kind of one-act play. The person, trusting in the one who baptizes them, allows them self to be put down into the water even as Jesus' body was buried in the tomb. Then, in the same way that Jesus came back out of the tomb when He was resurrected, so the baptized person is brought back out of the water to, as the Apostle said, "walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4) This Simple Message was given to the officer who was in charge of the jail at Philippi where Paul and Silas were shackled when the earthquake struck. They were set free by this miraculous intervention, but the jailer was fearful of the grave trouble he would be in if his prisoners had escaped. He was about to commit suicide when Paul called out to stop him from falling on his own sword. The jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Obviously he was worried about his livelihood, if not his very life. In Paul's answer, he promised more than job security or escape from execution. He said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved -- you and your household." (Acts 16:31) It's that simple. So there it is. Baptism is a Born-again, Adult Proclamation, Trusting In the Simple Message. Discussion Questions Baptism is a Born-again, Adult Proclamation, Trusting In the Simple Message. 1. What New Testament Jew first heard about being “born again,” and what was his first reaction? 2. Is water baptism required for salvation? Why, or why not? 3. Why is it important to maintain baptism as an adult decision? 4. What is the best way to think about what happens when an infant is included in a Christian ceremony, whether with water or dry? 5. What developmental process needs to take place before a child or young person can make a decision leading to salvation? 6. What difference is there between children and adults when it comes to bearing of the consequences of their decisions? 7. How can we experience our Christianity on a daily basis? 8. Besides the wonderful blessings that come with being a Christian, what are some of the difficulties? 9. Fill in the blanks in this statement: “To ____________ as a Christian is simple for anyone regardless of age; to ________ as a Christian requires an adult decision.” 10. In what way is Baptism considered a “proclamation”? 11. What is this simple message we proclaim, and why do we call it “simple”? 12. If the Philippian Jailer’s “household” was baptized, does that necessarily mean that children were baptized and that we should do the same? - - Return to Top of this Page - Email a Link to this Page - Go To Next Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick - Back To Sermons Page or to the Sermons Alphabetical List - - Download This Sermon - - Download a Power Point Presentation for This Sermon This Page's Title Is: Your Name Is: Your Email Address Is: Your State and Country: Please identify your vocation: Senior Pastor. Associate Pastor. Youth Pastor. Lay Minister. Church Member. Which section of this site would you most likely return to? Sermons Articles Stories Poems Hymns Articles for Leaders Marriage Articles A Bit of Humor Would you like to receive the free weekly E-mail Circular? YES If you have a web page, would you like to establish a reciprocal link? YES Feel free to add a comment or prayer request: