Baptism is a divine ordinance, but what does that mean? What can we learn from different stories in the Scriptures about baptism?
Nuggets
- Jesus was baptized so He wouldn’t be disobedient.
- The story of the eunuch tells us that repentance can cover any sin.
- The jailor believed immediately — before the sermon — and was baptized immediately, along with his family when they believed.
- Paul believed and responded, but the focus of his conversion story was on the reality that Jesus died, rose again, and comes to us individually through the Holy Spirit.
- John’s baptism was good because it was based on repentance, but Jesus’ baptism was better as it is based on salvation.
This year, we are looking at self-discipline. We are using Vincent’s The Lesson of Ripeness sermon to look at the need to grow in our relationship with God. We morphed learning enough to be a teacher into determining some areas we need to grow so we can be mature disciples.
Resource
We have been looking at solidifying what we believe. When we witness, we need to be prepared to explain what we believe and why we believe it. We looked at the Scriptures, the Trinity (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), man, salvation, grace and the church. Now, we are going to look at divine ordinances.
What Is Baptism?
Is Baptism a Part of Salvation?
The Lord’s Supper
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (or communion) were constituted so that we can show our faith. They are called divine ordinances or sacraments.
Let's Put It into Context
The Holman Bible Dictionary noted that neither of the terms ordinances or sacraments can be found in the Scriptures. These are the terms we use to describe what baptism and the Lord’s Supper/communion are.
There is a difference between ordinances and sacraments. Sacraments express the belief that God’s grace is imparted through the observance. Ordinances, on the other hand, are an expression of the disciples’ obedience.
Baptism, according to the Holman Bible Dictionary, means “the immersion or dipping of a believer in water symbolizing the complete renewal and change in the believer’s life and testifying to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the way of salvation.”
Scriptures tell us the stories of several people being baptized. Let’s take a look.
Jesus
“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him” (Mt. 3: 16 ESV)
I have read a couple places where it says that Jesus instituted baptism. I scratch my head on that one.
John was baptizing people before Jesus showed up at his river step. “Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins” (Mt. 3: 5-6 CSB).
Maybe it is believed Jesus instituted it because John was the forerunner of Jesus. If there would have been no Jesus, there would have been no John??? No John means no baptism.
We’ve already talked about how Jesus honored John the Baptist and his ministry by coming to him for baptism. The 100% God part of Him did not need baptism; the 100% man part of Him did because, as a human, His relationship with God was broken.
John taught repentance. He taught that baptism showed that repentance and submission to God.
Jesus didn’t have anything to repent, but being disobedient would have given Him something of which to repent. So, He went to John for baptism.
The Eunuch
“And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’” (Ac. 8: 36 ESV)
I’ve always liked the story of Philip and the eunuch. They both were dialed into what the Holy Spirit was telling them.
Look at the eunuch. “… There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud” (Ac. 8: 27-28 CSB).
This man was a high official in the government. Still, he was searching for God. Jones mentioned that he might have been a descendant of Ham (Noah’s boy).
The eunuch was searching enough that he went on a road trip to find God. He came to Jerusalem to worship.
We don’t know how much was found by the eunuch at the temple in Jerusalem. We know he found a scroll with the writings of Isaiah on it.
Just reading the Scriptures wasn’t enough. It didn’t bring understanding.
Philip brought understanding when he explained and applied what Isaiah said. The eunuch must have gotten it.
I think it is interesting that it went straight from the sermon to the baptism. It does not mention the repentance part at all.
Oh, it has to have been there. “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Ac. 2: 38 ESV). Otherwise, Philip wouldn’t have baptized him immediately.
Philippian Jailor
“And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family” (Ac. 16: 33 ESV)
Paul and Silas were in prison — again. They were up at midnight singing. God answered with an earthquake so powerful that it opened the prison doors and loosened the chains.
Everyone could have escaped.
The jailor thought they had. If they had, that would cost him his life according to Roman law.
Paul stopped him. The jailor asked him one simple question: “… ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” (Ac. 16: 30 CSB).
I know. Had the jailor been convicted by the singing and prayers? Was it Paul and Silas’ demeanor in adversity? Was God’s display of power enough to convert the jailor? It appears to be.
The sermon came later. “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house” (Ac. 16: 32 CSB).
The jailor believed immediately — before the sermon. He was baptized immediately, along with his family.
It is interesting that just a couple verses back, it said the same thing. “A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. After she and her household were baptized …” (Ac. 16: 14-15 CSB).
Spurgeon addressed the statement that the whole household was converted. He wrote, “If we are to have household conversion there must be a household hearing of the Word.”
Parents can’t make the decision for children to be saved. We each must make that decision on our own.
Spurgeon said something else that interested me that tied in with a conversion my Springfield mom and I had the other day. “No minister has any right to refuse to baptize any person who professes faith in Jesus Christ, unless there be some glaring fact to cast doubt upon the candidate’s sincerity.”
Paul
“And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized” (Ac. 9: 18 ESV)
Are you like me? You’ve read the story of Paul’s conversion many times. Yet, we focus on the Hollywood splash of the road meeting and miss the “… then he rose and was baptized” (Ac. 9: 18 ESV) part.
No, Paul didn’t write this. Luke did. But I think Paul would have been pleased.
That Paul believed and responded is important. That Jesus died, rose again, and comes to us individually through the Holy Spirit would have been most important to Paul.
I think Paul would have been pleased with the focus.
Twelve of John’s Disciples
“On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Ac. 19: 5 ESV)
When Paul went to Ephesus, he found some disciples that had not received the Holy Spirit. That was because they has been baptized into John’s baptism (Ac. 19: 3).
Now John’s baptism was good because it was based on repentance. Jesus’ baptism was better. It is based on salvation.
Just saying we repent of our sins isn’t all we need to do. We need to be obedient and show the world we have made a profession of faith.
But Jesus’ baptism also provided us with the Holy Spirit. New speculated why they had not yet received the Holy Spirit.
- Lack of knowledge.
- Failure in prayer.
- Lack of consecration to Christ.
We have to pray to receive the Holy Spirit. New explained it this way. “Christ Himself received it thus — when being baptized He was praying. And He said, ‘Your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.’”
Don’t worry. I had to look up consecration. The Holman Bible Dictionary defines consecration as it “refers to persons or things being separated to or belonging to God. They are holy or sacred. They are set apart for the service of God.”
Making the Connections
- Jesus was baptized so He wouldn’t be disobedient.
- Even though mutilation of the body to make them eunuchs were forbidden in Israel, the eunuch himself was still able to repent of his sins and be baptized. That tells us that repentance can cover any sin.
- The jailor believed immediately — before the sermon — and was baptized immediately, along with his family when they believed.
- Paul believed and responded, but the focus of his conversion story was on the reality that Jesus died, rose again, and comes to us individually through the Holy Spirit.
- John’s baptism was good because it was based on repentance, but Jesus’ baptism was better as it is based on salvation.
Baptism is the outward expression of our hearts being changed. But it is also a ceremony to show a transformation.
Let’s look at it this way. It is finals week here. The graduation ceremony is Friday night.
Before the ceremony, they are students. After the ceremony — and after successfully finding employment — they are workers.
The graduation ceremony is an acknowledgement of that change.
Baptism is an acknowledgment that we are no longer a slave to sin. Instead, we have become holy and regenerated because we have admitted our sins, believed in Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer, and confessed God as Sovereign Lord.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We’ve been asking these questions all along so we can prepare for when we are asked. Here is the worksheet again. What would you say about being perfect?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
Martin wrote that three things are needed.
- Assent of mind
- Consent of the heart
- Response of the will
Baptism has to come after salvation. We work things out in our minds until we get to the point our hearts say God is Sovereign Lord.
Then we have to respond. We have to make a public profession. Baptism is one way we do that.
Baptism is a important way to show that we are obedient. It is a promise that we will follow our God.
Father. You ask that we submit to baptism as a public profession of our faith. We pray that we are obedient in all that You ask us to do. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.
Pingback: Is Baptism a Part of Salvation? – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: What Is the Lord’s Supper? – Seeking God with Elaine