The Meaning of Baptism

Introduction

How do you know? It’s a question that’s often asked, and maybe a question that you’ve asked recently about something that is stated as if it’s a fact. And in a somewhat of a questioning way, you say, How do you know?

I don’t consider myself to be particularly suspicious and untrusting, although the story I’m about to tell you may tell you otherwise. I bought something the other day and brought it home from the hardware store, and on the outside of the package, it said that the item that I had bought was 18 inches long. It didn’t look 18 inches to me. And so I went to my toolbox and got my tape measure out to measure whether or not the package was right or whether my suspicions were right. And so I measured it, and the tape measure said 18 inches.

How do I know the tape measure is right? I promise I’m not that untrusting. But it just occurred to me, how do I know that this tape measure is accurate and that 18 inches on it are really 18 inches? And the answer was I didn’t know. I guess I could have gotten a yardstick and held it up to the tape measure. And if the yardstick agreed, then if I was really suspicious minded, I would say, but maybe the yardstick is wrong. And maybe the yardstick company is in cahoots with the tape measure company to fool us into what, 18 inches? How do you know? We often, when it matters, we seek an objective standard, don’t we? When it really matters, we don’t want to take somebody’s word for it.

We want some standard of authority that we can appeal to. I can think of no subject matter more important than our relationship to God. No subject matter more important than my soul’s salvation. And so call me suspicious. But when someone tells me I need to do something in order to have a right relationship with God and tells me what I need to do in order to be saved and go to heaven, my reply is going to be, how do you know? My reply is going to be, is there an objective standard that we can look at? Not one that we can now be suspicious of that standard, but a standard so authoritative that it ends all suspicions and all questionings. And that standard is the Word of God.

And when it comes to the subject of what do I need to do in order to be saved? I want to go to that standard. And when someone tells me that I need to be baptized for the remission of my sins, I may ask the question, how do you know? When someone else tells me that baptism is not essential to salvation, I will equally say, how do you know? And that question will be settled not by my opinion or by your opinion. But let’s go to the objective standard. So this morning I want to talk to you about baptism and about the meaning of baptism. And I’m not going to tell you my opinion on the subject or share with you in any objective way someone else’s opinion.

1. Baptism Is an Immersion in Water

But let’s go to the standard. How can we know the role of baptism in our approach to God? How can we know whether or not baptism is essential or important or meaningful? Thankfully, there is a way that we can know. And so let’s talk about the meaning of baptism this morning by looking at the objective standard. When we look at the objective standard, we understand this meaning of baptism, that baptism is an immersion in water. Turn with me, if you will, in your New Testament, the book of Romans, chapter 6. We know that because we have an objective standard. The New Testament was written using words. And can we not assume that when God chose a word in this God-breathed message that it was the word he intended to use and carried with it the meaning that he intended it to have.

The word itself, the word baptism, literally means immersion, or a burial. Our English translations are just that. They’re a translation of the original language, the Koine Greek, in which the New Testament was written. And you know how translations work. Here’s a word in this language, and I want to find a corresponding word in this language. That’s how translation works. And that’s what our New Testaments that we hold in our hands today are for the most part, with a couple exceptions, and this is one exception. The word baptism is actually not a translation, it’s a transliteration. There was an English word that corresponded to the Greek word baptiszo, and it was the word immerse or bury or dip. But for some reason, the English translators decided not to translate it into that myriad of words that we already had at our disposal, but to really make up an English word that was a transliteration that sounds a lot like the Greek word.

And so we basically still have that original Greek word in our translations, baptism. But the word itself just means to immerse or to bury or to submerge something. And so we know that baptism is an immersion by the very definition of the word itself. But then we have other passages such as Romans chapter 6. Do you see that baptism is an immersion in Romans 6, verses 3 and 4? Do you not know that as many of us who 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 in life. Baptism, the word that means immersion, is reinforced with the principle here by saying that in baptism we were buried and then raised again.

Do you see that baptism is an immersion or a burial? Look over in the book of Acts. We have an example. We have a statement of an inspired writer. And we have an example in Acts chapter 8. Looking beginning in verse 35. We have the story here of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip is preaching the gospel, preaching Jesus to him from Isaiah 53. And notice what it says. Acts 8 beginning in verse 35. Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, that’s the scripture the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, he preached Jesus to him. And now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized? Let’s pause there.

We know two things at this point in the story. We know that baptism is involving water. The Ethiopian understood that Philip agrees with him. Here is water, what hinders me from being immersed. Philip says, verse 37, if you believe with all your heart you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he, we take that to be Philip, or the eunuch, I’m sorry, he commanded the chariot to stand still, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now let’s reread that as a translation instead of a transliteration, it would say, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he immersed him. Looking at the objective standard, we can come to no other conclusion other than baptism is an immersion in water.

2. Baptism Does Not Work Alone

But we also understand, or we should at least, by looking at this objective standard, that baptism, as we’re going to point out, or we’re going to see is as essential as it is to our salvation, that it does not work alone. That baptism is not a singular act. That it works in conjunction with other responses of man. Did you notice in this story of Philip in the Ethiopian unit when the Ethiopian says, I want, paraphrasing, I want to be baptized. Here’s water. What hinders me from being immersed? Philip says, if you believe. Meaning that if it was not accompanied and preceded by faith, that baptism would mean nothing. Don’t you imagine all of mankind, there may be exceptions to this, but all of mankind who’ve reached what we call the age of accountability, at some point in their life have been immersed in water.

A swimming pool, a lake, the ocean, a filled up bathtub. And so it’s not just the act of being immersed in water. It has to be accompanied with something. It has to be a response of faith. It has to be accompanied with repentance. Except you repent, Jesus said, you will perish. Luke 13, verse 3. Peter on the day of Pentecost famously said, repent when asked, what should we do? Repent and be baptized. We understand that baptism is a part, an important part, but just one part of God’s plan of salvation. It has to be accompanied, and we would even argue preceded by faith and accompanied with repentance and a profession of that faith. How do we know? Because that’s what the standard says.

3. It Is God Who Washes Away Our Sins

Baptism is not about the act itself. How do we know? Because our objective standard tells us so. Immersion, and immersion is in water, is a part of the plan of God, the plan of salvation. But we understand again that it’s not merely the act of being immersed in water that washes away our sins. Make no mistake about it. When someone, as this Ethiopian in Acts chapter 8, when someone submits to the command of God, and based upon their faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and preceded by their decision to repent of their sins, that when someone submits to the command of baptism, make no mistake about it that it is God who is washing away their sins. That baptism is not an act of man’s devising, it is not some action upon which we can base human boasting.

It’s simply a submission to the plan of God. And it is God who washes away our sins. The same God who commanded us to be baptized. Look with me in the book of 1 Peter chapter 3. I think this is a point that Peter is making in 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 21, that it’s not about the physical act. The physical act is important. It is an immersion in water. But it’s not the physical act that washes away our sins. Peter is going to point out to us that it is a spiritual action, an action taken by the only party who can forgive sins, and that is God, that’s that action that washes away our sins. Look in 1 Peter chapter 3, and in verse 21.

He’s been talking about the days of Noah and the salvation of Noah that he says was through water. When he says in verse 21, there is also an antity, an antitype, there is something that corresponds to Noah’s salvation through water. Baptism. Not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the appeal of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter says baptism now saves us. But he doesn’t just state that fact, which by the way comes from the standard of authority, which is the objective truth that I want to bank my soul salvation on. He doesn’t just state the fact that baptism saves us, he explains how it saves us. And he’s making our point for us that it’s not the physical act necessarily.

It’s not the washing away of the filth of the flesh. It’s not that the sins are like dirt that are attached to the outside of our body, and if we get into water, that those sins, like dirt, can be removed from our flesh. But he says it’s a spiritual action. It’s an appeal to God for a good conscience.

What Peter is saying is that here is how baptism saves you. That when you, as the Ethiopian eunuch was told, when you believe that Jesus is the Christ, when on the day of Pentecost, those were told, when you repent and you are baptized, your sins are washed away. How? Not because I got in water and they were washed away, but because I submitted to the command of God to be immersed in water, and that was my appeal to God. That was me asking God to wash away my sins. We hear a lot today in the religious world about a sinner’s prayer. Pray the sinner’s prayer and you’ll be saved. And again, we would ask, how do you know? Where can we find that in the objective standard?

We read a lot about prayer in this book. But we don’t read about prayer doing that. Not to be too cute this morning, but I think Peter is telling us, here’s the sinner’s prayer. An appeal to God is a prayer, isn’t it? It’s communicating, it’s asking God something. And so Peter says, if you want to ask God to wash away not the filth of your flesh, but to wash away your sins, you do that in baptism. Baptism now saves us, which is an appeal to God. That’s what I’m doing when I’m baptized. I’m not saving myself. I’m not doing some work of man’s righteousness. I’m doing what God has commanded me to do. And I’m saying, God, wash away my sins. And give me that good conscience.

In Acts chapter 22. The Apostle Paul in talking about his conversion. In fact, let’s turn over there to Acts chapter 22. The Apostle Paul is retelling the account of his conversion. And what I find interesting is that when this happens, when Ananias, the preacher of the gospel, who comes to him with the objective standard and tells him what he needs to do, that when he does that, Paul was praying. But Ananias tells him to do something else. Acts chapter 22 and verse 16, Ananias comes to him to Saul while he is praying and says, and now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Was Ananias not saying the same thing that Peter just said in 1 Peter 3 verse 21?

Paul, be baptized, wash away your sins. Calling on the name of the Lord. Baptism wasn’t some human, meritorious act that would earn your salvation. Ananias is saying, Saul, if you’ll be baptized, that will be calling on the name of the Lord. That will, to borrow Peter’s language, be an appeal to God for a good conscience. That’s how baptism saves us. To this idea of the good conscience and calling on God for that, turn with me to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 10. I think we have a corresponding passage in Hebrews chapter 10, in verse 22.

That when we submit to the command of God, based upon our faith and repentance to be baptized to wash away our sins, we’re really asking God in that action of submission to wash away our sins. Hebrews chapter 10, look at verse 22. In using Old Testament languages, we would expect in the book of Hebrews, he says in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart, and a full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Having our hearts sprinkled, that’s the Old Testament language of the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice. And having our bodies washed with pure water. What happens? He says, that cures an evil conscience. That’s the appeal to God for a good conscience.

That’s calling on the name of the Lord to wash away my sins. Paul in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 27 says that when we’re baptized, we put on Christ. Peter says in Acts 2, verse 38, when we’re baptized, we have the remission of our sins. We’ve already noticed in Romans 6, verses 3 and 4 that Paul says we’re baptized into his death. And when we’re baptized, we submit to our Lord. And we call on his name. And we appeal to him to wash away our sins.

4. Baptism Is for the Remission of Sins

And baptism is for the remission of sins. In Acts chapter 2, let’s look there again. Very familiar passage of Scripture. In Acts chapter 2 and in verse 38, Peter and the rest of the apostles had strongly condemned this audience for their role in the execution of the Son of God. And famously, they were cut to the heart. They were touched by that message. And they cried out, What shall we do? And Peter’s response was repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now I think we can theologically analyze that passage. And attach it to these other passages that we’ve looked at and see what baptism really is and how it really washes away our sins, that it’s that it’s God that’s washing away our sins.

We could compare that passage to Jesus’ statement in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 28, when he’s speaking of his own blood, that we recognize is the really cleansing power that Jesus said, This is my blood which is shed for the remission of sin. Same phrase, exact same words, for the remission of sins. And we can understand the connection.

But I want to offer this to you this morning.

What are we going to do? And Peter says, repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. We do not see them raising their hand and saying, wait a minute, Peter. I don’t understand what that has to do with my problem. I don’t see how that’s going to solve my sin problem. We don’t see them raising their hand and saying, now, wait a minute, I thought this was by grace and just by faith. You’re telling me I have to do something. We see people cut to the heart and convicted of their sins, and when they’re told by an inspired speaker, when the voice of God speaks through this apostle and tells them what to do, they submitted to that plan. God’s calling us to be disciples, not theologians.

So rather than me questioning the plan of God, whether me saying, wait a minute, I’ve got to understand this down to the 18th decimal point. We just simply need to go to the objective standard and says, That’s what God asked me to do. Then that’s what I’ll do.

5. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism

In Ephesians chapter 4 and in verse 5, Paul says, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Now, what’s strange about that statement? The fact that Peter would say there’s just one baptism. Because when I read the New Testament, I can actually read about at least seven baptisms. Let’s look at it very quickly. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul says that Moses, in a way, was baptized when he went through the Red Sea and the cloud was over him, that he was surrounded by water. And Paul refers to that as a type of baptism. We read about in the gospel accounts of John the Baptist, the pre-runner to Christ, baptizing people. And so we read about the baptism of John. We read about Jesus before his death, burial, and resurrection, also baptizing people in his earthly ministry. We read about Jesus telling his disciples that they would be baptized in fire and in the Holy Spirit.

Now we might pause here and remind ourselves that the word baptism means immersed. So they would be immersed in fire and immersed in the Holy Spirit. Jesus even said and referred to his death and suffering on the cross as a form or a type of baptism. I have a baptism to be baptized with, talking about his suffering on the book of Acts and the epistles about another baptism, the baptism of those who would come in faith for the remission of their sins. And yet Paul says in Ephesians 4, verse 5, there’s but one baptism.

And then today we’ve added, or some have added to that list, haven’t they? There’s infant baptism. There’s some religions who believe in being baptized by proxy for someone else, even those who are dead. There’s baptism to join a church or become a part of a denomination. There’s a baptism that is seen as an outward sign of an inward faith. There’s baptism that is practiced after one’s already been saved. You’ve accepted Jesus Christ. You’ve prayed the sinner’s prayer and you were saved at that moment, and then we’ll schedule a baptism later. And on and on the list goes of different baptisms. And yet, we have Paul saying in Ephesians 4, verse 5, there’s one baptism. No, Paul. There’s dozens. And so what does Paul mean when he says there’s one baptism?

It’s actually pretty easy, isn’t it? And it becomes easier when we look at the other ones in that passage. He says there’s one faith. Well, Paul, there’s a lot of faith. There’s the Jewish faith. There’s the Buddhist faith, the Hindu faith, the Muslim faith. What do you mean there’s one faith? Well, we get it, don’t we? There’s just one faith that’s accepted by God. There’s just one faith that will get you in a right relationship with God. And to put it more bluntly, there’s just one faith that’ll get you into heaven. Oh, there may be many, but there’s really only one when it comes to God’s standard. Apply that same logic to baptism. What do you mean there’s just one baptism? There’s just one that’ll get you in a right relationship with God.

There’s just one that will wash away your sin. And again, to put it bluntly, there’s just one that’ll get you to heaven. How do you know? Because that’s what the book says. How do I know which one? What does the book say? Let’s close by looking in the book of Acts, chapter 19. There’s a biblical precedence for having accepted one of these other baptisms. And recognizing that it wasn’t the right one. And then wanting to get it right. Acts chapter 19, beginning verse 1, it says, It happened while Apollos was at Corinth that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples, he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said, We have not so much even heard there is a Holy Spirit.

And he said to them, into what then were you baptized? And they said, into John’s baptism. Then Paul said, now let’s pause here. This is the same Paul who would later say, to these same people, by the way. There’s one baptism. They had been baptized, but not into the one baptism. And so Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him who would come after him, that is on the Christ. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. If you accepted one of those other baptisms, you still need to be baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of your sins. And you may say, how do you know?

Conclusion

And to that we would simply sing the old line from the children’s song, because the Bible tells me so. Would you submit to God’s plan today?

That you’re making an appeal to God to wash away your sins by the blood of Christ, by the death of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ that you would come in contact with when you’re baptized into his name. Would you do that this morning? Can we urge you to be baptized as God commanded this very morning? Would you come as together we stand and sing?