It’s often referred to as one of the most momentous or special times in the life of a believer. Whether it is done in a lake around a small group of friends and family or in a baptismal as the whole Sunday congregation watches on, it is an event followed by many congratulations, cheers, and hugs. Baptism is a central doctrine and practice in every denomination of Christianity. We have probably heard that we are to “repent and be baptized.”
So what’s the big deal? Why is baptism as important as everyone seems to think it is? Today, we are going to unpack all of that.
Why Baptize?
3 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:13-17
Right here, we see Jesus, who was and is God in the flesh, choosing to be baptized. Now, this is a theologically rich passage, and its implications are many, so much so that we could right several articles off of it.
However, for the purposes of our topic today, what we need to know is that this passage shows Jesus affirming the practice of baptism. If Christ himself was baptized, that goes a long way in validating its legitimacy, doesn’t it?
If there is any doubt left as to whether this is an important practice, scripture goes on to cast them away.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
What you just read is the Great Commission. These were the final words Jesus Christ gave to his disciples before he returned to the Father. You might call it the command on which the Christian Church was built and the mission statement of the Church today. Let’s break it down.
Jesus said to “make disciples of all nations.” Hopefully, we can all recognize the importance of this. This is, in large part, why God gave us our unique gifting—it was for the saving of souls! The urgency of making disciples is likely engrained in just about any church you visit, with their mission statement being some variation of the Great Commission.
However, there is more. Jesus didn’t end it there. He goes on to say that part of disciplemaking is baptizing the disciples we make “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is part of the Great Commission too. It naturally springs forth from discipleship.
In short, then, we baptize and are baptized because Christ himself affirmed it and commands it of his followers.
That raises a whole new set of questions, though. Why does Christ command us to be baptized? What is the significance of having someone dip us underwater in the name of Christ? Glad you asked.
The Meaning Behind Baptism?
In a nutshell, baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. The act of baptism, which is being submerged under the water and then reemerging from beneath the surface, is a physical representation of this passage from Paul:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Baptism symbolizes dying to our old, sinful, dysfunctional nature and emerging as a regenerated believer in Christ. Just as Christ died for us and was resurrected into a new and glorious body three days later, we die to ourselves when we follow him and rise again as a new creation. Baptism is a powerful picture of this—a powerful picture of us identifying with Christ’s sacrifice and consequently being made anew.
Just look at what Paul has to say in another of his epistles!
In him [Jesus] you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ.”
Colossians 2:11-13
Who Should Be Baptized?
This is where things can get controversial. There are some who say only believers who have voluntarily accepted Christ and understand the meaning of doing so should be baptized, and there are some who claim that infants should be baptized soon after birth, as they think baptism is necessary for salvation.
The writer of this article will take the position that only those who have made the volitional, conscious choice to follow Jesus should be baptized, meaning infant baptism is not necessary or even biblical. Do not get it twisted—everyone should be baptized. Jesus commanded it. We should simply wait until the believer understands what they are doing and why they are doing it before baptizing them.
There is scriptural precedent for this.
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.
Acts 2:38
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Acts 2:41
Here, we see believers called to repentance (i.e. placing their faith in Christ’s sacrifice to cover their sins) and then baptism. You will notice in verse forty-one it says “those who received his word” were the ones who were baptized; these were people who were receptive to Peter’s proclamation of the Gospel.
There is simply nowhere in scripture that prescribes infant baptism, and it would be theologically flawed to conclude it is necessary for salvation, as that would mean the saving grace of Christ would not be enough for salvation.
How Should We Baptize?
The question of how we should physically baptize someone refers to what mode of baptism we should use. The three modes of baptism most commonly used are immersion, pouring, and sprinkling. These are fairly self-explanatory. Immersion involves fully submerging someone underwater, pouring involves (you guessed it!) pouring water over someone, and sprinkling is, well, sprinkling water on someone’s head.
There has long been disagreement over what mode of baptism is the biblical or “correct” mode. I would posit the correct mode of baptism is immersion, and there is plenty of biblical evidence supporting this.
Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.
John 3:23
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.
Matthew 3:16
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Acts 8:36-38
These excerpts yield a few notable takeaways pointing to baptism via full immersion under the water. In the first passage, John the Baptist is baptizing at Aenon, and the reason he chose that location is the abundance of water there. If baptism were only an act of pouring or sprinkling, such an excess of water would not be necessary.
The second passage describes Christ’s baptism, and the wording tells us he was baptized via immersion, as it says he “went up out of the water.” If this is the way Christ opted to be baptized, then we should pay attention to that.
Finally, the passage from Acts tells of Philip baptizing a new believer, and they go “down into the water.” Again, the wording here appears to indicate immersion baptism.
What Now?
Appreciate Biblical Baptism
We should treat the topic of baptism with the weight and importance it deserves. It isn’t something to be flippant about. It is one of the two ordinances Christ left the Church, with the other being communion.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, and you have yet to be baptized, why wait? Find a way to get baptized by immersion as soon as possible! Publicly proclaim your death to sin and life in Christ. This is not something to put off.
Furthermore, if you are currently discipling anyone who is a new follower of Christ and is yet to be baptized, pray about having a conversation regarding the topic with them. Jesus told us to make disciples—and then he told us to baptize!
Keep Baptism in the Correct Place
We do not want to overemphasize or underemphasize baptism, and it is quite possible to do both. On one hand, if you have a friend or relative in the Lord who dies and you know they were not baptized, it is both unproductive and unnecessary to fear for their salvation. That is inflating baptism’s purpose and importance.
On the other hand, just because baptism is not necessary for salvation does not mean it is not sacred and vital. If you are a believer, you should be baptized. To not do so is to disobey Christ and miss out on an opportunity to honor your savior. Baptism is essential to living a life in complete surrender to Jesus.
Story of Grace 