LESSON 8 BAPTISM: A Step of Obedience

Before leaving this world people reflect on what is most important to them.  Jesus did this when he explained the importance of being baptized before He ascended to the Father. It is recorded in Matthew 28:19:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them

 in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The 'Great Commission' states that every person we win to the Lord is to be baptized.  Jesus not only commanded baptism, but He Himself was baptized.  This highlights the importance of baptism. It was the initial step for Jesus Christ in His ministry (Matthew 3:15).  There often arises a series of questions in regard to baptism:  

I.  WHAT IS BAPTISM?

To baptize is to submerge and not just sprinkle with water. The original Greek word expresses this. The word baptize is formed by the insertion of the syllable "iz" into the root word "BAPTO", making "BAPTIZO".   "Bapto" means "to submerge something in a liquid and to remove it again".  When the Bible speaks of baptism, it always refers to submerging.

II. WHAT WATER BAPTISM PICTURES  

Rrepentance

God used John the Baptist to preach the baptism of repentance. He prepared the way for the Lord. He called the people to repent for their sins that they might be forgiven.  They were then baptized to seal their decision, and as a public testimony of their confession and change of lifestyle.   

“John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And al he land of Judea, and those form Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.”   Mark 1:4-5

John the Baptist teaches us that we must prepare ourselves for water baptism, and approach it with a genuine heart of repentance. Your heart must be sincere, unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees that came to be baptized in Matthew 3:7, 8. John challenged them to produce fruit in keeping with true repentance. God does not want us to be baptized for traditional or religious motives. Baptism is a living testimony of the change in our lives, that we may live to please Him.  

Obedience

Jesus was presented before God at the Temple, forty days after His birth (Luke 2:22).  Nevertheless, it was not until He was thirty years old that Jesus was baptized, having full understanding of what He was doing.  

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You,

and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit

it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

Then he allowed Him."  Matthew 3:13-15

John the Baptist carried out a baptism that confirmed repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  As Jesus was completely sinless John did not want to baptize Him.  He said that Jesus should be baptize him instead.  Jesus explained that it must be that way in order to fulfill all righteousness.

Resurrection to a New Life

Righteousness is a translation of the Greek word "dikaiosune" and means: "a right standing and acceptance before God, and acts that please Him".  Jesus fulfilled all the commands of God to give us this standing, including baptism.  

Our baptism is a step of obedience. If Jesus had to do it to fulfill righteousness, how much more must we need to do it! Matthew 3:15 in a modern translation says: "John, Jesus answered 'baptize me, because it is fitting for us to fulfill what God has commanded".  

So why do we need to be baptized?  The Scriptures teach he who is baptized in water, is dying to his old way of living and being resurrected to a new life.  You can see this in Romans 6:4:  

"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.”  

III. PREPARING FOR BAPTISM  

A. Believe 

Everything that we do in the Christian life requires faith. The Ethiopian Eunuch asked Philip: "What hinders me from being baptized?"  Then Philip said, "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 commanded the chariot to stand still.  And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him." (Acts 8:36-38)  

The Bible has several examples of people getting baptized immediately after believing in Jesus: the three thousand converts in Acts 2:41, the jailer and his family from Philippi in Acts 16:33, and Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue of Corinth who with all those that believed with him was baptized in Acts 18:8. In all these cases baptism was preceded by faith in Christ and then practiced at once.  

A basic characteristic in all these stories is that simple faith was all that preceded baptism.  Therefore we should get baptized as soon as possible after we have put our faith in Jesus.

B. Repent 

Repentance must precede baptism. Repentance is a translation of Greek word "metanoeo" and means change of mind or purpose. In the New Testament it always implies a change for the better. Baptism demands repentance. It is to die to the desires of the flesh, bad habits, and to all those things that are wrong in the eyes of God, even if they seem right to us.

When Peter preached his first sermon, the people asked: "What must we do?"  Acts 2:38 tells us, "Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’"  

Peter's answer shows us that if we want to be baptized, first we must repent.  Remember that repentance is a change of mind and purpose, showing that it is Jesus who now governs our lives.   

IV. BLESSINGS OF BAPTISM  

Baptism has a special function in the spiritual realm. We are now resurrected to a new lifestyle that is pleasing to God. This opens to us a path to the same blessings that Jesus received, the moment He was baptized.  

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Matthew 3:16-17 

Now when we have abandoned sin there is nothing that can come between us and the Lord, we have complete access to His presence.  The heavens will open to us and we can conquer in the spiritual realm the things we want to conquer in the material realm. Isaiah 59:2 teaches us that only sin can separate us from God. If we overcome this obstacle nothing can separate us from the Lord.  

Jesus had the Holy Spirit descend upon Him.  When we are baptized it can help open our spiritual eyes to the Spirit of God.  This enables us to receive God's guidance in our lives, and put our trust in His direction.  

The Father affirmed His acceptance of Jesus with the words, "This is my beloved Son".  He was giving Jesus confirmation that In His human form He was the beloved Son of God. Then He expressed His pleasure in Him.  

As we are baptized, God confirms to us that we are His children. We become His loved ones, those who are pleased to do His will.  When we are baptized we receive all of this, but as well as all the blessings from God we are publicly confessing our faith in Him.  

“But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it it fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’  Then he allowed Him.”  Matthew 3:15

WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED WE CONFIRM EXTERNALLY THAT WE ARE THE BELOVED CHILDREN OF

 GOD, AND HE TAKES PLEASURE IN US