There are several ways to baptize: There are at least three baptisms mentioned in the New Testament: John’s baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, and baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Yet Ephesians 4:5 says there is only one baptism. That would indicate that two of these three baptisms are no longer valid. John’s baptism is mentioned in Acts 19. Paul met 12 men from Ephesus. He thought they were Christians and wanted to bestow on them the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, so he asked them,
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They had not even heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul asked, “Into what then were you baptized?” Notice he did not ask if they had been baptized. It was assumed by Paul that they had been. But they were ignorant of the Holy Spirit, which according to Acts 2:38, they should have already known about Him. And they said, “Into John's baptism.” Verses 4 & 5 tell us why John’s baptism is not valid: “Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
The baptism of the Holy Spirit, as far as Scripture is concerned, only happened twice. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was an event in which the Holy Spirit came on someone. Not into, but upon. In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit fell on the Apostles and ten years later He fell on the household of Cornelius. We know that this baptism was not a common event because when Peter went back to Jerusalem to tell the Church there about what happened, notice what he said, “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.” (Acts 11:15). Notice “at the beginning” meaning the Day of Pentecost. This was not an everyday occurrence.
What’s left is baptism, in water, for the forgiveness of sin. In the book of Acts, there is not a single conversion account that does not include baptism. In Acts 8 all it says is that “Philip preached Jesus” to the Ethiopian Eunuch. But then the Eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (Verse 36). It’s obvious to anyone without preconceived notions (or professional help) that preaching Jesus includes being baptized (immersed) in water. Romans 6 teaches us that at baptism we are “buried” into Christ’s death. This is the “one baptism” Paul is referring to in Ephesians 4:5.
According to Acts 2:38, baptism does two things. It brings about forgiveness of sin. It also gives the one being baptized the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in the life of the believer. We see in the Old Testament that before the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies and stand before the presence of God’s Spirit that rested upon the ark of the covenant, he had to offer a sacrifice, be cleansed, and put on the priestly garments (Lev. 16). Sin had to be removed completely in order to stand before God.
In the New Covenant, Jesus is our sacrifice. When a believer is baptized, his sins are cleansed and washed away (“Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” Acts 22:16). At baptism we put on our garments (“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Gal. 3:27). And at baptism we receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Sin must be removed before we can be in the presence of God. Without baptism there cannot be an indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 16:16: “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” The use of this verse to object to the Biblical doctrine of baptism goes like this: Since Jesus did not say “he who has disbelieved and not been baptized shall be condemned” it is obvious that belief is what saves and baptism is not needed. This is truly grasping at straws. Consider this: If Johnny applies and pays the registration fees he will attend Bible College; but if he does not apply he will have to stay at home. Does the failure to mention the registration fees make them any less a part of applying for college? No. But if you don’t apply, the fees are not needed. If a person believes and is baptized he shall be saved. But if he does not believe, failure to mention baptism does not mean it is not needed. This objection, as with most listed here, is a desperate attempt to try and get around the clear meaning of Scripture.
Water Regeneration: We who hold to the Biblical doctrine of Baptism have often been accused of being water regenerationists, i.e., that somehow the water makes us a new creature. Those usually making that accusation themselves believe in Calvin’s miraculous regeneration, which is like King Kong telling Godzilla he’s ugly. But the fact is, they are either mistaken or else deliberately misrepresenting the position. What if Abraham, when God called him out of Ur, had believed God but didn’t go? Would Abraham have been the great model of faith? No. What if Joshua had been given the plan to march around Jericho and he told God, “I believe it will work,” but didn’t carry out the plan? They probably would have been defeated.
What these men did was just as important as what they believed. Their obedience to God was as much a part of their faith as was their acknowledgment of God. Abraham was never righteous enough for God on his own. The Bible says “Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). God chose to view Abraham as being righteous.
Why? Because of his faith - His true obedient faith. Baptism is a part of our faith. Baptism without faith is a dunking. Faith without baptism is empty. The water does not regenerate. God makes us new. Romans 6:4, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Christians have a new life because God has reckoned or declared us that way. He has chosen to
view the Christian as a new creation, without sin - because of our faith, which includes baptism.
Think about all that takes place at baptism: Salvation (Mk 16:16); New birth (John. 3:5); forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38); washing away of sin (Acts 22:16); burial into Christ’s death (Romans 6:3); clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:37); Spiritual circumcision (Col. 2:11), et al.
If baptism is the point in time that sins are forgiven, which the Scriptures teach is so; and if baptism is the place in which we enter into a covenant relationship with Jesus, then it would make sense that the devil would do whatever he could to get people and religious groups to belittle baptism’s importance. It would make sense that he would not care if people came close as long as they stayed away from the Biblical doctrine of baptism. If I had died before saying, “I do” at my wedding, I would not have been married – even if we were in the Church building and Here Comes the Bride was in the midst of playing. In another context Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” Close doesn’t count. If you claim to have faith in God, do things the way HE says and trust Him for the result He promised.
Thank you all for the time we have to share in this devotion. Please feel free to send comments or questions. May God bless until our next time together.
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