E40 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - Baptism: is it necessary?
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #40
Title: Baptism – is it necessary?
Date: February 7, 2022
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): Marl 16:16 - “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
Acts 2:38 – ‘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.”’
bap-tid'-zo From a derivative of G911; to make whelmed (that is, fully wet); used only (in the New Testament) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism: - baptist, baptize, wash.
Intro: Baptism will not save us. That’s because it’s simply an outward ceremony of an inward work, a work performed by the Holy Spirit. Any teaching or doctrine or creeds that claim otherwise are false. I choose the key verses as such because they contain the basis for false teaching. Not on the Scriptures part. No. On the part of man’s misinterpretation of these verses as they concern salvation.
Listen to Jesus explain the plight of those who thought they belonged to Him. The account is found in Matthew 7:21-23:
Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Matthew 7:22 – “Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
Matthew 7:23 – “And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”
I will show in this episode that salvation is a free gift to us, though it cost Jesus His life and that after a torturous death.
Also, keep in mind when a verse seems to contradict free salvation, we’ll interpret Scripture with Scripture and look at the context of these verses seeming to require baptism for salvation.
Devotion focus: Is baptism necessary? If so, how?
Baptism should be a simple straightforward practice for Christians. Instead, it’s become a complicated hindrance to people entering Heaven when they fall for the false teaching that baptism is all we need to go to Heaven.
Listen, how does dipping into water, or being sprinkled, in any way provide forgiveness of sin by GOD. This is an insult to Jesus in light of what He suffered on the cross. If there was any other way for GOD to grant forgiveness for sin other than the sacrifice of His Son’s life on that cross, He would have granted it when Jesus asked for it. Listen to the Son of GOD talking to His Father:
Matthew 26:39 – ‘He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."
Matthew 26:42 – ‘Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."’
The word ‘cup’ in these verses is analogous to ordeal. The ordeal of the cross.
I know the focus of this episode may offend many well-meaning people because it reveals a flaw in mainline denominations today, that of works-based salvation. And proclaiming that we cannot earn GOD’s approval or earn our way to heaven by being ‘good’ people is a rebuke. But more importantly is a cause of many entering hell, every day.
I’ve studied the world’s major religions and they fall into one of two categories.
1) Works based to either achieve forgiveness or acceptance from GOD, or enlightenment toward becoming perfect. Hindus know one lifetime isn’t long enough to become perfect. That’s where their belief in reincarnation comes in.
2) Free gift through belief in the atonement of Jesus on the cross. Period.
Number 2 contains our faith-based belief in salvation, then why did Jesus teach the need to be baptized, and was baptized himself?
This is a really good question. The Bible has the answer.
Throughout the Bible, faith is the main thing required of GOD’s people. And then comes repentance, obedience to holy living, etc.
But faith, belief in the Word of GOD, and its requirement upon us is everything.
Listen to Jesus explaining this to a priest one night: John 3:1 – ‘There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
John 3:2 – ‘This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
John 3:3 – ‘Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:4 - Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
John 3:5 – ‘Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
John 3:7 – “Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
And then later in verses 14-18:
John 3:14 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
John 3:15 - “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 – “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:18 - "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”’
Think about this, these verses record the Son of GOD talking to a priest who recognized something different about Jesus. In vs 2 we read ‘This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."’
Jesus cuts through to the heart of the matter concerning not only this ruler in the Pharisee sect with his questions but also for the human race.
Listen once more to John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Have you noticed there’s no mention of having to be baptized? And listen, I’m not saying baptism isn’t important. It is. It’s just not necessary in order to go to Heaven when you die.
So what is baptism then? Another good question with a simple answer.
It is an outward sign of an inward transformation when we are born again.
The immersion, baptize means to submerge, by the way, symbolizes our death, burial, and resurrection.
It’s a one-time act of obedience after becoming a child of GOD through faith in His Son’s atoning death for sin. Salvation only comes through the belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus from the grave. Baptism is therefore an act of obedience.
When Jesus came to John the baptizer for baptism, John objected:
Matthew 3:13 - Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
Matthew 3:14 - And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"
Matthew 3:15 - 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.
[Believer’s Bible Commentary from e-Sword.net: Matthew 3:14, 15 - Realizing that Jesus had no sins of which to repent, John protested against baptizing Him. It was a true instinct that led him to suggest that the proper order would be for Jesus to baptize him. Jesus did not deny this; He simply repeated His request for baptism as a fitting way in which to fulfill all righteousness. He felt it appropriate that in baptism He identify Himself with those godly Israelites who were coming to be baptized unto repentance.
But there was an even deeper meaning. Baptism for Him was a ritual symbolizing the way in which He would fulfill all the righteous claims of God against man's sin. His immersion typified His baptism in the waters of God's judgment at Calvary. His emergence from the water foreshadowed His resurrection. By death, burial, and resurrection, He would satisfy the demands of divine justice and provide a righteous basis by which sinners could be justified.]
Summary: Baptism is an outward, somewhat public, identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s also a declaration of your faith. And, it’s an act of obedience.
Action to consider: To believe in the Biblical sense is more than intellectual assent to truth. You know it takes more than belief when it comes to taking life-saving medicine. It takes application and for anyone wanting to be saved, to have a loving relationship with GOD’s Son, this is done by prayer and a repentant heart.
For the Christian who hasn’t obeyed concerning baptism, now is a good time to prayerfully go to GOD and tell Him of your decision to be baptized. And then find a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching pastor and tell him of your need to be baptized. He’ll know what to do.
Next week’s devotion: What is our part in GOD’s Glory?