What Do You Mean Water Baptism?

BY DAVID C. PACK

Does salvation require water baptism? If so, how should it be done? Sprinkling? Pouring? Immersion? What about infants and children? Who should baptize—an ordained minister or may others do it? When ready, should one wait or be baptized immediately? Is re-baptism necessary? What part does repentance play? How does the BIBLE answer all these questions?

Around the world, millions of people become professing Christians every year. Some are baptized babies, others young adults who have joined the church of their choice—and others adult converts reached by missionaries. Of course, many “believers” are never baptized. Most of the rest are not correctly baptized.

On Pentecost, in A.D. 31, the day that the New Testament Church was created, the apostle Peter gave a powerful sermon to many listeners. His message was so convicting that 3,000 people were baptized. Before their baptism, many asked him, “Men and brethren, what shall we DO?” (Acts 2:37). Peter’s answer was, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy [Spirit].”

This verse is God’s plain command to “be baptized”! Not only is this instruction in your Bible, but the Bible also says repentance must precede baptism or one will not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Most believe that there are no requirements—no conditions—to being saved. This is untrue and the above verse proves there is at least one condition that must precede baptism itself—repentance! Some of those who teach that there are no conditions for salvation often quote Romans 10:9, 13. Paul writes in Ro 10:9, “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Ro 10:13 appears to make it even easier: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

What could be simpler for would-be Christians? How often have you heard that all one must do is “believe in your heart”? But is there more to this verse than meets the eye?

Many speak of having had a “religious experience” that instantly turned them into Christians. I once lived next door to a woman who told me that she “just knew” that she was a Christian because, as she put it, “I locked Jesus and the Bible up in my heart when I was nine years old.”

So many believe that this is all that is necessary for conversion to occur. Others believe that “Christ did everything on the cross for me,” or “I am saved by grace alone without conditions.” What about the many millions who believe these ideas? Is this all there is to salvation? Are Romans 10:1-21, Ro 10:9 and 13, the only verses that should concern you?

Under the Death Penalty

Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.” I Timothy 6:16 says, “[Christ] only has immortality.” In addition, Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” These three verses prove that no human beings have inherent immortal life. God told Adam, “…dust you are, and unto dust shall you return” (Gen. 3:19). Human beings are made out of simple dirt—earth—and nothing more. This is what they will return to after death.

The apostle John was inspired to write, “And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life” (I John 5:11-12).

Unless human beings have a Saviour—One who pays the penalty for their sins—they are headed for death, not immortality! Many more verses could be cited to prove this. The good news is that God—and only God—does hold the power to grant the “gift” of eternal life (John 5:26). Make no mistake! It cannot be earned—it is a free gift. But it is a gift given with conditions—to those who qualify!

Most Christians believe they are “saved by the blood of Christ.” This is not true. The Bible says that we are “saved by His life” (Rom. 5:10), while we are “reconciled to God” and “justified by His [Christ’s] blood” (5:9). Also see I Corinthians 15:17-18. This is vital to understand and requires some explanation.

Consider! If Christ is not risen from the dead, then He cannot send His Holy Spirit to beget Christians. Recall that Peter said repentance and baptism would lead to the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit. A Christian is one who is led by the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). It is this same Spirit in Christians that God will use to eventually change them into Sons of God composed of Spirit—resurrected Spirit Beings. It is this Spirit in them that, when they are changed, makes eternal life—SALVATION—possible. Is this clear? If Christ had not been resurrected, He could not have gone to heaven where He could send His Spirit to Christians. Without this Spirit living in the mind of a Christian, there is no hope of eternal life.

Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you.” At the resurrection, one previously begotten of God will have become born of God. Prior to this new birth (John 3:3-6), a Christian is merely an heir—and not yet an actual inheritor (of eternal life). In this life, a Christian is like an impregnated egg in the womb. The baby’s birth comes nine months later. In this same way, a Christian’s birth into God’s kingdom comes well after the time of begettal and conversion.

A Christian has been converted to a new way of life. He seeks to change—to become more like Jesus Christ every day. He also seeks God on a daily basis. He exercises the Spirit of God to develop His very character—through a daily renewing of the mind! Galatians 5:22-23 lists the nine “fruit[s] of the Spirit,” identified as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. These qualities of God’s nature are practiced and reflected when His Spirit is present in a human being.

Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear [timidity]; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” A true Christian is actively working on all three of these qualities, which spring from God’s character and Spirit. He is striving to develop the love of God. He regularly asks God to give him a sound mind and the power to grow, change and become more like Jesus Christ in word, thought and deed! It is the Christian’s goal to grow in every possible way. Peter wrote, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 3:18). If Christianity were merely a single moment of decision to call on Christ’s name, then why does the verse say to grow?

What would be the point of this instruction?

Christ said, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13). Here is another verse showing that for one to be saved, there is more required than to “just believe.” Christianity represents a need for endurance—a need to stay the course when it is not easy! And it is not always easy to obey God’s Law and yield to the government of God in one’s life.

True Christianity is not a “cakewalk.” It is not taking the path of least resistance, with no need to grow, change or endure difficult challenges and tests! Christ said, “Enter you in at the strait [difficult]gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be that go in the reat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leads unto life, and few there be that find it [Greek: are finding—present progressive tense]” (Matt. 7:13-14).

It should now be clear that receiving God’s Spirit is not an end in itself, but rather the beginning—the start—for a newly-begotten Christian. Compare Romans 8:7 with I John 5:12 and two things become indisputable. A person must belong to Christ and he cannot belong to Christ unless he has been begotten by God’s Spirit.

But how does one reach the point when the Spirit of God is given?