SOUND DOCTRINE ABOUT BAPTISM
July 6, 2003 AM
Sermon Outline
ACTS 2:37-41
INTRO: For many of us here this morning our sermon study will be review. And I believe in review. From time to time we need to review materials already study and to refresh our memories of those things. For some of us here this morning our sermon study will be reinforcement. And I believe in reinforcement. There are times when various subjects may have been studied and accepted, but with further study those subjects become deep conviction. And for some of us here this morning our sermon study may be virtually new material ... or, to say the least of the matter, material in such a concentration that we have not considered before. Our study this morning will simply be entitled Sound Doctrine About Baptism. We will be looking into two areas relating to this subject.
I. FIRST, WHAT IS THE ACTION OF BAPTISM?
A. Diversity in the religious world makes this consideration necessary
1. baptism in a secular dictionary/encyclopedia may be noted as the use of water in one of two or three ways
2. sprinkling, pouring, immersion
B. But we want to know what scripture says about this
1. Jno 3:5 - birth is out of a body larger than that which is born - much water is needed (so, Jno 3:23)
2. Acts 8:38,39 - not necessarily conclusive, but both went down into the water - I have often thought that any water in the caravan would have sufficed if immersion was not the action of baptism
3. Rom 6:4,5 - the word buried gives us clearly the action of baptism - one dead in sins is buried; in the tomb he is made alive by the power and grace of God; he comes out of the tomb (or, grave) alive again ... v. 5 notes that this action is our being planted together in the likeness of his death
4. Col 2:12 - here, again, is buried with him - baptism, in order to portray in any way a burial, must be immersion
5. the word in the original language? - baptisma: immersion, submersion
6. so, the action of New Testament baptism is an immersion in water
II. WHAT HAPPENS IN BAPTISM? IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?
A. Mt 28:19 - A change of ownership occurs in baptism
1. into the name of - this is the place in which one comes into the ownership of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
2. notice Col 1:13 - there is definitely a change of ownership - from Satans to Gods ... and it takes place in ones baptism
3. is it necessary to be owned by God?
B. Mk 16:15,16 - Salvation is clearly associated with baptism
1. we must say, though, that it is not the water which has any power
2. an individuals faith and penitence meet Gods grace in this well defined act of obedience - recall, too, 1 Pet 3:21
3. is it necessary to be saved?
C. Acts 2:37,38 - Remission of sins is clearly associated with baptism
1. the word for in v. 38 is from a Gr. preposition meaning into - it is not the preposition meaning because of
2. ones sins are not remitted and then he is baptized ... in ones baptism his sins are remitted
3. is remission of sins necessary?
D. Acts 22:16 - Washing away of sins is clearly associated with baptism
1. we must, of course, remember the blood of Jesus - Rev 1:5
2. but Acts 22:16 puts that washing in baptism
3. is washing away of sins necessary?
E. Rom 6:3 - Jesus atoning death is clearly associated with baptism
1. baptism is the place and time when the purpose of Jesus death on the cross becomes ours in fact!
2. at v. 5 is notice that we are united with/into His death
3. is reception of the merits of Jesus death necessary?
F. 1 Cor 12:13 - Being in the body of Christ is clearly associated with baptism
1. please note, too, Col 1:18,24 - the body and the church are the same
2. so, baptism is into the body, or the church, of Jesus Christ
3. is being in the body of Christ (the church) necessary?
G. Gal 3:26,27 - Being in Christ is clearly associated with baptism
1. consider Eph 1:3 - all spiritual blessings are in Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:17)
2. according to Gal 3:27 one is baptized into Christ - belief, penitence, confession of faith are steps toward being in Christ ... but baptism is the into action which brings us all spiritual blessings
3. is being in Christ necessary?
H. Col 2:12,13 - Being alive again is clearly associated with baptism
1. notice Eph 2:1 - when sin came into our lived, we died!
2. in baptism one is made alive again ... granted new life by God
3. is being alive (spiritually) necessary?
CLOSE: Understanding that belief in Jesus and repentance because of sin are absolutely necessary and prerequisite, what can we correctly conclude about baptism? Based on a scriptural study we can know that baptism is immersion in water (a burial) and that baptism is the culminating act of obedience which brings one into a saved relationship with God. As a reminder, the New Testament book of Acts gives us numerous examples of exactly this conclusion.
Cecil A. Hutson
06 July 2003