How Important Is Baptism?

I responded to two email questions this morning about the meaning and purpose of Christian baptism. I took some time to respond to the questions. It is not new that people are asking these questions, but in the past decade, more people with a background emphasizing the restoration of the New Testament Church are asking these questions. The questions and my responses follow.

In response to your first question: "Is it your own belief that salvation is through Christ alone or does a person have to add to what Christ has done for us to receive salvation?"

Absolutely not. The first five chapters of the book of Romans are very clear that faith in Christ is the essential element, not law keeping. Not works. Not human effort. That is made very clear in Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

We cannot add to what Christ has already done.

The question comes when we consider our response to the unmerited saving grace of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to search the Scripture for the response of people who heard the Gospel proclaimed. You will not find even one example or instruction for people say a prayer to invite Jesus into their heart, sign a card, walk down an aisle, say the sinner's prayer or come to an altar to pray through.

These responses, actions, or activities are very common in churches across America and around the world. Even in churches that strive to obey the Gospel message. They are common, accepted and defended, even though they cannot be supported by the clear example and teaching of Scripture.

Wayne Jackson has written a very detailed article describing responses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the book of Acts. You may find his research at  https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1277-conversions-in-acts.

Your second question was: Is baptism more than an act of obedience?

Let's note first a teaching of Jesus from Mark 16:15-16
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Jesus himself tells us that baptism is connected to salvation. He stresses the absolute necessity of faith, "Whoever believes", and then the Master himself tells us "and is baptized will be saved."

His Apostle, Peter, helps us to understand the connection in the very first proclamation of the Gospel in Act 2. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he tells a crowd who have asked how to be saved:

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Jesus tells us that when we believe and are baptized we "will be saved." Peter expands on that telling us that when we repent (repentance is just as essential to salvation as faith and immersion) and are baptized two things happen. We experience "the forgiveness of sins" and we "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." To claim that one is saved before baptism is to say that one is saved without the forgiveness of sins.

Peter makes it very clear that Christian immersion is much more than an act of obedience. Of course, Jesus commanded baptism (See Matthew 28:19-20), but it is so much more than "the outward sign of an inward act."

This connection was made clear to Saul of Tarsus after his encounter with the Risen Christ. Acts 9 tells us that for three days Saul fasted and prayed. That was certainly enough time to “pray through,” say the sinner’s prayer or invite Jesus into his heart. And yet, when Ananias arrived, he did not suggest any of those activities endorsed by so many Christian teachers. Please note the instruction, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that Saul was obedient to:
“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16)

Here were learn that in baptism we wash away our sins. Some will want to connect washing of sins with calling on the name of Jesus. Such a connection does not bear the scrutiny of good sentence structure or common sense. Calling does not wash. Immersion in water washes. The connection is clear.

The idea is illuminated further by 1 Peter 3:21:
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Peter recalls how Noah and his family were saved by water of the Great Flood of Genesis. He says the flood water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also. He makes it clear that this washing of water is not about the removal of dirt, but is instead about our relationship with God. We are given the pledge of a clear conscience. We are not saved by our action. We are not saved by a good work. We are not saved by our effort. Instead, it (baptism) saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We are offered an explanation of the connection of baptism and the forgiveness of sins in Romans 6:3-5:
"Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."

Those who claim that baptism is only a symbol or merely an act of obedience must either ignore or explain away this very clear teaching. Verse 5 says: we have been united with him in a death like his. The very clear teaching is that we are united with Christ in baptism. We are united in his death, his burial (v. 4) and his resurrection (we too may live a new life.)

Because Jesus alone is our way of Salvation (John 14:6), we must be united to him. We learn in Romans 6 that we are united with Christ in baptism.

This understanding of the passage is supported by
Galatians 3:27 “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

To be clothed is to be surrounded by. We are inside our clothes. This teaches us that baptism brings us into a very intimate relationship with Christ. To say that we are saved before baptism is to say that we are saved before we are united with or brought into a relationship with Christ.

The clear teaching of the Bible is that, in Christian baptism, we are clothed in Christ, united with Christ, washed in his blood (Ephesians 5:26), and are forgiven our sins.

To summarize my response to your questions: We cannot add to what Christ has done to save us from our sin. However, we must respond to the Gospel message. The clear teaching of the New Testament is that the early believers did not say a prayer to invite Jesus into their hearts. They heard the Gospel message, responded in faith, repented of their sins and were baptized.

I am happy to continue the conversation if you choose. Thank you for this opportunity to share my understanding of Scripture.