Water Baptism

Biblically, water baptism means immersing a person completely under water, and then raising him or her up again. It is a representation of the believer's identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

However, water baptism will not get us to heaven. Water baptism will not wash away our sins. What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ!

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

It is by having faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord that brings us redemption and salvation! But water baptism shows our obedience to follow Christ when we accept His gift of grace and salvation. It is normally done in the presence of other believers as a public declaration of one’s faith.

Supposedly, people who truly believe and give their hearts to Jesus while dying on a sick bed or in a war zone or in a fatal accident, they will not be kept out of heaven because they have failed to get baptized in time. The thief crucified next to Jesus believed in the Lord but he didn't have time to be baptized before he died.

Luke 23:43
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The Greek word for the word baptism is baptizó. It means to dip under, sink, properly submerge or immerse, dye or change the identification of. When a piece of white cloth is "baptizó" into a pool of blue dye, it no longer remains the same. It immediately identifies with the dye, and changes its color into blue. When we are baptized in water, we immediately identify ourselves with Christ!

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Water baptism did not originate from John the Baptist. Beginning from the Old Testament, the Israelites practiced water baptism as a traditional act of purification, and also new proselytes were initiated into Judaism through water baptism. The Levitical priests were commanded to cleanse themselves in water before and after performing their priestly duties.

Leviticus 16:4
He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on.

Leviticus 16:23-24
23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
24 And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

When John the Baptist arrived, people came to him to be baptized as they confessed their sins, and repented. This was their part. Whether their sins were forgiven or not, it was God's part! Note that repentance is necessary for salvation but repentance is not the same as salvation. The baptism of John the Baptist was not for salvation because our Lord Jesus Christ had not yet paid the price for the forgiveness of sins. Water baptism only signifies a believer's willingness to confess his sins and to repent from them. Water baptism is for repentance.

Acts 19:4
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

Interestingly in the New Testament, Jesus did not baptize others in water, and the apostle Paul only baptized a few people.

John 4:1-3
1 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John
2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),
3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

1 Corinthians 1:13-17
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.
16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

If water baptism is for salvation, why didn't Jesus baptize others in water? Why did Paul only baptize a few? Paul said that Christ did not send him to baptize. He was sent to share the Good News, and to tell it without using human wisdom, in order to ensure that the death of Christ on the cross was not robbed of its glorious power.

Some people believe that water baptism is for salvation. But they obviously have overlooked what Paul had said. They normally quote Mark 16:16 as their basis of understanding.

Mark 16:16
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Note that it does not say that he who believes and is not baptized will be condemned.

Acts 15:11
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.

Acts 16:31
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Romans 10:9
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

We are not saved by what we do in getting baptized in water. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb. It is by grace we have been saved through faith. It is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God. Not by works, so that no one can boast.

If water baptism is not for salvation, why should we be baptized?

Water baptism is our public declaration to others that we are truly Christians as we identify ourselves with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Our hope of salvation is not built on something that we can do for ourselves, rather it is founded upon the Rock of our salvation - Christ alone!

Through water baptism, we accept the finished work for our redemption when our Lord Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose for us. It is our testimony to others as we are baptized in water that we will henceforth live for Christ. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. This life that we live now, we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave His life for us.

Written on: 7 November 2019