Christian Baptism – An Essential Step in Returning to God
By Lewis Hrytzak
Adam was God’s son, made in God’s image, meaning that he was endowed with God-like qualities of justice, wisdom, power and love. However, his rebellion against God corrupted those qualities in him. In essence, Adam voluntarily cut the “lifeline” by which he was connected to the source of life, his Heavenly Father, Jehovah God. As a result of this, he was expelled from God’s family and sentenced to die. In turn, as shown by the apostle Paul at Romans 5:12, Adam’s children, the human race, inherited that condition. Nevertheless, God took immediate steps to change this, making it possible for Adam’s descendants to return to Him, to be reunited with him and live.
The one whom God chose to reconnect that severed life line was his own precious son, Christ Jesus, also known in Scripture as the second Adam. Jesus surrendered his human life that we might have life, that is, that the condemnation of sin and death might be removed. The apostle John quotes Jesus words on this at John 5:24 which states: “Most truly I say to you, He that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.”
Jesus makes this same point in the very next verse. He says: “Most truly I say to you, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God, and those who have given heed will live.” Why? As Jesus explains, “Just as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted also to the Son, to have life in himself.” Yes, Jesus has been given the authority by his Father to grant us life. Jesus is able to move us from the side of death to the side of life. Of course, in order for this to happen for us, we must exercise faith in Christ Jesus and obey God’s commandments. Indeed, as the apostle John tells us, that’s what the love of God means.
As mentioned, if we exercise faith in Christ, which also means faithfulness to his Father, then we are transferred from the side of death to the side of life, so to speak. However, as Jesus tells us at Mark 10:30, our reward of life everlasting is not realized in this age, but in the age to come. For this reason, death occurs to everyone in this age, including the believer. However, this condition is temporary, for Jesus said at John 5:28,29: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things, to a resurrection of judgment.” Therefore, even though we “pass over from death to life” due to faith in Christ’s ransom, our reward will not be fully realized until the Lord’s return, or when we are resurrected. For believers, it is called the “out resurrection,” that is, the “first” resurrection. Incidentally, the Greek term “out resurrection” is used to indicate that these come out of a greater resurrection. This term is often translated as “first resurrection,” and this is also quite fitting because many, many, more who will come back in the general resurrection.
But, you may say, what does all this have to do with baptism? Well, it has a great deal to do with baptism, because baptism is a vital step for Christians. It is an essential step in our returning to our God and Father. It is an outward expression of our faith in Christ Jesus and an indication that we have submitted to him and are willing to obey him. It is even as the word of God makes clear at Revelation 14:4, namely, that such ones “keep following the lamb no matter where he goes.”
But what is Scriptural baptism? The word ‘baptism’ is translated from the Greek word, “baptizien,” which means to “dip” or to “plunge”. Naturally, this would necessitate total immersion, rather than a mere sprinkling as is done in some religious organizations. This was how Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. One might say that John the Baptist dipped Jesus into the Jordan River. Interestingly, John was not only known as “John the Baptist,” but also as ‘John the Dipper.” But why did Jesus get baptized?
You may recall that when Jesus came to John at the Jordan River and asked John to baptize him, John, at first, protested vigorously. Why? Because John knew that Jesus was without sin, and John had been baptizing for repentance of sin. The account at Matthew 3:13 reads: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, in order to be baptized by him. But the latter tried to prevent him, saying: “I am the one needing to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?” In reply Jesus said to him: “Let it be, this time, for in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous.” At this, John refrained from preventing him, and baptized Jesus.
What did Jesus mean by saying, “in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous?” The short answer is that baptism is right, or righteous for Christians. Why?
We know Jesus had no sin, so his baptism was unlike the baptism that John performed on others, which was for forgiveness of sin. We also know that God approved the baptism of Jesus by providing a visible sign, by means of a dove, as he poured out his holy spirit upon him. Why, then, would Jesus have taken that step? Yes, why did he get baptized? Well, as he told John, “in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous.”
God’s approval of Jesus’ baptism appears to have set a pattern for others to follow, in order to “carry out all that is righteous.” In a moment, we will consider the reason why this was right, or righteous. We will also appreciate why Jesus commanded Christians to make disciples, baptizing them. Before his ascension to heaven, this is what he told his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you...” (Matthew 28:19,20)
So then, why is baptism essential for Christians, and in what sense is it right, or righteous? The apostle Paul provides the answer. In writing to the Romans, and to the Colossians, Paul makes it quite clear that baptism is a symbol, that it is a symbol of change. Note what he says in Romans 6:3: “Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” In Colossians 3:3 he states: “For you died, and your life has been hidden with the Christ in union with God.” If we read the entire sixth chapter of the book of Romans, we will clearly see that Paul is speaking about change. Paul uses the analogy of death, because death represents change most effectively. Therefore, baptism is really a symbol, an outward symbol that something has happened in our life. And what is that?
Picture again, in your mind, the life line that Adam severed. He did that in order to free himself from God, and the restrictions that God had placed upon him. Adam wanted to be free to do as he wished. What a terrible mistake that was! That would be like a diver who cuts the life line to the mother ship because he wants to roam the ocean floor and do as he wishes. Well, he could be free for a while, but not for long, for when his oxygen supply was exhausted, he would die. That was precisely Adam’s predicament. Indeed, it is still so for the whole human race. We have been cut off from life’s source by out ancestor, Adam.
In order to live, however, we must undergo change. How? By being baptized into Christ’s death for, by so doing, we actually get reconnected to life’s source, our Heavenly Father, Jehovah God. That’s what Jesus was sent here to do for the human race. Nevertheless, while Jesus throws us the life line, so to speak, we must grasp it and hang onto it. On the other hand, we also have the choice of ignoring the life line, that is, Christ’s sacrifice, just as most people do. And yet, if we grasp that life line, and hang onto it, we will “have passed over from death to life” even as Jesus said we would. This is further shown by Paul at Romans 5:9. He wrote: “We have been declared righteous now by his blood.”
Baptism, then, is an outward symbol of our willingness to do things God’s way. Jesus was an excellent example for us when he said, “Look! I am come to do your will, Oh God.” (Heb 10:7) By taking this step, not only are we being obedient to Christ Jesus, but we are also showing our willingness to be used by God. As Isaiah said: “Here I am. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) Of course, all of this is easier said than done.
Jesus admonished that we would have to make a very big change in our life if we chose to follow him. For this reason, he goes right to the heart of the matter when he tells his disciples, (as recorded at Matthew 16:24) “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and continually follow me.” Jesus is telling us that we, like he, must delight to do God’s will, not our own. We must put God first in our lives because we cannot please God if we pursue our own interests. For this reason, at Matthew 6:33 Jesus said: “to keep on seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness”. We must be consumed with that. To “pick up his torture stake” hardly suggests a life of ease for the Christian. To follow Jesus would be a struggle. In Ephesians chapter 6, Paul admonishes us to put on the complete suit of spiritual armor that God provides so that we might wage a successful spiritual fight. Finally, Jesus said that we are to follow him continually. In other words, we must remain faithful, loyal to God and to Christ. A Christian cannot take a vacation from Christian living. We must remain faithful, each day of our lives, right to the end. For us personally, this could mean until the Lord returns or it could mean our own death. But we must be faithful right to the end. At Matthew 24:13 Jesus said: “But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.”
Our decision, our firm resolve to serve God is called dedication. Some Bible translations use the term consecration, but it means the same thing. As already mentioned, that kind of dedication must be constant or continuous. When a Christian gets baptized, they are, in fact, declaring to all that they have taken the most important step of their lives. It is the step of moving over to God’s side by exercising faith in his Son and by obeying what he tells us to do. This step puts us right with God. The apostle Peter clearly bears this out in 1 Peter 3:21. After explaining how God preserved Noah and his family alive through the flood, he adds: “That which corresponds to this is also now saving you, namely, baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the request made to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Take careful note that according to God’s Word, baptism is the request made to God for a good conscience. It has nothing to do with the removal of sin as some Christians believe. It is only the blood of Christ that removes sin, even as John tells us at 1 John 1:7.
Now let us go back to what I read earlier, that is, Jesus words at Matthew 28:19,20. Jesus said that his disciples are to be baptized in “the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the holy spirit,” but what does that mean?
The Scriptures show that the Father, Jehovah God, occupies a very unique position in the universe. Only the Father is referred to as Almighty God. Therefore, we must acknowledge his authority. It was the Father who arranged for the salvation of humankind by sending forth his Beloved Son. It was the Father’s will that Jesus was doing while he was on earth. Moreover, Jesus always referred to the Father as his God. Therefore, a Christian who considers baptism should be well aware of this and, like Jesus, one must acknowledge the Father as the Supreme life-giver.
To be baptized in the name of the Son, means that the candidate recognizes Jesus as Redeemer, the one to whom God has granted all authority in heaven and on earth. Moreover, as stated in the book of Acts (1:8), such candidates must be witnesses of Jesus. Of course, as witnesses of Christ Jesus, they actually become witnesses of Jehovah God, the Father and source of all authority.
To be baptized in the name of the holy spirit means that we understand the function of the holy spirit. We will acknowledge that the holy spirit is God’s active force that was sent by Christ Jesus to assist his disciples. For example, Jesus said at (Luke 12:12) that the holy spirit “will teach you in that very hour the things you ought to say.” After Jesus’ resurrection, holy spirit was poured out upon his disciples even as he had promised, thereby helping them to carry out various functions. At Romans 8:23, Paul called the holy spirit the “firstfruits” that Jesus’ followers receive. The baptismal candidate should, therefore, be familiar with, and acknowledge all of these Scriptural truths in order to be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy spirit. However, at what point then, should one be baptized?
Interestingly, the Ethiopian Eunuch took the step of baptism immediately after Philip explained to him that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. Like the Ethiopian Eunuch, when one comes to a realization of what God is doing for the human race through Christ, that one should also respond positively and take the important step of baptism.
Finally, it must be remembered that baptism does not put a hedge of protection around us. In fact, it will expose us to the attacks of Satan, God’s adversary. Nevertheless, if we want to remain loyal to God and obedient to Christ, the holy spirit will help us to remain faithful throughout our life, and to time indefinite.
One final point: When we approach our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus, our dedication and baptism are not made more valid because we happen to associate with a particular denomination or group of Christians. Indeed, there is only one Christian baptism for all believers. The Scriptures are very clear on this. For instance, at 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 Paul writes: “For disclosure was made to me about you, my brothers, by those of the house of Chlo’e, that dissentions exist among you. What I mean is this, that each one of you says: “I belong to Paul,” “But I to Apollos,” “But I to Cephas,” “But I to Christ.” (Paul conclusion is that because of this,) Christ exists divided. Paul was not impaled for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” In the next chapter, verses 4-9, Paul explains why their thinking was unspiritual. He writes: For when one says: “I belong to Paul,” but another says: “I to Apollos, are you not simply men? What, then, is Apollos? Yes, what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, even as God granted each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow; so that neither is he that plants anything nor is he that waters, but God who makes it grow. (Vs 9) For we are God’s fellow workers. You people are God’s field under cultivation, God’s building.”
Questions for Baptismal Candidates, which, if answered in the affirmative, will qualify them for baptism.
1. Do you recognize and acknowledge the Heavenly Father, Jehovah God, as Supreme and that he sent his Beloved Son, Christ Jesus, into the world to give his life as a ransom so that we might have life?
2. Do you recognize yourself as a sinner, in need of redemption, and do you exercise faith in Christ Jesus as God’s provision for mankind?
3. Do you dedicate yourself unreservedly to the Heavenly Father through his Son Christ Jesus, as symbolized by water baptism, and do you now resolve to follow Christ’s footsteps closely each day of your life?