Water Baptism

(1 Corinthians 10:1-6 – Water Baptism)

If we are to follow the Lord then we must do so according to the way He has defined. Jesus is the way, and we can only come to God through Jesus Christ. To do so, there are certain “rules” to understand if we are please God.

All of the gifts of God, methods of praise and worship, teachings, and instructions were given for a purpose. Nothing Jesus said or did was without a purpose. All of God’s gifts, methods or processes should be followed accurately and they should not be ignored. God has a definite plan, purpose, and reason for everything that He has told us, and nothing is to be disregarded.

For this reason we need to consider consider the act of water baptism. Water baptism is poorly understood, as it is an extremely important step every Christian must take.

Many in the church do not fully or correctly understand this critical process. The Lord Jesus Christ considered baptism so important that He was baptised Himself. He also specified baptism as one of the three keys in the great commission. Today we will examine the scriptures to see why water baptism is so important and we will begin by looking at a water baptism definition.

Water Baptism definition

At is simplest level water baptism is the immersion of a person under water to symbolise our death and resurrection. In water baptism we join Christ, taking His death as our own as we enter the water. We then are symbolically raised with Him in His resurrection as we are lifted from the water.

Through baptism in water we are joined to Christ, taking on His death as a replacement for our own death so that we can die to sin, be set free from bondage of law and begin a new life as a new creation in Christ Jesus. This will be explained as we continue.

That’s a water baptism definition in a nutshell.

Do all Christians believe this? My experience is that they do not. Some do not even believe water baptism is necessary. Others think it is optional. Still others see it as some kind of initiation ceremony to enter a church. Many do not see the significance of full immersion as being necessary and so they simply sprinkle water on the head and call that baptism. Then there are those churches that sprinkle water on infants calling that baptism, and use it also as part of the child’s naming ceremony. I should add here that there is no biblical justification for baptising infants.

The importance of water baptism

The importance of baptism is in its power to set us free to become new creations in Jesus Christ. To become a new creation suggests that we must get rid of the old creation. That is, we cannot be renewed until we die. What God has done through water baptism is to allow us to die by participating in the death of Jesus when we are baptised. Here are a few scriptures to ponder in this regard.

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. – (Romans 6:3-7)

It is clear from this section of scripture that it is through baptism we:

1. enter the death of Jesus,
2. we are both buried and raised to a new life through this water baptism in Christ Jesus,
3. we have crucified and put to death our old self and our old life,
4. we are new creations, dead to the old life and walking in newness of life, and,
5. we are set free from sin.

Freedom from Law in water baptism

Taking this one step further we are also set free from law through taking on the death of Jesus through baptism, as we see here:

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. – (Romans 7:4)

So it is incredibly important that we are baptised and carry out this baptism as ordained by God. If we do NOT enter water baptism to be baptised into the name and the death of Jesus Christ, or if we see baptism as “optional,” or as an initiation ceremony, or a naming thing for infants, or anything else, then we have not died to sin, died to the law and become new creations in Jesus Christ.

Those who are not baptised correctly are still in their sins. They have not yet begun the journey to freedom that is possible only in Jesus Christ. We can only receive these things by following His commandment to be baptised into His death through water baptism.

Strong words? Yes they are! But I hope it will help you see how important it is to be baptised correctly. We must follow the command of Jesus to be baptised because it is only by water baptism that we are truly set free. When we have faith and believe what God has achieved in Christ Jesus to give us freedom through water baptism, and follow His commandment, then we receive the grace of God that sets us free.

Water Baptism and Righteousness

Jesus showed how important baptism is when He was baptised Himself. Even though He had no sin to be set free from, He was still baptised. He showed in His words to John the Baptist that baptism was essential if we are to receive the righteousness from God.

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – (Matthew 3:13-17)

Jesus told John that water baptism was necessary to “…fulfil all righteousness.” If you want to receive the righteousness of God, the righteousness that comes through faith, then you MUST be baptised. Without water baptism you do not and cannot fulfil all righteousness.

Water Baptism and Receiving the Holy Spirit

There are two other things to note in this verse also.

After Jesus was baptised, as He left the water, He received the Holy Spirit. It was not until AFTER he was baptised that the Holy Spirit came upon Him.

This is important for water baptism should be the precursor to receiving the Holy Spirit. Without the righteousness by faith that comes through water baptism, the Holy Spirit is not able to fully, completely and adequately do His job in our lives.

The second thing we see is how pleased the Father was with Jesus.

Why? Because Jesus obeyed the Father. Jesus followed the processes ordained by the Father to fulfil all righteousness by being baptised. It was after He was baptised that the Father sent the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove so that Jesus could begin His ministry.

The work of the Holy Spirit

The work of the Holy Spirit is to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. But first we must stand free from sin and be freed from the Mosaic law. This enables us to be reconciled to God who will then help us through the Holy Spirit.

We know that sin stands between man and God and no sinner will stand in the presence of God. So, sin must be removed before He will help us. Also, because the breaking of the law is sin, He had to remove the law so we did not “dirty ourselves” again after being cleansed in water baptism.

God removed both sin and the law through water baptism. This is why it is essential to be baptised if we are to receive the Holy Spirit.

A command to be baptised

To show this better, there is one instance in the Bible where people received the Holy Spirit before they were baptised. It occurred when Peter went down to the house of Cornelius and first preached the gospel to the Gentiles. While he was speaking to the Gentiles, they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. Note then the words of Peter AFTER they had received the Holy Spirit.

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. – (Acts 10:44-48)

In verse 48, we see that after the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit it was no longer an option for them to be baptised. Peter COMMANDED them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ.

This shows the importance of baptism with the linkage to receiving the Holy Spirit. It is only after water baptism through which we believe we have died with Christ and are set free from sin and the law that the Holy Spirit is able to begin His work to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. Water baptism is critical.

Moses and the Children of Israel

This brings me back to this scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:1-6. In it we see allegories for baptism when the children of Israel left Egypt.

1 I want you to know, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same supernatural food 4 and all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did. (1 Corinthians 10:1-6)

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They were in bondage to the Egyptian people. When they left Egypt, Pharaoh sent out his armies to bring them back into slavery.

But God was leading the Israelites and had other plans.

When they came to the Red Sea it presented a barrier that would determine if they were to live or die. It was a barrier that on one side represented death and slavery under Egyptian bondage, but on the other side represented life and freedom. The challenge was whether they could cross the sea, and so escape the Egyptians.

However it would not be enough just to cross the sea. The Egyptians would pursue them to the ends of the earth and try to bring them back into bondage and slavery. There would be no escape from the Egyptians except by a complete and full victory over them.

This is the allegory to baptism for us.

It was only through the intervention of God who opened the sea, allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry land, and then closing the sea over the pursuing Egyptian army that assured their ongoing and complete freedom. The victory over slavery, bondage and death was won through the power of God.

In the same, way we are set free from the bondage of the law, sin, and death through the intervention of God in water baptism.

The Israelites went through the waters of the Red Sea to freedom and life. We go through the waters of baptism to freedom and life. Before going through the Red Sea, the Israelites were in bondage and slavery to the Egyptians. Likewise, before going through baptism we are in bondage to the slavery of sin, the law and death. But when we enter the death of Jesus Christ in the water baptism, we are raised with Him as new creations in a new life with God.

God also destroyed all of the causes of slavery and bondage for the Israelites too. He drowned the Egyptian army in the sea thus assuring the ongoing freedom for the children of Israel. Likewise God destroys all forms of bondage through sin and the law in us when we go through the waters of baptism.

One more significant point in this comparison

After God had closed over the Red Sea when the Israelites passed through, there was no going back. They could only move forward into their new life. In due course they would take possession of the land promised to their father Abraham.

So too, when we come out of the waters of baptism, we arise to a new life in Christ Jesus. There is no going back to our old ways and our old life. To do so we would spurn the Son of God and destroy the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in us. We must seek to move forward in the new life of the spirit.

The Israelites drank and ate the spiritual water and spiritual food as they journeyed. That is, the water God provided when Moses struck the Rock and the manna God gave from heaven.

So too we eat and drink the spiritual water and food that is the nourishment of Jesus Christ. We consume His teachings and receive his life in us as we learn. As we walk with Him we grow up into the image of Jesus Christ.

And all of this comes back to water baptism. It is critically important to be baptised correctly, and understand it. Water baptism is one of the most important and essential things we can do as Christians. It was so important in the eyes of Jesus Christ, that it was one of His last instructions to His apostles. Just before He left this earth to return to the Father, Jesus commissioned them to make disciples, baptise the new disciples, and teach them all that He had taught.

If you have not been baptised in the name of Christ, seek it out as soon as you can. And recognise the power and importance of water baptism as Christ and the apostles taught it. It is necessary to move forward in Christ for as Jesus Himself said, “…for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.”

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