Does Baptism Matter? Part 2

(Continued November 30th, article)

To Do the Will of God

Why does baptism matter? Why did it matter to Jesus, Cornelius, or Paul? First and foremost baptism is necessary to do the will of God. Jesus’ baptism is a wonderful example for us to follow today because he did His Father’s will (Mt. 3:15). Jesus did not need to be baptized as you or I. We must be baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38). Jesus had no sins for which to be forgiven (II Cor. 5:21). Yet, because his Father commanded it of him, he did it. We are asked to walk in the footsteps of Jesus (I Pet. 2:21). If we truly want to live as Jesus lived, then we, too, must obey God’s will, including being baptized.

Obeying God is proof of our love for him. Jesus said,” If you love me, keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15). He Apostle John, who heard these very words, wrote some fifty years later, “For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous” (I Jn. 5:3). Obeying God’s word is also proof that we really know His will. Again, John stated, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (I Jn. 2:3-4). Finally, obeying God is proof of being saved or right with him. As Jesus was baptized, he told a hesitant John, “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15). In other words, if we want to be right with God we must obey him.

It is important to remember that we must “fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, we must keep all of God’s commandments, including baptism. The Bible says, “For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not Kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law” (Jas. 2:11). By quoting the Ten Commandments in two places (Ex. 20:13-14; Dt. 5:17-18), James implies that the principle enunciated in this verse was understood even in the days of the Old Testament. So whether now or then, to obey God means to keep all of his commandments. To fail to keep one commandment, whichever one it might be, is to fail to keep the whole law. In the context of James’ remarks on partiality (2:1-13), whether we are guilty of adultery, murder, or bigotry, if we commit one of these sins, we have broken all of God’s law. In like manner, if we do everything in order to be saved yet neglect to be baptized for the right reason, we are still lost, having failed to keep the whole law of Christ (I Cor. 9:21). In other words, if we believe Jesus is the Son of God, are willing to confess this before men, and are ready even to change or repent of all our sins, if we fail to be baptized for the remission of those sins, we have failed to accomplish all that God had required of us. This reminds us of the scribe who came to Jesus on one occasion who was not “far from the kingdom of God” (Mk 12:28-34). He was almost saved. Today, there are too many people who take every step in the plan of salvation except baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. They have obeyed part of the law but not all of it. They, too, are almost saved.

Because baptism is the will of God, it is necessary to do it in the way in which he commands. Alexander Campbell found this to be true. Still, today, people practice sprinkling or pouring while neither way of baptizing can be found in the New Testament. It is evident that no Apostle ever taught or practiced it; neither did any New Testament congregation. The word itself means to “immerse” or “bury” (Col. 2:12). John baptized in Aenon near Jerusalem because there was “much water there” or pools of water sufficient enough to immerse people (Jn. 3:23; Woods). Jesus was immersed (Mt. 3:16); so was the nobleman (Acts 8:38-39), as well as all others in the New Testament that were “baptized.” Therefore, to obey God not only must one be baptized for the remission of sins but also he or she must be immersed in water.

To be continued . . .

-Selected by David Powell- The Spiritual Sword