Baptism (Public Dedication, Declaration of Faith)

Meaning

Baptism has caused controversy in the church for centuries, primarily between Catholics and Protestants. There two types of baptism most often debated which are infant and adult baptism. However, according to scripture much like the “Lord’s Supper” baptism is an act of obedience carried out by Christians. It’s performed as a way of remembering what Jesus did for us and publicly declaring our faith in Him alone. The Bible makes it clear there are no types of works which bring about salvation. Rather, good works such as baptism and communion come from a heart changed by God and in love with the Lord.

Moreover the Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Romans the act of baptism shows us that our sins died with Jesus. After which we are raised with Christ in His resurrection and made into a new creation because of our faith in Him. Therefore, baptism is best understood as a public declaration of our private decision to put our faith in Jesus alone for salvation. Jesus Himself told us if we deny Him before people, He will deny us before the Father in Heaven. Baptism is therefore a public way of declaring our faith in Christ. Baptism is a declaration of faith in Jesus and not a means of providing salvation. The most common form of baptism is adult baptism by complete immersion in water. This is where the believer with assistance is lowered down into the water and immediately brought back up. Whereas infant baptism is a public declaration of faith by the parents who are promising before God and the people to raise their child in the knowledge of the Lord.

In Bible times, a person who converted from one religion to another was often baptized to identify conversion. Baptism was the means of making a private decision public. Those who refused to be baptized were saying they did not truly believe. So, in the minds of the apostles and early disciples, the idea of an unbaptized believer was unheard of, unless like the thief on the Cross there was no possible way to be baptized before death. When a person claimed to believe in Christ, yet was ashamed to proclaim his faith in public, it indicated that he did not have true faith and truly did not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And it’s our faith in Jesus, by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior, which brings salvation and eternal life and not the act of baptism itself.

“And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'” (Gospel of Luke 23:38-43)

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples 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 things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”  (Gospel of Matthew 28:18-20)

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.” (Book of Romans 6:3-4)