Title: “On Baptism”
Intro:
Pastorally, I feel like today was too good of an opportunity to miss. Last week we taught on The Lord’s Supper, and today, Lucy Ronk is getting baptized. I therefore thought it would be appropriate to teach on the other sacrament, baptism, so that all of you have a very clear understanding of what we observe as the two biblically observable sacraments of the Christian faith.
Is the Pope Catholic?
Why do ballet dancers dance on their toes? Why doesn’t the company just hire taller dancers? (asking for Maddie and Lucy)
Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?
I. Paul was accused of being an antinomian
v1 (read) Paul again applies his use of rhetoric (literally, asking a rhetorical question for the point of emphasis). As we discussed earlier in our study in Romans, the use of Rhetoric assumes that you know and understand the audience you are writing to, and therefore can anticipate and answer their objections.
In this particular case, Paul is answering the claim that many have brought against him of being an antinomian.
Antinomianism: Being against the Law’s ethical requirements.
In this instance, the rhetorical question that Paul seeks to answer is essentially this:
“Okay, Paul, you have spent a great deal of time emphasizing the power of God’s grace. And that even in our own darkest moments of sin, God’s grace is sufficient. And when God’s grace saves us glory is brought to God because it is only by his grace, and not by means of our own that we are made whole before Him. Therefore, wouldn’t it stand to reason that in order to bring God more glory we should sin more to watch his grace be magnified?”
Paul’s answer is as stern as it is sudden.
V2 “Certainly not!”
Greek: “Me Ginomai” Literally translates as “May God forbid it to be so”
This is a phrase Paul uses quite often in the book of Romans, each time to promote extreme emphasis.
Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not!”
Romans 6:15 “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Certainly not!”
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not!”
Other examples are found in Romans 7:13, 9:14 and 11:1
You get the picture. “Me Ginomai” “May God forbid it to be so”
II. Paul explains the true meaning of Baptism
v2-4 (read)
It is no secret that many different denominations have many different interpretations and practices concerning baptism.
Do you baptize as an infant or as a converted believer?
Do you submerge or sprinkle?
Do you dunk one time or three?
Do you dunk forward or backwards?
These are all legitimate and debatable questions that have been raised over two-thousand years of church history. Using this passage, I hope to explain this morning the convictions that Baptists in general have about baptism, and the methods and beliefs that HBC specifically employs concerning this sacrament.
As a pastor, I would love it if the Bible had a book called, “How exactly to Baptize.” If that book was as detailed as the books of Leviticus or Numbers, there would be no discrepancy between churches on how to baptize. But no such book exists, and we must interpret and decide how we will baptize.
It is especially important that we deal with this text correctly because we have one baptism today, (Sadie), and three next Sunday (Lilly, Sophie, and Emma)
Paul is carefully explaining:
1. Baptism is one’s public profession of faith before a body of believers.
2. Paul’s point is that we have been united with Christ in both his death and his resurrection.
3. Baptism, as the sign and seal of the initial union with Christ is the burial service of the “Old Person” (v.6) as well as the inauguration ceremony for the “New Person” in Christ (v. 4).
Therefore, if the point of baptism is to emulate Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, we believe in Baptism at conversion, by submersion, backwards, as one’s public profession of faith in Christ Jesus.
It that the definitive “right” way to do it? The Bible is not clear on method, only on meaning. Our goal at this church is to emulate the meaning as closely as possible, and this is what we find to be the best way. That doesn’t mean that other forms of baptism are invalid, just that this is the method that we feel mirrors the Biblical Meaning most closely.
Who is Biblically Qualified to Baptize someone?
(take answers)
The great commission seems to suggest everyone/anyone who is a believer.
But an argument can be made that every N.T. baptism is performed by an agent of the church.
So I believe we need to ask a better question:
Into WHAT is someone being baptized? (And who has the authority to perform that?)
Here’s what our constitution states:
Article II: Membership
2.1 Qualifications for Membership:
There are THREE ways a person may become a member of HBC:
1. By public confession of faith and baptism by immersion.
2. By letter of transfer from a like faith church, as agreed to by the Church Body.
3. By statement of faith and examination by the Pastor or the Chairman of Deacons
to determine a person’s salvation and doctrinal beliefs.
PPFR
Therefore, anyone who is deemed an acceptable agent of the CHURCH has this authority. (Kevin DeYoung wrote a GREAT article on this on the Gospel Coalition website, just google it.)
Conclusion:
verse 4: “We also should walk in the newness of life.”
How many saved and baptized Christians are walking and living as the old man, instead of the new creature? How many of us have made a new profession, but are living the old life of sin? How many of us, by God’s Grace are free from sin, but choosing to live in it?
Do you not see the insult that is to a God that has saved you by his grace? You bring him no glory by being saved and continuing in you sin. You bring him Glory by living as he has made you. The old has gone, so it needs to go, the new has come, so it needs to be worn.
You will not reflect God’s glory by living in sin.