The Doctrine of Baptisms
The
simple, unpretentious rite of baptism is meant to mark a miraculous
change in you. It is to testify that you have embarked on a new, clean,
right way of life that will end in complete satisfaction, unrestricted
reward, total success and happiness unending. God wants you to realize
this and take full advantage of His generous offer.
Most of
Christendom understands in part that baptism is a fundamental doctrine
of God's religion. But too few capture the overwhelming concept which
its symbolism is meant to instill. Let's look back into the past, and
come to understand more perfectly what God is revealing.
From
the beginning God has wanted men to be clean — physically, mentally and
spiritually. He designed an elaborate ritualistic system for His Old
Testament Church to impress this grand lesson. He meant for you and me
to find in the New Testament the brimming spiritual fulfillment which
comes through Jesus the Christ (Gal. 3:24).
Paul wrote the book
of Hebrews to Jewish Christians to help make this plain. He shows how
Old Testament ritual finds full spiritual expression in Christ. These
Jewish people knew about the washings (baptisms) of the ritual (Heb.
9:10). They knew about the prescribed cleansing of clothes, people,
priests (Ex. 19:10-14; Lev. 8:6).
But most people today have not
understood the facts concerning the pre-Christian baptism of John.
Recall that John the Baptizer was accepted by his community. This was
not some new and unusual action. Pharisees and Sadducees would have had
no dealings with anyone contradicting the traditions of the elders
(Matt. 15:1-2). Why, they even rejected Jesus because they could not
fathom the spiritual application which He made of Old Testament
instruction.
But they did accept John's teaching about baptism.
Sadducees and Pharisees — perhaps not yet having heard of Jesus —
flocked to John wanting to be baptized. Evidently the unrepentant ones
wanted only to receive a mark of religious distinction. They wanted to
advertise their "righteousness" — to prate and brag about their
acceptance by this recognized, rustic, prophet of God (Matt. 3:1-7;
Mark 1:4-7).
But John was doing God's Work. He was calling his
countrymen to repentance — change. He wanted proof that they were doing
something to change their miserable and evil lives. He culled out those
who were not turning to God in heartrending contrition and obedience.
He
would have no part in baptizing those who clung to their old evil ways
— sins — dead works. His baptism was for the purpose
of symbolizing spiritually clean people — those who had changed so much
that they could take advantage of the Messiah's upcoming sacrifice for
the remission — forgiveness — of their sins.
John was busily
preaching and baptizing when Jesus came on the scene. Jesus set His
seal of approval on John's baptism by undergoing the very same rite as
the people who were sick of their sins and longed enough for
forgiveness that they "brought forth fruit" proved by changed,
righteous, obedient-to-God lives. Jesus said His baptism "...
fulfilled] all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15).
Later, after His death
and resurrection, He expressly commanded His disciples to follow this
very same procedure when they found people who would really accept,
believe and do what He taught. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy
Spirit" (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:16).
Baptism is the symbolic
door to righteousness. You must go through that door if you are going
to enter into eternal life. There is no other way.
Ritualistic
washing can clean pots, pans, clothes and skin. But water can do
nothing to cleanse the mind of man — it cannot reach him spiritually.
But
John's baptism added more color to the picture of God's plan of
salvation. It pointed to the Jewish need to improve in keeping the
letter of God's eternal law. It insisted that they should accept the
government of that law. John recognized their mental approach to life
must be in accord with God's direction.
People must develop the
discipline and volition to live by every word of God (Matt. 4:4; Deut.
8:3). John knew that even more than this would be required if people
were going to finally enter into the Kingdom of God. He said: "I indeed
baptize you with water unto repentance: but he [Jesus] that cometh
after me ... shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire"
(Matt. 3:11).
Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the ultimate
baptism toward which we press. This is the highest form of baptism. (If
you wish to learn more about the baptism with fire — which is an
entirely different subject — please write for our article about it.)
The
only way that sin — which is the result of distorted mental action —
can be remitted, scrubbed out, paid for, is through death (Rom. 6:23).
If we were left to pay for our own sins, death would descend upon us
and there could be no hope for the future. Only black oblivion! But God
is merciful.
Even while we were yet in our sins Christ died for
us. He paid the entire debt which encumbers us. We are free when we
accept His payment in our stead and so can live (Rom. 5:8-9).
But
that is not to say we just use the sacrifice of Christ and blithely
pursue our own way. A complete change is demanded when such a great
price has been paid so that we can live — for we would have died
without this payment.
Since Christ has been willing to die
for us, then we must be willing to die for Him. When we are baptized we
picture our willingness to participate in death, just as He did, in
order that goodness, godliness (god-like-ness), will prevail in our
fives (Rom. 6:3). We will imitate the way He lived. He didn't break the
law of God in one little particle (Matt. 5:18-20). Neither should we!
He
died horribly, ignominiously in order that people who recognize their
shortcomings could be washed clean and given a new life — a changed,
repentant, spiritual way of living.
Baptism pictures the burial
of our old ways. A willingness to let our old ways go down into the
grave to moulder away to nothing — the putrescence of our own ways
covered and eaten up by death. Read Romans 6:4-6 with these thoughts in
mind:
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in
the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is
crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin."
We, because we are sinners,
die in baptism from a spiritual point of view. We no longer allow the
inordinate desires of our fleshly, sensual existence to dictate. Christ
became sin so we could live righteously — without sin — without
breaking the law (II Cor. 5:21).
You and I are to be spiritually
crucified with Christ. Then His mind — spirit — enters us. We live as
Christ would live. He gave Himself for us to that purpose (Gal. 2:20;
Rom. 6:6-7). The Christian is dead to the old ways of the natural man
(Rom. 6:11-12). He no longer conforms to the way in which people
naturally respond to life. His mind is renewed. He proves what God
wants and does it (Rom. 12:2).
This way is entirely different.
The spiritual immersion which accompanies water baptism cleanses the
man's mind. Materialistic, egotistical, vain, worldly, carnal, sensual
stimuli no longer prevail. All ways that are contrary to the spirit are
now abhorrent.
That spiritual immersion — baptism — is promised to
all repentant people. On the day the New Testament Christian Church was
founded, conscience-stricken converts implored the .apostles to tell
them what they needed to do to get right with God. Peter gave them the
authoritative, simple answer: "Repent, and be baptized... and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
Those people,
and all truly baptized Christians since, were baptized (immersed) into
one body and have all been infused with the Holy Spirit — the holy mind
of Christ.
To have that spiritual mind means that the filth of
naturalness is washed out. The man now thinks, acts and does what God
wants him to. He is a begotten spiritual son of God. One day he will be
born into the very family of God to be with the Father and the Son
forever.
Baptism brings together, in symbolic grandeur, three
wonderful gifts from God: 1) the precious redeeming blood of Christ, 2)
the water of regeneration, and 3) the Holy Spirit.
Baptism
pictures the complete covering of a dead body, placing it in a watery
grave. But as we have seen, much more is pictured in this illustration.
Even
as the old, dead body of the convert is entombed in baptism, it is
literally washed and cleansed. This complete immersion and washing of
the exterior symbolizes the internal — mental — moral — washing
and regeneration of the mind. A man is what his mind thinks.
The
baptized Christian comes up out of his watery grave with an altogether
different mind — a different way of thinking about life and the way to
solve its problems. It is as if he, like Christ, had been resurrected.
The restrictions of the flesh no longer predominate and encumber.
New
values exist. A new life is begun. The old life — way — the old man —
is left dead in the grave. Spiritual values take precedence. Every
effort is made to satisfy God.
Not many people understand how
God has intended, from the beginning, that all men should be baptized.
You now know about this glorious fundamental truth of the Christian
religion.
We have a free booklet which explains in greater detail. It is entitled All About Water Baptism.
The very next thing you should do — to please God and help yourself —
is to send for it. Also request another free booklet titled. What Is a Real Christian? The third chapter is captioned "Should You Be Baptized?"
Even
if you are already baptized, there is probably much more that you need
to know and do if you truly desire to serve God as He says.
Clint Zimmerman
The Good News Magazine Febuary 1974 Issue
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