Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Tuesday,
As you look around the Christian world as you know it, do you see how widely diverse Christians are in their beliefs and practices? Do you wonder why? Do you see how Christianity can be so confusing to people who don’t know Jesus, but who know a variety of Christians?
Today, as we travel with the apostle Paul on his third missionary journey, we’ll see some examples of why. I left you yesterday in Ephesus as Paul had arrived and was both challenging spiritual confusion and clarifying important truths about Jesus. We saw yesterday there were some in Ephesus who believed in Jesus but had never heard about the Holy Spirit of God and His role in their salvation, their sanctification and their daily lives as Christians. (Acts 19:1,2) In that conversation, Paul asked an important question: “What baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism’ they replied.” (Acts 19:3)
We know Apollos had been teaching in Ephesus, (Acts 18:24,25) but his understanding of Jesus was limited prior to Aquila and Priscilla helping him learn the Gospel of Jesus more fully. Pause. Look at your city and consider how well the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are known in ALL their truth in your town? How much confusion do you see in your city when it comes to God, the Bible, Jesus Christ, salvation from sin, heaven and hell etc.?
Paul’s question about the baptism these few people in Ephesus had received gave Paul a wonderful opportunity for clarifying very important truths about Jesus. Paul said: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. John told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 19:4,5) What was happening here, my friends?
John the Baptist was the man God had raised up to announce Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, remember his story found in Luke 1 and John 1? With radical, fiery preaching John had challenged the Jews in Israel, in the early first century, to repent of their sin; be ready for God to send their long-awaited Messiah; and recognize Jesus of Nazareth IS that Messiah! (Mark 1:1-11) John had said “I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8) As those Jews responded in repentance, John baptized them in the Jordan river, not for their salvation, but as a public declaration of their wanting to live God honoring lives in readiness for welcoming their Messiah.
But the Gospel of Jesus teaches us that our repentance of our sin and our trusting in Jesus Christ alone to be our Savior, results in a baptism by the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit does four powerful things in our salvation experience:
First... the Holy Spirit births a new, holy spiritual nature in us. It’s called Regeneration. (John 3:3-7)
Second…the Holy Spirit cleanses us from our unrighteousness; (1 John 1:9)
Second…the Holy Spirit cleanses us from our unrighteousness; (1 John 1:9)
Third… the Holy Spirit unites us to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord; (Romans 6:3,4)
Fourth… the Holy Spirit lives within us to guide us as followers of Jesus for the rest of our lives! (John 14:16,17)
Do you understand that my friends, and have you experienced each of those? Do you see the dramatic difference between the baptism John the Baptist was calling people to and the experience with the Holy Spirit we have in our salvation experience with Jesus?
But do you remember Jesus challenged His disciples to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them all I have commanded you…” (Matt. 28:19,20) What is this baptism act and why did Jesus urge His disciples to baptize people who trusted in Jesus for their salvation and were being discipled?
Now I know there are many disagreements about the style of baptism and the appropriate age for baptism; and even differences in who is qualified to be baptized and who is qualified to baptize others! And there are wide differences in the significance of what happens to a person spiritually in the act of their being baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, in obedience to Jesus. So, I ask you my friends, have you worked through the different opinions and teachings, and have you come to your own clear, biblically based, understanding of WHY Jesus commanded His followers to be Baptized in His name, and WHAT it signifies to all those watching, and WHAT happens to a person when they are baptized?
May I offer you this, as an explanation of “Believer’s Baptism” as I have come to understand the teachings of Jesus?
First… The baptism Jesus invites all His followers to experience is intended ONLY for those who have genuinely repented of their sin and trusted fully in Jesus Christ to save them from their sin condemnation. (Matt. 28:19,20)
Second… This baptism is to be done publicly, as a clear declaration by the person being baptized of two key things: their certainty of their salvation, and their allegiance to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
Three… if possible, this baptism is to be by full immersion in water, symbolizing our association with Jesus in His death and resurrection, and the full cleansing from our sin which the blood of Jesus earns for us.
Fourth… This baptism does NOT initiate or complete our salvation. Our salvation is fully a work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each doing a different part of our full salvation in complete Regeneration; Reconciliation to God; Adoption by God; Forgiveness from our sin; Justification; indwelling of the Holy Spirit and more.
Do you see the similarities and differences of John’s baptism and the baptism Jesus urges His followers to experience? Have you experienced Believer’s Baptism my friends? If YES, what difference has it made in your life? If NO, why not?
Let’s pause and ponder this important truth today and tomorrow we’ll look at another baptism which Paul asked these Ephesian believers about… the Baptism of the Holy Spirit! The ‘lessons learned’ notes will help you greatly today as will a wonderful worship song and please join me tomorrow for a very important continuation of this baptism discussion.
Today’s Scripture: Acts 19:1-5.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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