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Season 1, Episode 90
For Friday, May 15, 2015
“Why is Baptism So Important?”
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Episode Transcript:
Welcome to The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ has created in you. I’m Robert Hatfield, and here is today’s scripture:
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).
What’s the big deal about baptism? From time to time we have conversations with people who don’t understand why we place so much emphasis on baptism. We’ve seen this week, however, that baptism is absolutely necessary in order to be saved. In fact, we’ve dedicated this week’s episodes to addressing some of the common arguments we hear from those who teach that baptism is not necessary to be saved. We’ve seen the fact that Jesus taught the necessity of baptism in Mark 16:16. Peter preached baptism for the remission of sins in Acts 2:38. The Philippian jailer was baptized in Acts 16:33 after he learned about Christ.
With all of this in mind, I’d like for us to focus on eight reasons why baptism is so important. These are all straight from scripture.
1. Baptism is important because it saves us. 1 Peter 3:21 clearly states that baptism saves us. In Mark 16:16, Jesus Himself says that one cannot be saved without being baptized.
2. Baptism is important because its purpose is for the remission of sins. As we noticed earlier this week, Peter told the people to be baptized for the remission of their past sins (Acts 2:38). They couldn’t be forgiven without being baptized!
3. Baptism is important because it connects us with Christ’s death. In baptism, we are buried with Christ (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12). It represents the death and burial of our old man of sin and our resurrection as a new man, forgiven of his past sins. We are connected with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection for our sins upon our baptism.
4. Baptism is important because to preach Jesus is to preach baptism. In the account of the Ethiopian nobleman, we read that Philip “preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35). As they continued their journey, the eunuch desired to be baptized (Acts 8:36). But who said anything about baptism? All we know is that Philip was preaching Jesus. It follows, then, that one who preaches Jesus must teach someone how to connect to Jesus’ saving blood – in baptism.
5. Baptism is important because it washes our sins away. Paul, prior to his conversion, was told to “arise and be baptized, and wash away [his] sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
6. Baptism is important because it puts us “into Christ.” Galatians 3:26-27 teaches us that very clearly. Remember that “in Christ” is the location where all of the spiritual blessings are found (Eph. 1:3), such as salvation.
7. Baptism is important because upon our baptism, we are added to the one body, the church. Those who were baptized after Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 were added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47). We are “all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13), the church.
8. Baptism is important because it is the answer of a good conscience toward God. 1 Peter 3:21 says that. In other words, we aren’t baptized for the purpose of washing the physical dirt from our bodies. Instead, we are baptized because that is the response of an honest heart to the commands in the Word of God.
Let’s wrap it up: If, when one is baptized, he or she puts on Christ, has their sins washed away, is made free from sin, enters the body of Christ, benefits from Jesus’ death, and receives the remission of their sins, then what is someone’s condition without baptism?
That, my friends, is why we talk so much about baptism. It puts us into Christ and signifies the beginning of a lifetime of service to the Lord.
Memory Verse: Acts 22:16 teaches the necessity of baptism. It also teaches us what it really means to call on the name of the Lord. Here’s the verse:
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16).
Thanks for listening to The New You. For more information about this show and the other work that we do on The Light Network, visit thelightnetwork.tv. You can follow me on Twitter by going to twitter.com/roberthatfield. For more information about the North Charleston church of Christ, just go to northcharlestonchurchofchrist.com.
Have a wonderful weekend. Remember to worship God with an assembly of His people on the Lord’s day. I’ll meet you again Monday for The New You.
