God Without Religion_ Can It Really Be This Simple_ - Andrew Farley [48]
Christians use this same word, baptism (from the Greek baptízō, meaning “dip” or “immerse”), to describe our tradition of being immersed in water. The term implies that we go down into the water and we emerge as a person publicly identified with Christ. Baptism is also a picture of us becoming royalty, as we are a royal priesthood in Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:9). Before, we were a fabric for common use. Through being placed into Christ, we became new creations, transformed with a whole new purpose.
We are set apart for the King.
Holy Water?
“We know you’ve been baptized, but you need to be baptized in our water,” the pastor said. “Baptism is about identifying yourself with the one true church. Getting baptized in our water will assure you of that. There’s no genuine salvation without it.”
Kathleen was confused. She had put her faith in Jesus Christ for salvation as a teenager, and she had been baptized shortly after. Now a pastor was telling her she needed to do it all over again, in his church. On top of that, he was saying there’s no real salvation without water baptism.
Could that be right?
Baptism is just one of the many issues that has divided the church. One denomination says to sprinkle. Another says to dunk. One says it’s necessary for salvation. And another, as Kathleen witnessed, even claims you must be baptized in their water for it to really “count.”
Throughout history, religious people have sought to separate themselves through external acts. In the first and second millennia, many have attempted to set themselves apart for God by changing their names, cutting their hair, wearing special robes, or even removing themselves from society. Today, some Christians try to set themselves apart for God (and from so-called weaker Christians) by associating with an exclusive denomination, by idolizing a particular teacher, or by immersing themselves in the latest trendy movement. Others see themselves as “super Christians” based on how much they read their Bibles, share their faith, serve at church, or impact the world.
We as humans naturally gravitate toward external, visible means of determining where we are with God. Our divisions and disputes over water baptism are a sign that we don’t realize we’re already set apart in Christ, not through anything outward.
Baptism as Religion
As far back as the Corinthian church, we see believers dividing over baptism. Back then, it wasn’t disputes about the method of baptism. It was all about the perceived “greatness” of the baptizer himself. “I was baptized by Peter himself! Who baptized you?” they’d say. Paul confronted these Corinthian status seekers, saying:
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. . . . For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Cor. 1:13–15, 17)
If water baptism brought salvation, Paul would’ve been very busy baptizing! Instead, we find him saying the opposite. He spent very little time baptizing, because God didn’t send him to baptize. Apparently, it was hearing and believing the gospel that brought salvation, not baptism.
We see this in Paul’s reasoning with the Galatians: “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” (Gal. 3:2). It’s clear from this passage and others (see Acts 10:47) that the apostles taught that we receive the Spirit by believing, not by water baptism.
We know that baptism is biblical. The apostles baptized new believers throughout the book of Acts. But what’s the proper place of baptism in our lives? And how can we keep it from becoming divisive religion?
Meet Mack, Meet Maker
Imagine a person who trusts in Christ for salvation after hearing the gospel