You've Got Questions...We've Got Answers

This was a lot more intense than I thought it would be. My apologizes for not expounding more on the last point:

Baptism? Do you have to be baptized a second time when coming from a church of a different denomination? Is baptism necessary for salvation? What about those who are sprinkled? Do you have to be dunked?

1. Here are some questions for you to think about as we go through this:
· What is baptism?
· Does Jesus command us to be baptized?
· Is baptism necessary for salvation?
· What does baptism accomplish?
· What is the proper method of baptism? Emersion, Sprinkling, Pouring, Baptistery, River??
· Why do churches, Southern Baptist in particular, ask you to be baptized a second time when coming from a different denomination?
2. What is baptism?
· Baptism is an outward sign of a person’s commitment to follow Jesus Christ.
3. Jesus was baptized.
· Matthew 3:13-17--13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
· The baptism of Jesus was His public expression of His dedication to God’s will and the ministry.
· This event marked the beginning of His public ministry.
4. Jesus commands us to baptize.
· Throughout the public ministry of Jesus, His disciples were baptizing the converts. John 4:1-2-- 1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples),
· After the resurrection of Christ and during His 40 days of revealing Himself and His resurrected body to the people, Christ used these last days to give some final instructions. These instructions included the gospel and baptism. Matthew 28:18-20--18And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
5. Is baptism necessary for salvation?
· John 3:1-5-- 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." 3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?" 5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
· Baptism is not necessary for salvation. Jesus was simply speaking here about how people must be born twice. Once through natural childbirth and then through the Spirit.
· Baptism is simply a command of Christ that we follow, but it does not save or help save. It does not seal you or guarantee anything.
6. What then does it accomplish?
· Baptism is public demonstration of your faith.
· Baptism is a symbol of you dying to your old life and being raised anew with Christ. Romans 6:3-4-- 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
· If you are a believer, you will desire to be baptized. Acts 8:36-37-- 36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?" 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
· We must realize that it is an honor to be identified with Christ. We’ll put stickers on our car to identify with schools, the freemasons, clubs, but we can put off being identified with Christ.
7. What is the proper method of baptism?
· Baptism (baptizo) literally means: to undergo, to wash, to immerse
· The early church fathers (Calvin, Whitefield, Luther) of different denominations that now practice other methods of baptism each say that baptism was by immersion and immersion only.
· Sprinkling was originally done for the sick and bedridden only.
· Acts 8 and the Ethiopian tell us that it doesn’t matter where the water is…just as long as there is some water.
8. Why must people from different denominations be baptized a second time?
· The Baptist Faith and Message