Baptism, the New Identity

[HKHaugan]

Baptism, the New Identity

The question of Baptism, “Is it necessary for salvation?” begs an answer.  The Reformation is what has sparked that question repeatedly from one generation to the next.  The long-term denominations from Romanism, Orthodox, the reformed catholic emphases of Anglican and Lutheran systems, have traditionally maintained the need for Baptism from infancy on.  There are really three questions here.  The first has to do with necessity.  The second with salvation and the third, unmentioned, is purpose. 

I think the best way to see this is from what Scripture tells us about Jesus and what He did.  What He did is what gives His words priority.  He is the source of His words. The most significant image is the one He gave when He was baptized.  Look at the passage from Matthew 3:13-17: 

“13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.

17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 

The key to understanding why we baptize is in vs.15, “fulfilling all righteousness.”  Jesus was reacting to John’s sense of unworthiness.  Baptism has nothing to do with our self-view, self-worth, or our self-esteem (vs.14).  Baptism lifts us out of those sin-induced concerns.  It has to do with Jesus giving us a new way to see ourselves by the simple words He gives us, “Follow me.” We identify with Him. We think like Him.  We trust like Him.  We act like Him. The focus of baptism is Jesus, not us.  He is how we view ourselves; He is our self-worth and He is our self-esteem. 

If He thought it was necessary to be baptized then that’s good enough for me.  Remember, it was to fulfill all righteousness, that is, to be right with God and right with others. 

The very question ‘Is it necessary?’ is covered by His action.  He stated its purpose as fulfillment of all righteousness.  So, baptism is part of being right with God.  If I want to be right in everything I do, it begins with the way He emphasized it.  When you accept Him as Savior from not being right, baptism follows as the beginning of learning how to be right.  He covers me spiritually, personally and relationally as I grow as His disciple. He restores me to the Father, to Him and to the Holy Spirit.  Baptism is the outward sign that my heart’s trust has shifted from what secular society has conditioned me to be and identify with Him, accepting a lifestyle of faith in Him in all my choices and decisions.  

So, salvation is being right with God.  Being right is determined by Jesus, not based on our answer to some doctrinal controversy.  Peter seemed to think baptism was not just a good thing, it was necessary.  “Repent and be baptized, every one of you (Acts 2:38),” he said.  That’s pretty inclusive.  Everyone is going to choose some way to be right about life but have their choices apart from God worked?  If you want to be right about life you admit your definition of life doesn’t work.  So, you let Him be right through you.  The only proven way of life that survived death is that of Jesus who rose from it.  When you choose Jesus’ way, the way of faith in Him (taking up your cross of faith), you are walking into what physical life was designed for, an eternal spiritual life with God. 

It may be worth noting that all righteousness is involved.  If we see what righteousness means, our faith action, what we do after we believe and trust Him, then we can say that every action or reaction we undertake is based on faith in Jesus. 

It’s not dependent on how good we are but on how good He is.  It’s not how right I think I am but on how right Jesus is. 

We want all of our actions to be faith inspired like His.  No wonder Paul says, “That which does not proceed from faith is sin (Rom.14:23).”  So, baptism says we have recognized sin’s hold on us and accepted the presence of the risen Lord Jesus who, by faith, canceled sin’s power on the Cross.  Are we perfect from the point of our baptism?  Certainly not.  But faith in Jesus is growing into His perfection from that point because faith is the clothing He dresses us in, sees us in and accepts us in (1Cor.1:30, Eph.2:8).