The Meaning of Baptism

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

As a village church planter, you have a very important function in the worldwide body of Christ. You are the first one to bring the message of Christ to a village which has never before worshipped him.  You are the one who will teach families who never before followed Christ to trust him and obey him.  Because you are the first one to explain the meaning of the Good News of Christ, you have a big responsibility; you must explain everything you do with clarity. You must explain your actions by communicating the truths of the Bible.

Many actions taken by Christians are not easily understood by people who don’t know the Bible and don’t understand the Good News.  Think about the Lord’s Supper. Think about the bread and the juice which represent the body and blood of Jesus. Those symbols must be confusing to people who are just coming to know Christ.  So explain it well.

Baptism can be confusing too.  What does it mean to be baptized?  What is the significance of the water?  What happens when a person is baptized?  How is his or her life different after baptism? In what ways does his or her life remain the same? Why must born again believers be baptized? When should a person be baptized?

Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching obedience to Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us that when we are baptized, we are united with Christ in death.  He says in Romans 6:4, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Baptism is a physical representation, a physical dramatization of dying to sin and rising to new life in Christ.  Baptism is a physical re-enactment of what has already happened in the spiritual realm.

When a man or woman, boy or girl puts their trust in Christ, God forgives their sins and gives them a new life.  The water of baptism symbolizes being washed from sin and standing clean before God.  Baptism represents physically being lowered into a watery grave, only to rise again to new life.

The symbolism of baptism is a powerful representation of the spiritual truth of the new birth. But this symbolism will be meaningless to all who observe or participate in a baptism unless it is explained.  It is your job as a Village Church Planter to explain the meaning of baptism clearly, and repeatedly. You will do this before new believers are baptized, you continue to explain as you are preparing to enter the water with them. You will repeat your explanation after they have been baptized. Tell the meaning of baptism well! Tell the meaning of baptism often!

Baptism is a symbolic testimony given by the one being baptized.  Baptism testifies of repentance, faith in Christ, commitment to living a new and different life, and hope in Christ.

Your job as a Village Church Planter is to help those being baptized and those observing the baptism to understand these truths in plain, simple ways.  So take your time. Explain baptism well. Explain baptism often. When new believers understand the meaning of baptism and have brought forth fruit in keeping with repentance, baptize them without delay. As you do so, you will be giving powerful testimony to the new life Jesus died to purchase, the new life he rose from the dead to give to all people. So tell the meaning of baptism well! Tell the meaning of baptism often!

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

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