Tub Talk 2: What Does Water Baptism Mean?
It's not enough to know why you should be water baptized. You need to know what it means when you are immersed by water. Today we look at WHAT water baptism means.
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As a pastor for nearly 30 years, I’ve seen firsthand how the physical act of immersion by water baptism creates an inward work of grace. I’ve seen it not just once but over and over and over. Water baptism is a powerful act in the lives of followers of Jesus, and it continues the transformation process in their lives.
Last week, I shared a full post on the WHY of baptism. Why does baptism matter? I encourage you to review that post, but here is the cliff notes version: Believe, Accept, Repent, Follow. If you’re good with acronyms, you noticed those four words can spell out the memorable B.A.R.F. (you can thank my kids ’s ministry days for that).
So, why is water baptism by immersion important? It shows that you believe you are a sinner and need Jesus to be your savior. Baptism symbolizes that you accept this truth with more than just a head knowledge but deep into your heart. It is a sign of your willingness to repent from the sin that separates you from God. Ultimately, water baptism shows your intent to follow Jesus into all the places he leads you.
I was also remiss in adding this important note on why baptism is vital to Christians. In one of his last commands to his disciples, Jesus told them to baptize new followers.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” -Matthew 28:19
Jesus tells us to be baptized and baptize the new converts his disciples encounter. We need to follow what Jesus did and said. With this foundation of why we should be baptized, let’s move on to WHAT baptism means. As I shared last week, water baptism symbolizes our faith in Jesus and two vital aspects of our faith.
Symbols
But before we get into those specific symbols, let me say one more thing: symbols are a picture of reality but not reality.
When I married my wife almost 29 years ago, we exchanged rings. Those rings symbolize our commitment to one another. They remind me, her, and anyone who sees us that we have exclusively committed to being with each other. If I remove my ring and it falls down the drain, it does not change my relationship with my wife. My ring symbolizes our commitment, but it is not the commitment itself.
Water baptism symbolizes my faith in Jesus, but it is not my faith. If you have followed Jesus for years but have never been water-baptized, it does not mean you are not truly saved. Conversely, if you have been water-baptized (or were sprinkled as a child), this alone does not make you good with God. As we know from last week, your salvation is a state of your heart that leads to a confession from your mouth.1
God is always most worried about the state of your heart.
Symbol #1: Death, Burial, Resurrection
In my post on the sacrament of communion, I shared how important covenant is behind the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus' death on the cross and the shedding of his blood created a new covenant between God and humanity. Water Baptism is a picture of us entering into that covenant with Jesus. There are three vital parts of Jesus’ act—his death, burial in the tomb, and resurrection from the dead.
Here’s how Paul outlined it in Romans:
Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. -Romans 6:3-5
Let’s flesh this out a little more.
Death
Last week, we discovered how the Apostle Paul tells us we all sin.2 In fact, we have a nature that craves sin, which separates us from God. Baptism symbolizes that before we go under the water, our natural desire is sin, and we know sin leads to death.3 When you step into the tank of water, you are a dead man walking, so what do we do with the dead?
Burial
When Jesus died on the cross, his body was removed and placed in the tomb of a rich follower.4 We too must choose to bury the dead spirit that is our natural self. You must bury your old desires. When you are completely submerged underwater, you are burying your sinful nature. We do this so that we can experience the life Jesus came to give us.
Resurrection
We don’t know the exact ins and outs, but when Jesus rose from the dead, he had a new body. He wasn’t a ghost (his disciples watched him eat and drink), but he had the power to walk through walls.5 Raising out of the water, you fulfill the picture of living the life Jesus did after his resurrection. Your old nature is now buried, and your new nature is fully alive.
This is the picture you enter when you are water-baptized. For this reason, I encourage the people I water baptize to prayerfully consider identifying besetting sins to leave behind in the water. Water baptism isn’t magic, but it is a supernatural moment. So, it’s possible for God to remove and heal habits you can’t seem to break alone.
But water baptism is more than just a picture of our identification with Jesus in his death and resurrection. It also symbolizes our wholehearted commitment to him.
Symbol #2: Allegiance
As an American who went to public school through my elementary years, every school day began the same way…by pledging allegiance to the American flag. Even now, nearly 40 years later, I can still state the pledge by heart. I would put my right hand over my heart and say:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
When water-baptized, you pledge your allegiance to a King and a Kingdom.6
In today’s talk about God as love, we often lose the truth that accompanies this — Jesus loves us but also is a King of a Kingdom. When we choose to follow him, we choose to pledge allegiance to his kingdom. We submit to Jesus as king. We bow our knee to authority in our lives. In all the love and grace Jesus presents you, don’t lose sight of the same truth as him as master. He is kind and good, but he is a master nonetheless.
Inward Grace
Let me close this series by reminding us why sacraments matter. These outward acts provide inward grace. They are physical actions that change our spirits. Just a few weeks ago, I stepped into a tank of water with thirty men, women, boys, and girls. They partook in the sacrament of water baptism. All were nervously excited as they prepared for this moment, and while I couldn’t talk with everyone afterward, those I did communicate with were changed. They couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but something had happened inside of them.
For many, it was just a beginning point. What happens in the days, weeks, months, and years to come will truly define how that grace manifests itself in their lives. But we all need a launching point. Let the sacraments be a launching point in your life. It will likely be communion, as it happens often in most churches. No matter which it is, allow these outward acts to provide you with inward grace.
Grace to you.
Romans 10:9-10
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Matthew 27:57-60
Luke 24
John 18:26, Ephesians 1:20-21