THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM*

By: Richard Kirkland

             Sin has always been the great separator between God and man (Isaiah 59:12).  Despite the great number of animal sacrifices which were offered, the sins of the people could never be taken away by them (Hebrews 10:3-4).  The people looked forward to God’s promise being fulfilled: “for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12 NKJV).  More than anything else, they needed a Saviour.  And so do we, because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and we are guilty (3:23).  We can only imagine the great joy Joseph felt when the angel appeared to him and said, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  It was to this end that Jesus both lived and died.

            Jesus declared, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  John the Baptist recognized the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ work and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  His blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7).  He explained this to the apostles as they were eating the passover, saying, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26).   Following His resurrection He appeared to the eleven, “And he said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).

            This message of repentance and remission of sins through faith in Jesus Christ was first preached on Pentecost by Peter.  He preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and declared, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).  If Peter had been like some today, he would have stopped right there.  But he didn’t.  These people were not yet saved.  He told them what to do to receive forgiveness.  He said, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (verse 38).  He continued his exhortation saying, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (verse 40), and three thousand did, being baptized (verse 41).

            This continued to be the apostle’s message.  Wherever they went they preached forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.  Peter declared, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).  When they were called before the Sanhedrin, Peter and the other apostles answered, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.  Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (5:30-31).  Saul was converted, “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues,, that he is the Son of God” (9:20).  In preaching Christ, he said, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (13:38).

            When Peter was called to the house of Cornelius he preached Jesus and concluded, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43).  Significantly, the Holy Ghost fell on the Gentile audience at that point as evidence that God had also granted unto them repentance unto life (11:18).  Then Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord (10:"48).

            Why baptism?  What is its purpose?  Is it only to obey God or does it connect closely to the message of forgiveness?  The purpose of baptism is forgiveness.  Substitute any other reason for it and man may be seeking justification by works.  But it is grace and mercy which is sough when we understand that forgiveness is the purpose.  Baptism forces man to the foot of the cross where the Saviour died.  He is made to realize that Christ died for him.  Man doesn’t like to admit he is a sinner who cannot save himself.  Baptism forces him to come face to face with the consequences of his sinfulness.  In baptism the sinner is made to admit his helplessness and rely upon Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

            Is it possible to be properly baptized without knowing that forgiveness is the desired goal?  Is it even possible to preach the gospel of Christ without teaching this?  Let’s let Paul answer this one, “KNOW YE NOT (emphasis mine -- R.K.), that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For is we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: KNOWING THIS (emphasis mine --R.K.)  That our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:3-6).  When did they come to know this?  Six months after their conversions?  No!  Paul expressed amazement that any one of the Romans might possible have obeyed Christ in baptism without understanding that at the time they received the benefits of His death.  Quite obviously, he expected them to have understood that they were raised to walk in newness of life.  That’s forgiveness.  And that’s the purpose of baptism!

*As published in The Plumbline, Volume 1, Number 10, May, 1996.