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Concord church of Christ

Gospel Meeting: 10/24-29/04

Theme: The Truth (Galatians 4:16)

Lesson Topic: The Truth About Baptism (Luke 7:29-30; 20:1-8)

Speaker: Dr. Ammar Saheli, Evangelist

West Oakland church of Christ

 

 

Lesson Text: Luke 7:29-30; 20:1-8

 

The concept, legitimacy, and necessity of baptism are highly debated today. Because of the attention baptism evokes and fosters in the religious world, it is a most noteworthy topic to address. When the biblical truth of baptism is revealed all considerations and questions concerning its purpose, methodology, and benefits should be exhausted. In this lesson three things will be explored: Some truths about baptism, fraudulent attitudes toward baptism, and literal baptisms in the book of Acts.

 

In Luke 7:29-30 the concept of the baptism of John (the baptism of repentance) is revealed and sheds light on the way in which the baptism for the remission of sins is contemplated, accepted, and rejected today (Acts 2:38). Before analyzing the sermonic text some truths about baptism must be blanketed:

 

 

The Word of God makes it unmistakably clear that baptism is a crucial and necessary element in God’s salvation plan. Despite this biblical truth, men and women continue to question its authenticity, command, and power. Some have claimed that baptism is not essential because God’s children are saved by grace through faith as stipulated in Ephesians 2:5,8. The scriptures are always right, but man is sometimes guilty of not rightly dividing the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15). Romans 3:4 says, “…Let God be true, but every man a liar.” True enough, God’s elect are saved by grace through faith, but to come under God’s grace baptism is required. Grace and truth have only come by Jesus Christ, grace recipients must be in Christ, and to be in Christ one must be baptized into Him (John 1:17).

 

In Luke 7:29-30 the duality of reaction or response to the Word of God is illustrated. As Jesus spoke His Word, commending and endorsing John the Baptist, two types of people were in His presence. There were those who justified God and those who rejected Him. Those who justified or believed on God were baptized. However, the intellectual and educated rejected the Word. It is amazing how many people want to be saved, but do not want to follow the divine pattern, which leads to eternity.

Although the baptism of John added no one to the church, the rationalizations, reactions, opinions, and rejections to it in times of antiquity are similar today. The Pharisees and lawyers, men who professed to be experts in the Word of God refused His plan, being subjected to their limited finite minds. In Luke 20:1-8 Jesus challenged again men who prided themselves on knowing the Word of God, the chief priests and scribes.

 

In Luke 20:1-8 Jesus Christ left a precious gem that equips the church with spiritual and psychological weaponry in correction of those who reject the command and authority of baptism. The chief priests and scribes wanted to know who gave Jesus the authority to preach, teach, and perform miracles. I believe, Jesus knowing the war Satan would unleash in reference to baptism and its essentiality, seized the opportunity to question them about their baptism beliefs. He left a superlative case study every evangelist and Christian can use to annihilate the whims of those who reject the supremacy and legitimacy of baptism.

 

As they asked Jesus about His authority and prerogative, He asked them about baptism. Jesus knew men and women would tamper with the pure notion of baptism despite its divine ordination. In Luke 20:4 Jesus asked a potent question: “The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?”  This question can be asked of every person refuting the liberating concept of baptism. The question was so baffling to the chief priests and scribes they reasoned within themselves and then lied to the Christ. They knew it was of heaven but they were unwilling to confess the truth. The truth is, they knew the truth about baptism, but simply did not want to follow the way of God.

 

When the veil is removed, the true intents of men and women toward baptism are revealed. Many people simply want to follow their own way. In response to Christ about baptism they said, “…They could not tell whence it was” (Luke 20:7). Since they elected not to respond honestly toward Him they were in essence rejected. Spiritually refusing to be honest with God can result in damnation. Christ said, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).  

 

Despite the irrefutable biblical command of baptism, the book of Acts records the physicality of baptisms that took place in every occurrence, beginning with the three-thousand added to the body of Christ in Acts 2:41. No other book of the Bible provides investigators with a physical look at what happened and happens on the road to salvation. Notice the following references because all occurrences included water baptism:

 

Ø      Acts 2:38, 41 (First believers)

Ø      Acts 8:12-13; 8:36-39 (Samaritans & Eunuch)

Ø      Acts 9:18; 22:16

Ø      Acts 10:47-48 (House of Cornelius)

Ø      Acts 16:15 16:33 (Lydia & household/Philippian Jailer & all his)

Ø      Acts 18:8 (Crispus & household)

Ø      Acts 19:1-5 (The 12)

 

If a person wants to be saved they must be added to the body of Christ. Without putting on the spiritual clothes of Christ a person will not be able to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The truth about baptism is that it is essential to the salvation process of God and it is not a work of men and women it is a commandment of God.