Monday 12 August 2013

Should we baptize babies or grownups?


1. Religion vs. Relationship 

Are we in a space in our heads where we are willing to give up our culture, rituals and religion to replace it with relationship and the raw truth of what God's Word so clearly asks of us?

Did you know that I found exactly 50 verses on Baptism in my Bible? One would think that with so many references one would not have any problem understanding the topic.

The general "rule of thumb" in theology is that if you find something in the Word 2x it is a doctrine - if you see something 1x it could be a mistranslation - a linguistic error, or even a lack of understanding the dialect and historic context in which it was first written. Knowing this it baffles me (to no end), that there is so much confusion around the topic of baptism specifically the age at which it is appropriate to get baptized...

2. Why must I get baptised?

Firstly - Because Jesus was baptised and He left an example for us to follow in His steps.

Matthew 3:13-17 
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him.
14 But John protested strenuously, having in mind to prevent Him, saying, It is I who have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?
15 But Jesus replied to him, Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfil all righteousness [that is, to perform completely whatever is right]. Then he permitted Him.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, He went up at once out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him.
17 And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight!”

3. What does the word baptism mean?

Our English word Baptism comes from the Greek word Baptizo, which means to dip, immerse or whelm, that is, to cover wholly with fluid.

4. Did Baptism replace the act of Circumcision?

No it didn't. Although the two ceremonies both symbolised "leaving behind an Old sinful self", Jesus was circumcised as a baby and baptised as a grownup.

• Circumcision - was the rebirth of the Jewish nation to become God's people because of their genetic heritage. In other words it was a physical criteria to become a child of God because of a physical heritage.

• Baptism - in water is a spiritual rebirth and symbolises the Circumcision of the heart because of a spiritual heritage.
It was not only Jesus, but al God's people in the Old Testament that where Circumcised and Baptised.

5. Old Testament types of water baptism?

I will give you 2 Old Testament types that refer to water baptism.

i.         The children of Israel coming out of Egypt (the world) and going through the Red Sea into Israel (the land of God’s promises).

When the Red Sea closed behind them, there was no consideration of going back to the world, but only of pressing forward to follow and obey God.  They had burned their bridges.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2 
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our forefathers were all under and protected by the cloud [in which God’s Presence went before them], and every one of them passed safely through the [Red] Sea,
2 And each one of them [allowed himself also] to be baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea [they were thus brought under obligation to the Law, to Moses, and to the covenant, consecrated and set apart to the service of God];

 ii.           Noah and his family - they where preserved through the flood by obeying God in building and entering into the ark. The ark symbolises our faith in Jesus to avoid the coming judgement.

They passed out of a "sinful world" and 9 months later grounded on Mount Ararat to live an entirely new life for God.
The old had passed away – the new had begun.
There was no opportunity for returning to the past life of sin and decadence (moral decay).

1 Peter 3:20-21 
20 [The souls of those] who long before in the days of Noah had been disobedient, when God’s patience waited during the building of the ark in which a few [people], actually eight in number, were saved through water.
21 And baptism, which is a figure [of their deliverance], does now also save you [from inward questionings and fears], not by the removing of outward body filth [bathing], but by [providing you with] the answer of a good and clear conscience (inward cleanness and peace) before God [because you are demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:11-12 
11 In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts).
12 [Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.

Baptism symbolises that we come out of one state or experience of bondage to sin, into a brand new experience of living a holy victorious life dedicated to Jesus Christ.

6. How much does our parents have to do with us being God's people?

According to the Old Testament  - we where born into God's family as physical Jewish babies because of our genetic predisposition - Therefore babies where circumcised.
According to the New Testament we are born into God's family as spiritual babies because of our decision to follow Christ.

Do we still today become God’s people due to our genetic predisposition? In other words, does God still choose us because of our parent’s genetics?
No, baby Christians are in fact older children and grownups in the natural and at the same time babies in the spiritual realm...

Hypothetically: your grandmother could be a baby Christian and you as her grandchild could be an elder in the body of Christ.
You cannot circumcise a child's heart before they do not have the choice to sin through their own freewill. What could one remove from their hearts if there is no evil to remove? Adam and Eve did not have sin until they received their freewill...

Isn't it true that we become re-birthed into the family of God through our personal freewill decision to accept Christ, even if we have a thousand ancestors who worshiped the devil?

Do we not have the power (according to our freewill) to become Satanists despite our parents being preachers who send thousands of sinners into the Kingdom of God through their work in the Body of Christ?

So my question is...

• Where in the New Testament, do we earn the right to decide for our children to be Christian or not?
• Do we believe that our decision as parents on behalf of our children (to be saved) overrides their own power and freewill to reject Christ?
• Will our parents’ decision get us guaranteed places in heaven?
If not, why would we baptize them to symbolise a decision made, that has in fact not yet been executed or made?
The point of a baptism is to symbolise the death of the old sinful man under the curse of the fallen Adam, and birthing them into the righteous family of the last Adam (Jesus Christ).

7. Think about this...

Baptism by immersion in its design is not suitable for babies, as they cannot be submerged under water without endangering or at the very least freighting them.
For this very reason, churches that baptize babies where forced to come up with a “solution” – they “sprinkle” water in stead of submerging babies...

Did you know that the only time one would read in the Bible of fluid being sprinkled on a person, is when the blood of animals were sprinkled on people for the remission of sin. Jesus died for our sin. We don’t need to be sprinkled with anything anymore according to the Word of God.

My next question is...

What happens to so-called “baptized at birth babies” that reject Christ?
Do they become stepchildren or half-brothers or do we as a body just divorce them in their adult life or will the works of their parents, or their “parents decision” be counted to them as “enough to be saved”?

9. What is the spiritual significance of water baptism?

Water Baptism is attending your own funeral service since a death took place when you were born again.

2 Corinthians 5:17 
Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!
When you were born again you were baptised or placed into the body of Christ and became a new creature in Christ Jesus, having died to the old selfish sinful nature of Satan.

10. In Conclusion

When we where born into Adam. I inherited "myself". To surrender means to give up the right to be like anything other than to be like Him. "Let the weak say I am strong!"

It is all about being born again, because the first time I was born, I was born into Adam, but that was not who I am.

Baptism is a big part of being born again.

Nicodemus didn’t understand baptism, and asked if a man had to go back into his mothers whom and be born a second time, but it is a spiritual rebirth, not a natural one.

If we can manage to figure out in life "who I am in Christ" and not "who I am through others" - we would never be discouraged. God's will and plan for me never changes.

To be discouraged is to take my eyes off the truth. The truth makes me free!
Discouragement is to take our eyes off the cross. We should always focus on what is possible through God and not what "seems to be the situation".

Mark 16:15 - after Jesus was raised from the dead He said "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptised will be saved...."

We cry out for freedom and grace, we run away from legalism - the church says that we do not have to "be baptized to be saved"

But where is the question?

Jesus says believe and be baptized! There must be significance, He must be right! I bet you Jesus is right!

Being saved means total restoration! Spirit, Soul and Body. Being saved means total redemption of the human man. Believe and be baptized and you shall be 

Saved, Restored, brought back to your original value, as if you never ate the tree, as if sin was never on the earth.

So when we ask questions like "would someone on a falling plane who gives their heart be saved?" Of course! It is the blood of Christ that saves and washes away your sin.

But if you have every opportunity to be baptized... then what possible reason would we have for not being baptized... if He said to? Lets be simple... It is all about humility.