The Significance of and Symbolism in Baptism
I love to see Christians testify to Christ’s work in their lives through the waters of baptism. Baptism is one of the most exciting events in the life of a church and an individual. We cheer and celebrate what a person declares about God’s precious grace and powerful work toward the person getting baptized.
Baptism pictures and proclaims the saving work of Christ that takes place when someone repents of their sin and trusts in Christ. God pours out His mercy and grace on sinners at conversion, forgiving them of their sins, making them new, uniting them with God’s people, and giving them the Holy Spirit. These things all happen at salvation, but they are beautifully announced, displayed, and celebrated among God’s people when a person goes public about their new life in Christ at baptism.
Salvation is God’s rescue work, redeeming people by His free and amazing grace through Christ’s saving work. We receive this gift by faith alone. And when we believe and trust in Jesus, we are united with Christ, and in Christ we receive all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:30).
In Christ, we are justified or declared righteous (1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9), made alive and a new creation (Eph. 2:5; 2 Cor. 5:17), given and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; Rom. 8:9) adopted as God’s children (Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:4-6), forgiven (Eph. 1:7), washed and cleansed of sin (Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:11), sealed by the Spirit so we are kept forever (Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:28-29) and the list could go on and on. All these things happen at conversion, or when we receive Christ by faith and are made one with him. We are changed, forever. In Christ, we have every spiritual blessing and everything we will ever need.
Because all these gifts are given in Christ and received at the moment we’re united to him by faith, baptism isn’t necessary or required for salvation or to receive any of these gifts we have directly from and in Christ. But baptism is where we take a step of obedience to Christ’s command and declare publicly the saving work of Christ in redeeming and rescuing us (Matt. 28:18-20).
Baptism is a sign or symbol, meaning it conveys, proclaims, and pictures many of these realities of what we have already received when we were united to Jesus, including that we are part of God’s one people (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4-6), that the old me died with Christ and a new me was raised up with Christ (Rom. 6; Col. 2:11-14), that our sins are washed away by Christ (1 Peter 3:18-21; Heb. 10:22), and even that we have passed through God’s judgment and been safely delivered (1 Peter 3:18-21).
Because these are all things that happen for someone when they become a Christian, or are united to Christ, it only makes sense for that person to then get baptized. Not because anything is missing or lacking in Christ’s work for them, but because it is the way God’s people take on the sign of the New Covenant (Heb. 8:8-12) and identify with Christ (and Christ’s people). Similar to how married couples put on a wedding ring as a symbol of their oneness and covenant commitment, baptism symbolizes that we belong to Christ. Because baptism symbolizes a believer’s new life in Christ, it’s for all believers, and it’s only for believers. The New Testament pattern is faith, followed by baptism (Acts 8:12). Faith that unites us to Christ and baptism that symbolizes our union with Christ.
Since baptism identifies and pictures our union with Christ and Christ’s Church (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4-6), baptism is a corporate event done with Christ’s Body and closely connected to joining or identifying with Christ’s Body through church membership. At Stones Crossing, we practice believer’s baptism by immersion because it’s what we see in the New Testament, the word for baptism is best translated as dip or immerse, and because it best pictures the reality of an individual being plunged into death and being resurrected in Christ. We pass from death to new life in Jesus, and we cheer when someone is immersed and physically raise out of the water up because in that moment it points to the spiritual resurrection they’ve experienced in Christ.
Every time baptism takes place, it’s a chance for believers to celebrate God’s saving, redeeming work that took place in that person’s life when they trusted in Jesus. But it’s also a chance for us to be reminded of what we also have been given in Christ by God’s grace. We cheer and clap, hoot and holler, because our hearts are full of gratitude and worship to God for how He rescues sinners through Christ’s work, and then gives us symbols to remind us of these gifts in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
RESOURCES
If you’d like to learn more about baptism, register for our next membership class where we will talk more about it. Below are additional resources for those wanting to read more.
Baptism pictures and proclaims the saving work of Christ that takes place when someone repents of their sin and trusts in Christ. God pours out His mercy and grace on sinners at conversion, forgiving them of their sins, making them new, uniting them with God’s people, and giving them the Holy Spirit. These things all happen at salvation, but they are beautifully announced, displayed, and celebrated among God’s people when a person goes public about their new life in Christ at baptism.
Salvation is God’s rescue work, redeeming people by His free and amazing grace through Christ’s saving work. We receive this gift by faith alone. And when we believe and trust in Jesus, we are united with Christ, and in Christ we receive all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:30).
In Christ, we are justified or declared righteous (1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 3:9), made alive and a new creation (Eph. 2:5; 2 Cor. 5:17), given and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; Rom. 8:9) adopted as God’s children (Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:4-6), forgiven (Eph. 1:7), washed and cleansed of sin (Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:11), sealed by the Spirit so we are kept forever (Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:28-29) and the list could go on and on. All these things happen at conversion, or when we receive Christ by faith and are made one with him. We are changed, forever. In Christ, we have every spiritual blessing and everything we will ever need.
Because all these gifts are given in Christ and received at the moment we’re united to him by faith, baptism isn’t necessary or required for salvation or to receive any of these gifts we have directly from and in Christ. But baptism is where we take a step of obedience to Christ’s command and declare publicly the saving work of Christ in redeeming and rescuing us (Matt. 28:18-20).
Baptism is a sign or symbol, meaning it conveys, proclaims, and pictures many of these realities of what we have already received when we were united to Jesus, including that we are part of God’s one people (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4-6), that the old me died with Christ and a new me was raised up with Christ (Rom. 6; Col. 2:11-14), that our sins are washed away by Christ (1 Peter 3:18-21; Heb. 10:22), and even that we have passed through God’s judgment and been safely delivered (1 Peter 3:18-21).
Because these are all things that happen for someone when they become a Christian, or are united to Christ, it only makes sense for that person to then get baptized. Not because anything is missing or lacking in Christ’s work for them, but because it is the way God’s people take on the sign of the New Covenant (Heb. 8:8-12) and identify with Christ (and Christ’s people). Similar to how married couples put on a wedding ring as a symbol of their oneness and covenant commitment, baptism symbolizes that we belong to Christ. Because baptism symbolizes a believer’s new life in Christ, it’s for all believers, and it’s only for believers. The New Testament pattern is faith, followed by baptism (Acts 8:12). Faith that unites us to Christ and baptism that symbolizes our union with Christ.
Since baptism identifies and pictures our union with Christ and Christ’s Church (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4-6), baptism is a corporate event done with Christ’s Body and closely connected to joining or identifying with Christ’s Body through church membership. At Stones Crossing, we practice believer’s baptism by immersion because it’s what we see in the New Testament, the word for baptism is best translated as dip or immerse, and because it best pictures the reality of an individual being plunged into death and being resurrected in Christ. We pass from death to new life in Jesus, and we cheer when someone is immersed and physically raise out of the water up because in that moment it points to the spiritual resurrection they’ve experienced in Christ.
Every time baptism takes place, it’s a chance for believers to celebrate God’s saving, redeeming work that took place in that person’s life when they trusted in Jesus. But it’s also a chance for us to be reminded of what we also have been given in Christ by God’s grace. We cheer and clap, hoot and holler, because our hearts are full of gratitude and worship to God for how He rescues sinners through Christ’s work, and then gives us symbols to remind us of these gifts in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
RESOURCES
If you’d like to learn more about baptism, register for our next membership class where we will talk more about it. Below are additional resources for those wanting to read more.
- Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ, edited by Thomas Schreiner and Shawn Wright
- Understanding Baptism by Bobby Jamison
- “Water Baptism” by Stephen Wellum
- “What’s in the Water?” by Trent Hunter Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 at 9marks.org
- “Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation” by Greg Koukl at str.org (Stand to Reason)
- “Why is Baptism Important?” and “Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation” Ask Pastor John episodes at desiringgod.org
- “What a Jar of Pickles Teaches Us About Baptism” by Anand Mahadevan at thegospelcoalition.org
- “What is baptism?” and “Is baptism with water the washing away of sin itself?” videos from the New City Catechism at Youtube
Posted in Articles