*Editor’s Note: The following series on Baptism was originally delivered sermonically by Pastor Ron Miller to Covenant Baptist Church in Clarksville, TN. As each of the four installments are released, they will eventually be linked together here.

The Meaning of Baptism, Part 3 | Ron Miller

I have been teaching on baptism so that we better understand it, value it and benefit from it in our daily lives. It is a sacrament rich in meaning for those who study their Bibles. So far, we have seen two basic meanings that God has invested into baptism. It pictures:

1. Salvation through the waters of judgment. Baptism pictures the truth that God brings new life from disorder and the sentence of death.
2. Identification and union with Christ. Baptism signifies that we are under the authority of the Triune God in Jesus Christ. This union is with the saving work of his death, burial and resurrection and all its accompanying graces. So, baptism pictures how salvation from judgment is effected.

In these two major ways, God defines baptism. We could sum it up this way: in the rite of baptism, God is making visible to the eye the same truths he speaks to the ear in the gospel.

But there is a final important meaning God has placed in baptism. It is this:

I. Baptism Displays Our Saving Response to God

Baptism symbolizes both God’s work and our response to that work. It shows that God saves, how God saves, and who God saves. Now this is frequently denied today by some of our Reformed brothers. They want to make baptism only a display of God’s work. This fits, they think, better with infant baptism. But this is not only unscriptural, as we will see in a moment, but not the understanding of many Reformed men of the past. Listen to how these older men define baptism.

John Calvin said, “Baptism is the testimony of God’s favor toward us, confirmed by outward sign, with a mutual testifying of our godliness toward him.” Mutuality or two related parties are involved in baptism’s display.

William Perkins, the great English puritan preacher, said, “Baptism is a pledge to us in our weakness of all the graces and mercies of God, especially our union with Christ, remission of sins, and of mortification. Secondly it serves as a sign of Christian profession before the world.” There is our saving response – it’s a part of the meaning of baptism.

Louis Berkhof, the systematic theologian, wrote, “Baptism is the promise given to us and accepted by us to strengthen our faith”. There is mutuality. There are two parties whose work is portrayed in Christian baptism – God’s and ours: God and the believer.

And of course, if we think about it, this makes sense since baptism is a covenant transaction between God and an individual. When we hear the gospel, the glories of the new covenant are being proclaimed. When we respond in faith by the power of God, the new covenant is accepted. We enter into that covenant with God and begin to experience its benefits. So, it would seem very odd if baptism which pictures new covenant salvation would only include one of the parties, not both. It would then proclaim the message but not the resultant success in an individual’s life.

So, we are saying that God is indeed speaking in baptism. We disagree with our Baptist brothers who say baptism is only a believer speaking or making a profession. No, two parties are speaking in baptism. God is proclaiming salvation through union with Christ and a believer is saying “I accept”. But at the same time, we disagree with our Reformed brothers who say only God is speaking. Indeed, God is speaking – but in baptism a believer is answering. Baptism is symbolic of our compliance with the demands of the gospel. It pictures not only the gospel but that we believe it; that we have experienced the salvation portrayed in it. As William Shirreff, a Baptist pastor of Spurgeon’s day put it: “Baptism exhibits saving benefits and it represents the believer’s participation in those benefits.” We agree with Calvin, it is a mutual sign.

But what does the Bible say about this? Let me give you three reasons of many that could be listed to prove that baptism displays our saving response to the gospel.

II. Baptism Signifies Our Participation in God’s Covenant Promise through Faith

1. Baptism is a response to God. Why do we think baptism portrays a response to God? Because Scripture directly teaches this. 1 Peter 3:21 says: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” In the act of baptism, an appeal is made to God. Now, the precise meaning of the word “appeal” is difficult to know. It might mean “appeal” or “pledge” or “answer”. But regardless of if one or all of them are intended, this one thing is clear: baptism is a response to God. Baptism saves us, not by washing dirt from the body, but by appealing or pledging to God a good conscience. Part of the action and therefore meaning of baptism is that it embodies an active, spiritual answer to God! In baptism the Lord of the covenant visibly promises salvation; also in baptism, his people declare their participation and trust in it. The covenant is two sided, so is baptism. This is why in our baptismal ceremony, several questions are publicly asked of the candidate. They must be shown to be those who make an answer or appeal to God’s offered salvation.
2. Baptism’s association with repentance. Repentance was a requirement for John’s baptism and for Jesus’ and Christian baptism as well. Matthew 3:2 says, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. And their response was: “they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins”. (v. 6.). When many Pharisees and Sadducees came for baptism, he denounced them and would not baptize them. Why? Because they did not, “bear fruit in keeping with repentance”. (v 8.). Jesus baptized for repentance (v. 11.); Christian baptism is the same. Acts 2:38 says, “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins”. Paul commanded baptism in Acts 22:16 and said it “washed away his sins”. Not that water did that, but it was the outward sign that portrayed that the blood of Christ cleansed him from all sin. Baptism pictures repentance. It doesn’t picture non-existent but perhaps future repentance. No, baptism pictures the possession and benefits of actual repentance. Imperfect? Yes. Real and saving? Yes! In theory or only a future hope? No.
3. Baptism is a sign of moral purification of the heart. Romans 6 declares that baptism signifies “walking in newness of life”. Colossians 2 says it embodies the “removal of the body of the flesh”, that is spiritual circumcision, a new heart, a new creation, regeneration. This is why Paul can everywhere appeal to Christians on the basis of their baptism. He knows it portrays more than just the gospel but also the claim of actual possession of gospel benefits. Baptism makes an outward display of an inward reality. So, it signifies actual participation in Christ, a living union with him.

Perhaps this is a good time to speak about baptism as a church ordinance. Historically some Baptists have said baptism was a church ordinance and others that it was merely an individual one. I think both are true. First, baptism was given in the Great Commission to the church. They are to make disciples and administer baptism in the Triune name, gather into churches and teach all that Christ commanded. Baptism is not given to the family or state to administer but the church. It is not to be self-administered. So, it is right to call it a church ordinance and sacrament.

But in another sense, it is not a church ordinance. As a ritual, it is perhaps best done in the gatherings of the church. But the one being baptized is not in the church yet. It brings him into the church. So, it is a church ordinance, administered by an approved church leader, to someone not yet a part of the church. And while the church may approve and watch, they only indirectly participate in a baptism. The actual participants are three: God, the one being baptized and the church representative administering the baptism. So, unlike the Lord’s Supper with its strong visible portrayal of body life and unity, baptism is an individual covenant ceremony between God and the one being Baptized. So, it is a church rite and an individual rite. It is an act of obedience to Christ that makes outward something already inwardly or spiritually true.

This is the meaning of baptism.

Ron Miller

Ron has been pastor of Covenant Baptist Church since July of 2017. Pastor Ron is thankful for being raised in a Christian home where God called him to salvation at an early age. He loves his wife, public worship, and pastoring this local church. He has a special interest in aiding theological education in North and South America and in teaching Baptist history. Ron is the host of the weekly podcast Particular Pilgrims.