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Transcript 149D — What is the Nature of Water Baptism?
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: I have a question about the baptism of a Christian. I've been a Christian for some time, and I enjoy witnessing. But over the last couple of days, I've come under the influence of some teaching that teaches that you must be baptized with water, or in water, in order to be a Christian. And yet I was also under the impression, previous to that, that all you had to do was accept the Lord Jesus Christ. And I know that baptism is a commandment that comes after you are saved, using in particular John 3:5 and 6. I don't understand what it's talking about when Jesus says to Nicodemus: "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Can you explain that?
HC: First of all, your question really is: What is the nature of water baptism? Now we know, for example, from Acts 10 that those who became born again, the family of Cornelius, they were saved and then they were baptized in water, after they were saved. The baptism in water did not add anything at all to their salvation. We read in verse 44 of Acts 10: "While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who had heard the Word. And the believers from among the circumcised, who came with Peter, were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out, even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 'Can anyone forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?' And he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ."
And secondly, we know that there is only one salvation. Now the Old Testament believers, they believed without being baptized. Water baptism does not add anything at all to our salvation, but it is commanded of God, the same as Old Testament circumcision was commanded of God. It is actually an outward sign officially recognizing the fact that we have been saved.
Now in John 3:5, where it says that no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless he is born of water and the Spirit, there we have to look into the Old Testament to find out what God means by this. And God Himself guides us to look into the Old Testament, because right in this context Nicodemus says in verse 9 (Jesus is conferring with Nicodemus, who is a Pharisee): "How can this be?" And then Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand this?" In other words, the implication is, "Look. You have the Scriptures. Don't you know what I'm talking about?" And that means that we ought to find some answers in the Old Testament, because those were the Scriptures that Nicodemus had.
Now when we search the Scriptures (the Old Testament Scriptures), we find in Ezekiel 36 this statement in verse 25: "I (that is, God) will sprinkle clean water upon you." Remember that Jesus said in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to be born of water and the Spirit. "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you." In other words, this is the washing that takes place by the Holy Spirit in our life when we are born again.
In Ephesians 5 it speaks about the washing of the Word. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. By it the Holy Spirit cuts away the old nature, or cuts down our old soul, and gives us a new soul. We are born again. And therefore we are cleansed of our sins. And then it goes on: "A new heart I will give you, and a new Spirit I will put within you. And I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to observe My ordinances."
Now you see how that relates to being born of water and the Spirit. The water is really the Word of God, or the act of the Holy Spirit as He washes away our sins. And the Holy Spirit not only is performing this act within us, but He also indwells us after we are saved. And this is prerequisite to our entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. When this has happened, we enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. We become a child of the King, King Jesus.