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How is one different after baptism? We've already learned that one is different
in that his/her sins are forgiven. The new Christian has entered into a
saved state that did not exist prior to baptism (please review our study up
to this point should you have questions regarding baptism leading to
forgiveness and salvation). In what other ways is the new Christian
different after baptism?
Let's study Galatians
3:26-29. The Galatians had trouble with "Judaizing"
teachers. These were people who taught that one must continue to
observe the tenets contained within the old law in order to please God.
Paul clearly shows in this powerful letter the temporary nature of the old
law. This covenant was never meant to be in force permanently--once
Jesus died on the cross the old law ceased to be in effect. I've
published on my website a study on the relationship between the Old and New Covenants.
Please review this study should you have any questions regarding the
temporary nature of the Old Law. For now, lets focus on the final 4
verses of Galatians chapter 3. Paul tells the Galatian Christians that
they are "all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (verse
26). In verse
27 we see that the one who has been baptized into Christ has put on
Christ. How is this important? Paul tells us in verse
29. Those who are Christ's are also Abraham's seed. What is
the benefit of being Abraham's seed? In verse 29 Paul tells us that the
seed of Abraham are heirs according to the promise. What promise did
Abraham receive? We read of this promise in Genesis
12:3. The Lord tells Abraham that in him all the families of the
earth would be blessed. Paul reveals to us who the seed of Abraham was,
through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed--he was Christ (Galatians
3:16). Paul also tells us in Ephesians
1:3 that God "hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ." So, the blessings promised to all
nations are the spiritual blessings found where? In Christ! How
does one put on Christ? Through baptism! What spiritual blessings
are available to the one who has not put on Christ in baptism?
None! So, the one who has put on Christ is Abraham's seed.
Abraham's seed are heirs of the promise given to Abraham. The promise
given Abraham was that through him all nations of the earth would be
blessed. The seed through which those blessings would come was
Christ. Those who have put on Christ have been blessed with all
spiritual blessings. But one cannot put on Christ without being baptized.
Therefore those who are not baptized have not put on Christ, they are not
Abraham's seed, they have no access to the promise made to Abraham, and have
received no spiritual blessings. Have you put on Christ?
Those who have been baptized into Christ
are dead to sin, and walk in newness of life. Let's look at Romans
chapters 5 and 6. In verse
20 of chapter 5, Paul tells us of the magnitude of God's grace:
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. He doesn't end his
teaching there, however. In verse
21 he tells us where grace reigns: through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. So, the grace of God
abounds to those who have submitted themselves unto the righteousness of
God. Paul uses the Jews as an example of a people who failed to submit
themselves to the righteousness of God. In Romans
10:1-4 Paul tells of his desire that Israel might be saved. But
what was keeping them from salvation? Their ignorance of God's
righteousness (verse
3)! They had a zeal for God, but their zeal was not based on
knowledge (verse
2). Their lack of knowledge and going about to establish their own
righteousness kept them from submitting to the righteousness of God (verse
3). Just as the Jews in the first century, people today often fail
to submit to the righteousness of God as they go about establishing their own
"righteousness". Their lack of knowledge of God's Word
doesn't lessen their zeal, but zeal without knowledge will not make one
righteous before God. As I was preparing this study on baptism I
encountered many writings by people who state that baptism is not necessary
for salvation, because baptism is a work and to make baptism necessary for
salvation takes away from the grace of God. They fail to understand
where one gains access to the grace of God--through righteousness by Jesus
Christ our Lord (Romans
5:21). Those who go about to establish their own righteousness have
no access to the grace of God unto eternal life. Only when one submits
to the righteousness of God will one have access to the blood of Jesus that
washes away our sins. One must be certain their zeal for God is based
on knowledge. Lets see what Paul teaches in Romans
6:1-12. Paul continues with his thoughts on grace and sin. Verse
1 asks the question, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may
abound?" If God's grace abounds more than the sin committed,
wouldn't His grace be even more evident if one continues in sin? Paul
answers the question in verse
2: "God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live
any longer therein?" In the next
4 verses he gives a beautiful description of what baptism means to the believer. We all know that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless
life on earth, was crucified by sinful man, died on the cross, was buried in
a tomb, and raised from the dead. Those who are baptized into Jesus Christ
are baptized into His death (verse
3). Just as Jesus was buried in the earth after His death, the
believer is buried in water in baptism (verse
4). Just as Christ was raised from the dead and left the tomb, the
believer leaves the watery grave of baptism. Just as Jesus was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, the baptized believer leaves the
grave of baptism to walk in newness of life (verse 4). Please
notice verse
5: Paul tells us that "if we have been planted together in the
likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His
resurrection:" What hope do we have to be resurrected unto life as
was Jesus if we haven't been planted together in the likeness of his
death? None! The American Standard Version translates
"planted together" in a way that may make more sense to us
today. It reads, "become united with Him" rather than
"planted together." When we are obedient to the will of God
in baptism, we become united
with Christ. As you can see from the definition of united, we become a
single unit with Christ after rising from the watery grave of baptism.
Now that we are a single unit with Christ, who lives in us? Do both
Christ and I live together? Paul tells us that we are crucified, and
Christ lives in us (Galatians
2:20). Self dies on the cross, and Christ reigns in its
stead. However, not only are we united in the likeness of His death,
but we are also united in the likeness of His resurrection. Again, what
hope do we have for resurrection to life if we are not united with
Christ? None! How are we united with Him in the likeness of His
resurrection? By being united with Him in the likeness of His
death. How are we united with Him in the likeness of His death?
Through baptism. We read in verses
6 and 7 that "our old man us crucified with Him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."
To walk in newness of life is to live our lives as servants of God, rather
than servants of sin (Romans
6:20-22). However, in order to be made free from sin one must obey
that form of doctrine delivered in the scriptures (Romans
6:17-18). To obey any other form of doctrine will not lead to the
forgiveness of sin. Just as the Jews were zealous for a form of religion
that appeared Godly but was ignorant of God's righteousness, many people
today are zealous for a form of religion that appears righteous but which is
based on ignorance of God's Word. We must heed the examples of error
given in the scriptures and examine ourselves closely to be certain we are
not making the same mistakes.
The baptized believer is added to the
church. In Acts 2 we read of the saved being added to the church.
We've studied in detail the requirements for salvation Peter preached to
those present at Pentecost (Acts
2:38). In verse
41 we read that those who gladly received his word were baptized, and
that day about 3,000 souls were added unto them. But unto what were
they added? The scriptures tell us in verse
47: the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved
(those who were being saved, NASB). Prior to their obedience in
baptism those who heard Peter's sermon were not members of the Lord's
church. However, once they fulfilled the requirements for salvation
they were added by the Lord to His church. They didn't have the option
of joining the church themselves. Only after they did what the Lord commanded
did He add them. How do people enter the ranks of many religious
organizations today? Don't they "join" the church of their
choice? Is this how one enters the Lord's church? No! We
see that one enters the church only after the Lord has added them.
The baptized believer becomes a member of
the Lord's body. This is a continuation of the prior paragraph (the
believer is added to the church). I separated the two (the church and
the body), since many people misunderstand the relationship between the two.
We see in Colossians
1:18 that the body of Christ IS the church. Therefore, when one
obeys the Word of God one is added to the church by Jesus and becomes a
member of His body. Many believe the members of the body mentioned in 1
Corinthians 12:14-27 refer to different religious organizations all
serving under one head (Jesus Christ). Is this doctrine consistent with
the teachings of Paul in Colossians 1:18? No! Since the body IS
the church, the different members of that body cannot be different
churches! The different members of the body are individual members of
ONE church: the church built by Jesus and to which He adds members as
they are being saved. One does not become a member of the body of
Christ until one is baptized into Jesus Christ. (Elsewhere on my site
I've published a study dealing with the church and the body in
more detail.)
Let's summarize what we've learned about a
baptized believer, and how they're different after baptism:
1. Their sins are
forgiven.
2. They have entered
a saved state.
2. They have put on
Christ.
3. They are dead to
sin.
4. They walk in
newness of life.
5. They are added to
the Lord's church.
6. They become a
member of the Lord's body.
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