"Baptism"

John Stott wrote a book titled, "What Christ Thinks Of The Christ." He is from Langham Place, London. The following is a quote from that book: "Our ranks are filled with baptized unbelievers. It has become respectable to have a Christian name." Stott goes on to say, "All manner of wild and idle superstitions surround the ordinance of baptism." He went on to question if it was ever justifiable to baptize infants and answered with a resounding "No!" Upon that, he asks the next question: "Can we really dare to put into adult lips, on behalf of a child, solemn declarations of Christian repentance, faith and surrender which we know they neither mean for themselves nor have any intention of fulfilling for the child?"

I am one that rarely quotes from other books as our source of insight but this is one of those rare cases. He makes a very good and valid point. It seems many are moving further and further away from God's intended purpose and Scripture on baptism because of the term "Christian." Many claim that term as their salvation. I am not trying to cause waves here but make us think with some soberness and think carefully of what Jesus commissioned those twelve apostles with (Mark 16:15-16).

Every account of baptism in the New Testament shows it to be a response of faith. Baptism is not just a passing thought but a faith response. People seem to go back under the Law, before the death of Jesus was complete asking about how Jesus could save the thief on the cross without baptism? What escapes their notice is Mark 2:10, where Jesus said He has the authority to forgive sins while on earth! He had that authority while on earth!! After His resurrection from the dead, He commissioned those apostles to teach the gospel and those who believed it and were baptized would be saved. Faith and baptism go hand in hand and it is all tied to the gospel! Just because one is "dunked in water" does not mean they are baptized into Christ Jesus (Rom. 6). The Lord is looking at the heart and faith in what is being taught. (That's why infants are exempt.) If one comes to baptism believing they are already saved or it is nothing more than an outer expression, they did not enter Jesus. Baptism is a burial and in that burial it takes faith in the death of Jesus to determine if one is raised by God from the death of their sins (Col. 2:12). If one thinks they are saved before baptism, and baptism is a burial, why would you bury a live person?