From Jim McGuiggan... Baptism and Union with Christ

Baptism and Union with Christ

1. The first piece in this brief look at baptism said that baptism bears a powerful witness to the central truths of the Christian faith—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and because this is true, it's very hard to understand why professing Christians would dismiss baptism as of little importance or as something we can take or leave. The second piece said that, whatever modern believers did, the New Testament treats baptism as a matter of great importance. It does this by the space it devotes to the subject and by linking it with the fundamentals of the Christian faith. The second piece also showed that the New Testament consistently links baptism with faith and never speaks of it apart from faith. It does this by repeatedly linking the words themselves and (as Beasley-Murray reminds us) by telling us that what is offered to faith is given in baptism. This third piece will take a closer look at the way baptism is linked to foundational truths of the Christian faith.

  

BAPTISM AND UNION WITH JESUS CHRIST

2. The apostolic preaching and teaching offered to its hearers all the blessings of God. But those blessings were offered in Jesus Christ. Those who gladly received this message were anxious to enter into union with the Christ. This they did by faith, said Paul in Galatians 3:26-27 when they were baptized into Christ. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.” The text speaks of faith, baptism, entrance into and clothing with Christ.

3. Romans 6:3-7 tells the same truth from another angle. (See the comments later for the Roman context.) These people had been “baptized into Christ” (6:3). This union with Christ is focused in their union with his death ("baptized into his death”—6:4). And they were baptized into his death “in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead...we too may live a new life” (6:4). Their union with Christ meant union with his death and resurrection but how does this text say they experienced that union? It says they were baptized into Christ. They were baptized into his death. They were baptized into his death that they might share his resurrection. To allow the text to speak its own message we need to allow the words to mean what they obviously mean. Union with Christ is offered to faith in baptism.

4. Colossians 2:11-13 speaks of a ‘circumcision’ which takes place “in Christ”. If false teachers were saying they had to be circumcised in their flesh (see Colossians 2:16-17), Paul is making it clear that “in Christ” they have already been “circumcised” with the circumcision that really matters. Not the one where physical flesh is cut away but one in which the “body of sin” is cut away. This forgiveness and newness is found “in Christ” (three times in verses 9-11). And how and when is that new life found in Christ? This is what the text tells us: “Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” (2:12) Like the Galatian and Roman disciples, the union of the Colossians with Christ involved their union with his death and resurrection in baptism by faith. In baptism—buried with him. In baptism—raised with him. And what led them to be buried with him that they might be raised with him? It was their faith in God who raised Jesus Christ (2:12). The Colossians experienced unity with Christ “in baptism by faith”.

BAPTISM AND FORGIVENESS

5. There is only one who saves—God through Jesus Christ. There is no saving power in any human response (whether that is faith, baptism or honourable deeds). The apostles knew this! The Christ knew this! So when we read of faith, repentance or baptism linked with forgiveness or salvation we know there is nothing “meritorious” in them. There is no “legal heresy” taught by the Scriptures (“so much salvation for so much goodness”) but there is no conflict between salvation by pure grace and saying “yes” to that gift on God’s terms. Time and time again the NT explicitly links baptism with forgiveness. (If we find it linked with “union with Christ” we know it must be linked to forgiveness since if we reject union with him we suffer complete loss.)

6. People who wanted to have their sins forgiven were told “repent and be baptized...in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven” (Acts 2:37-39). They didn’t debate it, they gladly obeyed what they were told (2:41). When the persecutor Saul (Paul, the apostle) wanted to have his sins washed away in Christ, he was told: “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash away your sins calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). He didn't argue either, he just got up and was baptized (Acts 9:18). And we need to remember that this is the apostle who laid such a stress on salvation by pure grace as a free gift (Ephesians 2:6,8-9). Later, he re-baptized about twelve men because their first baptism was invalid (Acts 19:1-5). The Ephesian church to which Paul wrote so plainly about salvation by grace apart from “works” began with men who were baptized a second time by an apostle who had been baptized to have his sins washed away by the gracious Lord Jesus Christ. To deny that the New Testament links the wholly gracious forgiveness of sins with the ordinance of baptism is to deny what the New Testament expressly says again and again.

BAPTISM AND RECONCILIATION IN CHRIST

7. Christ came to heal; to bring peace and harmony between God and people and between people and people. We who believed and were baptized were brought into one Body with all that that means. We’ve made its history ours, its friends and enemies ours, its Lord ours. And we’ve come from all nations and every social level. Galatians 3:26-28 sees Jews and Greeks, slaves and free, women and men all baptized by faith into union with Jesus Christ who came to destroy all elitism without killing the joys of our various cultures. Baptism is an act of judgment, done in the name of the Prince of Peace, against all that divides!

8. The chaotic city of Ephesus (Acts 19:13-41) saw a little church begin when some humble and brave believers said “yes” to the “one faith” about the “one Lord” and were baptized with 'one baptism' into “one Body” guided to “one hope” by “one Spirit” under “one God and Father” (see Ephesians 4:3-5 and Acts 19:1-5). That church learned of the reconciling power of Jesus Christ which brought Jews and Gentiles together as one through and in his body (Ephesians 2:11-22).

9. Baptism, with faith in Christ as its motivating principle, is a confession and a commitment which all humans are privileged to make— “Whatever our backgrounds or condition, we need and trust ourselves to the One who died and rose again to save us.” It brings people of all nations together under God who was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 5:19).

BAPTISM: A CALL TO A CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE

10. Critics of Paul's gospel were saying, “If God gets more glory by forgiving more sin we ought to sin more and get him more glory” (Rom 5:20-6:1). In dealing with that heresy Paul reminds them of what baptism means. He said Christians can’t possibly live in sin because they had been:

·            Baptized into Christ (6:3) who came to destroy sin and deliver them from it;

·            Baptized into his death (6:3) which was a death aimed at destroying sin and
          severing Christ's connection with it;

·            Buried with Christ through baptism into death so that like Christ they would
          live a new life (6:4 with 6:5-8,10,11,14); 

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.