TOP 10 REASONS TO NOT BE BAPTIZED by Pastor Welty

Using my gift of sarcasm and love of irony, I came up with a list of 10 reasons why people should not be baptized several years ago.  Obviously my hope is that this “Letterman- like” list will actually convince folks of the importance of this. 

 Reason 10 – I’m OK just like I am.

I saw a T shirt one day with a picture of the cross on it and a caption that read:  If I’m ok and you’re ok – explain this. The truth is we are not OK which is why Jesus died to make us new.  Baptism symbolizes the new birth.    (See John 3)

Reason 9– I already had a bath today.

The book of Hebrews tells us that the blood of Christ cleanses us from a guilty conscience.   (Hebrews 9:14)  In the book of Mark Jesus spoke of the inward pollution of the soul.  (Mark 7).  Baptism is like a spiritual bath that involves internal cleansing. It is an outward expression of the inward reality. 

T.M. Lindsay  says:  Baptism signifies that just as washing with water cleanses the body, so God in Christ cleanses the soul from sin by the Holy Spirit and that we are to see in this cleansing not merely pardon but also an actual freeing of the soul from the pollution and power of sin and therefore the beginnings of a new life.

Reason 8– I don’t have to be baptized to have a relationship with God or join the church.

That’s exactly right.  And to be married to Beth  – I never have to tell her that I love her. I never have to get her another gift, take her out to dinner or buy flowers for her. I never have to do any of that to fulfill the minimum requirements for marriage.  But because I love her, and I know that she loves me, I want to do nice things for her.

Some churches require believer’s baptism for church membership.  While I feel strongly about the importance of baptism, requiring sounds like legalism – not love.    I never want to see anybody getting baptized to fulfill a requirement but to respond to love.

Reason 7– Baptism is a ritual,  and I don’t like rituals.

Rituals or traditions that are repeated over and over again become void of meaning. Have you ever sat down to dinner as a family; someone has offered thanks for the food, and everyone digs in.  Part way through dinner someone asks:  Did we pray already?  It’s happened to all of us who regularly give thanks for our meals. 

The same can happen with the ordinances of The Lord’s Supper and Baptism.  Instead of focusing on Christ’s sacrifice and God’s love, we can get so focused on the act that we lose the meaning. 

In the Bible circumcision was one of those rituals that had lost some of its meaning.  The Apostle Paul spoke of that in Colossians 2:11-12 - In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,  not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,  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.

The new circumcision is circumcision of the heart and baptism is an expression of that.

Reason 6– Pastor Jim might drop me or hold me under.

I haven’t lost one yet.

Reason 5– Baptism doesn’t make sense to me.

Wouldn’t it be funny if we had a ceremony where all of the participants wore multicolored puffy gowns and flat topped hats with tassels hanging in their eyes?  That sounds a little nutty until you realize that every year thousands or even millions of graduates across the country do exactly that.It doesn’t make sense, but we do it anyway.  Technically the schools could send the diplomas to the graduates in the mail, so why all the fuss?

Graduation celebrates or publicly declares an achievement and rite of passage.

Baptism is a public declaration of a person’s relationship with Christ.  It is a sign of belonging to Christ.  And just as graduation isn’t your education but a symbol of it.  Baptism symbolizes that you have entered a relationship with God by faith in Christ. 

Baptism is also an identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.  The Apostle Paul clearly states that connection in Romans 6:4.  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 

The Greek word baptisma literally means to immerse or dip in under.   So Baptism symbolizes death (going under water) and resurrection to new life   (coming out of the water).

Reason 4– I was baptized as an infant.

Infant baptism is closely connected with family and faith traditions.  It is a very complicated issue on various levels.  God’s word doesn’t speak of infant baptism, rather it speaks of the baptism of households that might have included children.  Baptism is a personal, volitional act.  Infant baptism focuses on the act and the family, not necessarily the faith that led to that act. 

The Apostle Paul argued that a relationship with Christ is not from physical descent or through ritual acts but through faith.  You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.   Galatians 3:26-27

In some cultures parents arrange marriages for their children.  There is no individual choice.  Infant baptism is a nice ceremony and a nice rite of passage, but it is chosen for the person by the family.  A person’s relationship with God is by faith.  Believer’s baptism accompanies that.

Reason 3– I don’t want to do it until I feel like it.

Feelings are important or we would all be robotic in our lives.  But feelings aren’t always a reliable determiner of our conduct.  Discipleship goes beyond feelings to obedience.  So you need to be baptized for the right reason, but you may also need to have your comfort zone stretched in response to the love of God.

In Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Reason 2– I look funny when I’m wet.

Yes you do.  We all do.  But when we are truly identified with Christ.  What difference does that truly make?

Reason 1– There is no good reason.

In Acts 8 we read the story of an Angel sending Philip out into the desert to minister to a man identified as the Ethiopian eunuch.  Philip led this man into a relationship with Christ. 

Let’s join the story:  As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.         Acts 8:36-38

Why shouldn’t you be baptized?