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Scriptural Baptism
Rom 6:1-6

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. NKJV

Introduction
As an eight year old boy I was advanced in my knowledge of the Bible. I could win a Bible drill with boys older than I. No boy between the age of 8 and 12 in our church could keep up with me. Some of those older boys got baptized, and I felt like I should get baptized because of what I knew. I was allowed to participate in a baptismal experience.

At the age of 20 I realized I had never really made a commitment to Christ. I had it in my head but not in my heart. I was scripturally baptized at the age of 20.

I told him the Essentials for Baptism." Then I asked him if he knew what they were, and he said well one of them is water.

What is require for a person's Baptism to be Scriptural? I want to bring to your attention four areas of Scriptural Baptism. They are:

The Proper . . Person Being Baptized For Scriptural Baptism.

The Proper . . Procedure of Scriptural Baptism.

The Proper . . Purpose of Scriptural Baptism.

The Proper . . Protectorate Of Scriptural Baptism.

1. The Proper . . Person Being Baptized for Scriptural Baptism.

A. The Person Must Be Indicating A . . Changed Life. 6:1-2a
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2a Certainly not! . . ."

B. The Person Must Be Indicating A . . Committed Life. 6:2
2b How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things `concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. NKJV

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. NKJV

Acts 26:26-28 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." NKJV

Illustration
A missionary in India was once teaching the Bible to a group of Hindu ladies. Halfway through the lesson, one of the women got up and walked out. A short time later, she came back and listened more intently than ever. At the close of the hour the leader inquired, "Why did you leave the meeting? Weren't you interested?"

"O yes," the Hindu lady replied. "I was so impressed with what you had to say about Christ that I went out to ask your driver whether you really lived the way you talked. When he said you did, I hurried back so I wouldn't miss out on anything."

Application

Can you go back to a point in your life and say this is where I gave my life to Christ? I know I was saved at that time? Have you been baptized since that time?


2. The Proper . . Procedure For Scriptural Baptism. 6:3-5

A. Proper Procedure In . . Mode Of Baptism. Rom 6:3-5

    1. The Mode Is In The . . Immersion.
        3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Illustration     Possibly HumorousTHE BAPTIST AND THE PRESBYTERIAN
A Presbyterian and a Baptist minister were discussing baptism. The Presbyterian asked the Baptist if he considered a person baptized if he was immersed in water up to his middle.

"No," said the Baptist.

"Do you consider him baptized if he is immersed in water up to his NECK?" asked the Presbyterian.

Again the Baptist's answer was: "No."

"Well now," said the Presbyterian, "suppose you immersed him up to his EYEBROWS? Would you consider him baptized THEN?"

"No," said the Baptist.

"Well then, there you have it!" said the Presbyterian. "It's only the little bit of water on the TOP OF THE HEAD that counts!"

Illustration
Baptism is like a wedding ring: they both symbolize transactions. A wedding ring symbolizes marriage, just as baptism symbolizes salvation. Wearing a wedding ring does not make you married any more than being baptized makes you saved.

To extend the parallel, if a person, especially a woman, does not wear a wedding ring you can almost always assume that the person is not married So it was in New Testament times. If a person was not baptized, you could probably assume that he or she was not a believer. On this we must be clear: baptism is a symbol of salvation and only a symbol. But, like a wedding ring, it is such an effective symbol that it should never be taken for granted.

B. The Proper Procedure Emphasizes . . Method.
John 3:23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. NAS

Illustration
Dr. Wayne Wood, the pastor before me at FBC Mountain View, came by my office one day. We talked about many things and in the course of the conversation, Dr. Wood shared that he went to a Methodist Church as a boy. Through the influence of that church and other churches and the revival meetings he went to, and family members, he became a Christian.

He went to talk to the pastor of this Methodist Church and asked him if he could be baptized. The pastor said he would be delighted to baptize him and began talking about the arrangements. It was clear to Dr. Wood that the Methodist minister was going to sprinkle him and Wayne Wood as a young boy said, "No, wait a minute, I want to be immersed."

This particular Methodist preacher said, "Well, then if you want to be immersed, you're going to have to get somebody else to do it because I don't immerse." Now, friend that is the case in several churches today. They simply will not immerse. But when the Bible talks about the word baptism it is always immerse.

Illustration
One Sunday, the Minister was giving a sermon on baptism and in the coarse of his sermon he was illustrating the fact that baptism should take place by sprinkling and not by immersion. He pointed out some instances in the Bible.

He said that when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the River Jordan, it didn't mean in - it meant close to, round about, or nearby. And again when it says in the Bible that Philip baptized the eunuch in the river, it didn't mean in - it meant close to, round about, or nearby. After the service, a man came up to the minister and told him it was a great sermon, one of the best he had ever heard, and that it had cleared up a great many mysteries he had encountered in the Bible.

"For instance," he said, "the story about Jonah getting swallowed by the whale has always bothered me. Now I know that Jonah wasn't really in the whale, but close to, round about, or nearby, maybe swimming in the water.

Then there is the story about the three young Hebrew boys who were thrown into the furnace, but were not burned. Now I see that they were not really in the fire, just close to, round about, or nearby, just keeping warm.

But the hardest of all the stories for me to believe has always been the story of Daniel getting thrown into the lions" den. But now I see that he wasn't really in the lions' den, but close to, round about, or nearby, like at the zoo.

The revealing of these mysteries has been a real comfort to me because I am a wicked man. Now I am gratified to know that I won't be in Hell, but close to, round about, or nearby. And next Sunday, I won't have to be in church, just close to, round about, or nearby. Thanks. You have really put my mind at ease.

Application

Have you been baptized by immersion for the purpose procedure of being Immersed?

3. The Proper . . Purpose of Scriptural Baptism.

A. Proper Purpose In . . Meaning Of Baptism. Rom 6:3-5

    1. The Meaning Is In The . . Indwelling Of Christ.
        3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,at just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.   It Is An Outward Expression Of An Already Experienced Salvation.     

      a. An Outward Expression Of An Inward Reality.  

       b. It Is A Picture Of The Death Burial And Resurrection Of Christ.

      c. It Is A Picture Of The Individual Having Died To Sin and Having Being
            Made Alive In Christ.

2. Meaning Is In The . . Identifying With Christ and The Church. 6:5

Illustration When Can I Get Advertised?
A little boy asked Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, "When can I get advertised?"
He meant "baptized" but he made the right point--baptism is advertising that you're a Christian.

But the minister insisted that he would become a Christian when baptized and would then be all right. The man declared that he was desperately wicked and full of the devil and he feared it would require more than water baptism to fix him up. Still the minister insisted. Finally the sinner replied, "Well, I will comply with your request. I will let you baptize me, and I can tell if any change has taken place in me. I will know.

And if there is a change and I am all right, I will consider myself a member of your church; but if there is no difference, and I am still wicked inside, I am going to beat you up right there on the spot for deceiving me." The minister answered, "Well, I fear you are not ready for baptism now!" He doubted his own doctrine. William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

Application

4. The Proper . . Protectorate Of Scriptural Baptism.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

1. The Proper Protectorate Is A New Testament Church.

2. Meaning Is In The . . Identifying With Christ. 6:5
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

a. Being Baptized Like Christ:

1) He Already Is The Son Of God.

2) He Submits to godly Authority.

3) He Identifies With The Believers.

4) He Is Immersed.

Illustration ON BECOMING A BAPTIST
A party of Methodist ministers was attending an Annual Conference at a private countryside resort. Several of them set off to explore the area, and presently they came upon an old bridge that crossed a quiet pond.

"It's all right," declared one of the ministers, "we are in this resort with permission. We're Methodists from the Conference."

"I'm not worried about THAT," replied the caretaker. "But if you don't get off that bridge, you'll all be BAPTISTS!"

Illustration
My wife, Christa has a similar experience to that of mine. As an eight year old child, she saw many children going forward and she went forward at invitation time. They simply had her sit down and then presented her as having made a profession of faith. The children were then just all baptized without anyone ever talking to them individually. It is sad the number of the times that something like that takes place.

A few years later, Christa did not have the peace that salvation brings and one night, being very afraid, she called for her mother. And her mother came in and shared with her a Bible verse. It's from Psalm 27:1 It says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear. The Lord is the defense of my life, whom shall I dread." That comforted Christa and in the next few months, she understood what she needed to do to become a Christian and she privately prayed the prayer acknowledging Jesus as Lord. She had never said anything like this to me.

When I pastored in Florida, Christa came forward at invitation time one night and said, "Jim, I taught a Sunday School lesson today about baptism and how it takes place after salvation and I do not have a peace that I was baptized after my salvation experience. And so I want to be baptized."

I expressed that to the congregation and we sang another hymn and a man came forward and said, "the moment you told me about Christa, I realized what's wrong with me. I do not have complete peace because I have not followed the Lord in baptism after my salvation."

As I look over the congregation today, I would dare say there as some who have a similar experience. You know that your salvation experience took place and you have either never been baptized or you went into the waters of baptism before you were actually saved. I encourage you to come and follow the Lord in Scriptural Baptism. Have you been scripturally baptized?