Tent Meeting: Bible Baptism and the Alien Sinner

Introduction: Defining Terms

1. Baptism
   1. Is a transliteration or anglicization of baptisma, baptizdo
      1. By definition, to immerse, submerge, dip or plunge.
      2. Is a burial (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12), and as such requires much water (John 3:23; Acts 8:38).
   2. Must be proper in it’s purpose = remission of sins Acts 2:38
   3. Must have a proper participant – One who has heard and believed the gospel – Mark 16:16
2. Separates – stands between, as the mode or means of passage
3. Alien Sinner
   1. Alien – an outsider, a non-citizen (Ephesians 2:11-13)
   2. Sinner – not one who sins (Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:7), but one who has never received remission of sins through obedience to the gospel of Christ (Rom 10:16).

Body: Baptism Separates the Alien Sinner From…

1. Being a Disciple – Matthew 28:19
2. Being Saved by the Gospel – Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16
3. Remission of Sins – Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38
4. Having One’s Sins Washed Away by the Blood of Jesus: Acts 22:16; Revelation1:5
5. Being buried with Christ and raised in newness of life – Romans 6:3-4 (cf Col 3:1ff)
6. Being in the likeness of Jesus’ resurrection – Romans 6:5
7. Crucifying the Old Man of Sin – Romans 6:6
8. Being freed from Sin – Romans 6:7
9. Being a child of God and being in Christ – Galatians 3:26-27
10. Being saved by the Grace of God; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-7

Application: Every church epistle written by Paul contains explicit references to baptism and/or the recipients can be shown to have been baptized as recorded in the book of Acts:

1. Rome – Romans 6:3-5
2. Corinth
   1. Acts 18:8
   2. 1 Corinthians 1:13-17
   3. 1 Corinthians 15:29
3. Galatia – Galatians 3:27
4. Ephesus
   1. a. Acts 18:24-19:5
   2. Ephesians 4:5
5. Philippi – Acts 16
6. Colosse – Colossians 2:11-12
7.  Thessalonica
   1. Acts 17
   2. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 = “obey not the gospel” (Rom 10:16)
   3. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
   4. Mark 16:15-16, Romans 1:16

Close: The Bible teaching on baptism is clear and unequivocal. It is a command of God to be obeyed to receive God’s blessing like many others that could be mentioned. Lord willing, more will be said to this effect tomorrow, but Wednesday in particular.