Baptism as Entry into Community

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
(Matthew 28:19)

It is hard to read the gospel accounts and Acts and without noticing that baptism has a significance for the Christian life. The beginning of Jesus' ministry is marked by his being baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17). Jesus' own ministry included his disciples baptizing people (John 4:1-2). Following his resurrection, Jesus instructed his disciples to make more disciples, saying that baptism will mark those who believe and will be saved (Mark 16:16). Various instances in Acts show that entry into the Christian faith was accompanied by baptism. Historically, baptism has been an important part of people embracing the Christian faith and entering into the community of believers.

Baptism is a sacred act which Jesus gave the Church by which new believers are received into its fold. Baptism is a onetime step of faith much like a wedding is a onetime step that binds a couple to each other. We do not baptize ourselves, rather the community we enter into examines us to see that we are of the faith and then baptizes us (I Corinthians 12:13), and thus marking us as a member of the body of Christ, which is the Church (Acts 2:38-40; Acts 8:12, Acts 8:36-38; Acts 9:17-18; Acts 10:47-48; Acts 16:14-15). Just as circumcision was the mark given by God to Abraham (Genesis 17:10-14) and his descendants signifying that they belonged to God, baptism marks Jesus' followers as belonging to him.

In the days of the early church, being identified with Christ was costly. To be baptized was to pledge allegiance to Christ exclusively. Some lost their family and friends when they became an outcast from society. For others, it meant death. That was true for the early church, and it is still true today in some parts of the world. Most of us do not face outward conflicts when we are baptized. To some it may seem insignificant. But there is a spiritual aspect in which we are declaring a spiritual allegiance to Christ. Baptism is not just physical, it is also spiritual (Colossians 2:9-12).

Growth towards Christian maturity

Outside the Community

Before we trust Christ we are outside the community of believers and see no need to be otherwise. Some may be born into a Christian family or be involved in a church, but if we are not baptized, we are not actually in the community of believers. We may be around the body of Christ and enjoyed some of its benefits, but we are not an actual member of that community. Without the public commitment to a community of faith we are not in a position of being accountable to anyone for our faith in Christ. Various factors may keep us from baptism. Perhaps we do not understand what it is and why it is important. Maybe we are not connected to a church. It is possible that we have no knowledge of the community of faithful believers and the importance of growing in our knowledge and love of God with others. Whatever the reason, at this stage we are not baptized, and maybe not even aware of it. We are outside the community of believers. Even if we are raised in a Christian home, interacting with a Christian community, or attending church regularly, though we see ourselves as part of Christ's Church, his body, without being baptized we have yet to die with Christ, have our consciences cleansed, or declare our allegiance to the Lord.

Steps towards Christ

As we learn about Jesus Christ, we move towards him and his Church. We cannot be near him for long without him challenging us to go deeper as one of his followers. Even so, we are not yet ready to enter the community of believers and probably not thinking about it. But we are becoming more aware of Christ and the implications of who he is. Some might turn away from him and say that what he teaches is just too hard (John 6:60-66) or too costly not clearly seeing who he is or understanding that it cost him everything to give us the gospel. We, however, press on, counting the cost of following him as best we can at the moment (Luke 14:26-35). Those who turn away do not see their choice to reject God as following after false gods, yet according to Scripture, to turn away from Christ is to turn away from God (Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 8:38; II Timothy 2:12; II Peter 2:1; I John 2:22-23), and to pursue false gods. As we continue to mature in Christ, we realize he as worthy of our complete trust. Therefore, we continue moving towards him and growing as we do. Not yet baptized, we now gather with a community of believers, hear the gospel, truly believe Jesus is the Christ, and gradually move towards baptism. Growing in Christ means we continue to learn more about this man named Jesus whom we are now following. Along the way we surrender bits of ourselves to his ways as our allegiance is tested and refined. Our faith is maturing for God is working in us (Philippians 2:13). We are starting to grasp how profound it is to say "Jesus is Lord" (Acts 10:36; I Corinthians 12:3) and realize that this confession is meant to affect every area of our life. Part of the reason we are maturing is because we actively participate in an assembly of the believers. Maybe we are involved in a church, attending the worship service, a Sunday school class, a small group Bible study, or even serving. Nevertheless, we have not yet committed to the body of believers or totally part of the community as Jesus prescribes. We may claim we are committed to Christ, but not to his Church. The step of faith still remains ahead of us through which we fully enter the community.

Entry into the Community

Eventually we learn that baptism is prescribed for all Christians and begin to pursue it (Acts 8:36-38). It is dawning on us that submission to Jesus via his Church is a priority when following him (Hebrews 10:23-25), and that his Church extends beyond our specific location and body of believers, for it encompasses believers everywhere. We want to be faithful to Christ by becoming part of the great fellowship of believers. Towards that end we might respond to an invitation to be baptized, or we may approach a pastor or leader and ask about baptism. When an opportunity to be baptized comes, we prepare for it, and then take this very serious and joyful step in the midst of a local body which receives us into their fellowship. For some of us, the moment of baptism is a profound experience. To others it seems like a natural step that we joyfully take in obedience to Christ. However we experience it, what is most important is not how we feel, but our obedience to Christ and that we are now marked spiritually as his. Within the body of believers, we are a light (Matthew 5:14-16), and though we do not realize it, our step of faith is an encouragement to others and a reminder that making disciples is the church's calling. Baptism is evidence that some level of discipleship is happening. Being baptized is our personal testimony of God's work in us, a corporate testimony of God's work within that local church, and an invitation to those watching to be transformed by Christ. Biblically speaking, baptism is not the same as church membership. Some churches treat baptism as the means of becoming a church member, while other churches hold membership as a commitment to the local church as well as a larger body such as a denomination as separate from and only available after baptism. In either case, the guidelines of the church typically specify that only baptized believers can take on specific responsibilities related to key areas of the church, its administration, and its leadership. Baptism being required before certain responsibilities are given means that those positions demand a commitment to the body of believers that a person who rejects Jesus? call to be baptized does not have. This does not mean that all who are baptized continue to mature or that those who are baptized should serve in such positions, it simply means that this basic level of commitment reveals whether or not we take seriously our commitment to Christ and his church.

Extending the Invitation

Our faith continues growing after our baptism. Our faith is not in the baptism event, but in Christ our Lord. As we grow and mature, we discover that belonging to Christ is a call to make disciples. Making disciples includes helping people journey to the point where they take the step of being baptized. Thus, maturity in Christ shows in our inviting others into a relationship with Christ and his church that leads to their baptism (Acts 19:3-5).