JASON MARTIN

NORTHLAND / Baptism

• Scripture commands those who teach to handle God’s Word faithfully and to teach sound doctrine - even when it’s uncomfortable or unpopular.

• Please hear me out and understand that I’m approaching this with the utmost respect and reverence for the Word of God.

• Even if you disagree with my conclusion, I want you to understand why I believe what I believe

• because I think it’s important

• There are a lot of different traditions that teach a lot of different things regarding baptism. Anything from who should be baptized in water to when somebody should be baptized in water? What type of water baptism is appropriate? Whether sprinkling or pouring or dipping. There are even some traditions that say that the water washes away original sin and so it is important to baptize infants in case something happens to them. Otherwise they will end up in limbo. Neither Heaven nor hell somewhere in between for eternity.

• And that's what I want to address today. Specifically what baptism does and does not do.

• Let's start with the word itself. It means to be immersed, usually in water but not always. That's important.

• For example, I want to immerse you in the knowledge of the Lord and of the word. Then I want you immersed in water.

John’s baptism

read

Matthew 3:1–6 ESV

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

• Israel has been waiting 400 years since the last prophet, then John arrives - the greatest of all the prophets according to Matthew 11:11.

• What’s John’s message?

• repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

• Notice that John wasn’t preaching baptism - he was preaching repentance

• Water baptism was the response to repentance, not the message itself

• Water wasn’t the point - repentance was

• Drop down to Matthew 3:11

Matthew 3:11 ESV

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

• How many baptisms are in this verse? At least 2:

• baptism with water

• Baptism with the Holy Spirit

• Here’s another kind;

Mark 10:35–39 ESV

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized,

• The baptism that Jesus is talking about here is suffering for the sake of the Gospel.

• So the word ‘baptize’ clearly doesn’t always refer to water

• Then we get a bombshell like this;

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

• We just saw several baptisms and that’s not even all of the different baptisms we see in Scripture.

• Scripture uses the word baptism in more than one sense. So when Paul says there’s one baptism, we should ask “which baptism is he referring to?” We shouldn’t assume he simply means water baptism.

• Is Scripture wrong or is there a chance that maybe it’s us that don’t understand it - because we’re only looking at part of the story without considering the rest.

• We must interpret Scripture with Scripture.

• We take what is clear in Scripture to understand the things that aren’t so clear.

• John understood that his ministry was a preparation

• his baptism pointed forward

• Jesus would bring something greater

• The danger we can run into is trusting a religious act. People put their trust in traditions and rituals like;

• attending church

• communion

• baptism

• law-keeping

• Jesus says repent and believe

• Scripture gives us examples of those that were saved without being baptized in water.

• We see Cornelius and the thief on the cross as primary examples.

• I’ve heard it argued that the thief didn’t need it because he died under the old covenant.

• Are you saying it’s HARDER to be saved under the New Covenant than the old?

• The already couldn’t keep the law and we’re adding more to it?

• Let’s not lose the simplicity of the Gospel.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Romans 3:28 ESV

28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 5:24 ESV

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Why was Jesus baptized?

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Matthew 3:13–17 ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

• even John is confused here. If baptism represented repentance, why is the sinless Savior doing it? Jesus had no sin to confess (Hebrews 4:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22).

• Jesus is stepping into His role as representative of His people

• He identifies with sinners - not because He is one - but because He came to stand in our place.

• He is reliving Israel’s story;

• In Matthew 2, Jesus is called out of Egypt like Israel

• In Matthew 3, Jesus passes through the water like Israel

• In Matthew 4, Jesus enters the wilderness like Israel

• Except Jesus is the faithful Son that succeeds where Israel fails.

• This section of Scripture gives one of the most complete pictures of the Trinity in all of Scripture.

• The Son is baptized

• The Spirit descends

• The Father speaks

• That was John’s baptism - remember Matthew 3:11

The Baptism of the Spirit

Matthew 3:11 ESV

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

• Now let’s focus on the baptism of the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

• The Promise is on the way

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

• This is the first fulfillment of the Promise of Spirit baptism and has been used and abused terribly in some traditions that say you must speak in tongues to be saved / prove you have the Spirit.

• Paul corrects the idea that every believer receives the same gift in 1 Corinthians 12, which is specifically about gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:30 ESV

30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

• the answer is no.

• only the LORD decides what our gifts are and they are specifically given for the common good.

Romans 8:9 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

• We MUST have the Spirit living in us to be saved.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

• Every believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and that places us into the body of Christ as part of His Church family.

• When do we receive this promise?

Ephesians 1:11–14 ESV

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

• you heard

• you believed

• you were sealed

• This same Paul that in Romans 9 said he would trade his own salvation for that of his brothers said in 1 Corinthians 1:17

1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

• If water baptism saved, Paul would have been so waterlogged he would have grown fins.

• But it is the Gospel that saves, and so that is what Paul poured his life into

• The Gentiles were baptized with the Spirit upon HEARING Peter share the Gospel

Acts 11:15–18 ESV

15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

• Peter identifies what happened at Cornelius’ house as the Promised baptism with the Holy Spirit

Why be Water Baptized?

• Water baptism is a public declaration before God and the watching world that we belong to Christ.

• Creation is full of beings seen and unseen. Water baptism is a declaration to all of creation that we’ve picked a side. It is identifying with Christ;

• united in His death - going under the water pictures burial

• united to His resurrection - coming out of the water pictures new life

• Water baptism is a visible sermon. It doesn’t save us - it proclaims the One who does

• I am a sinner and deserving of death

• Christ died in my place

• He rose again

• By faith now I belong to Him

• water baptism is my public confession of that reality

• It is the wedding ring of salvation;

• does a ring make you married?

• no

• can you be married without wearing a ring?

• yes

• should a married person want to wear a ring?

• absolutely

• why?

• because they love the one they’re married to

• baptism doesn’t create the relationship with Christ anymore than a wedding ring creates the relationship with our spouse

• but it publicly celebrates it

• there may be an underlying heart issue if you don’t want to express that relationship to the world and make it known

Closing

We’ve looked at baptism from several different angles. Now let’s turn to the passage most often used to argue that water baptism saves

1 Peter 3:21 ESV

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

• Let’s look at this verse in each of it’s four phrases;

• Peter just finished speaking about Noah being one of the eight people brought safely through water.

• notice carefully that the water did two different things;

• it judged the unbelieving world

• it carried the ark - the means by which Noah was being saved

• In other words, Noah wasn’t saved by the water - he was saved because God provided the ark (which is a type of Christ)

• Peter calls this an antitype / corresponding figure / fulfillment

• he’s saying Noah’s experience points forward

1 Peter 3:21 ESV

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

• If Peter believed the baptismal water washed away sins, why would he immediately tell us he isn’t talking about washing the body?

• people see ‘baptism now saves you’ and stop reading - but Peter doesn’t stop there. He IMMEDIATELY clarifies what he means.

• it’s not about water washing us

1 Peter 3:21 ESV

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

• but an APPEAL to God for a good conscience

• the word appeal is also translated;

• request

• pledge

• answer

• think of the tax collector in Jesus’ parable

• “God be merciful to me, a sinner”

• that’s an appeal

Romans 10:13 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

• that’s an appeal

• Water baptism is the outward expression of that inward cry

• the water doesn’t create the appeal

• the appeal comes from the heart that is turning to God in faith

• Hebrews 9:14 says the blood of Christ will purify our conscience

• blood - not water

1 Peter 3:21 ESV

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

• What actually saves us according to Peter?

• not water

• not a ritual

• not a ceremony

• not the minister

• the resurrection is the source of salvation

• baptism points to it

• that’s Peter’s emphasis

• without the resurrection, baptism is just getting wet.

• Peter never says

• water > forgiveness> salvation

• instead he says

• faith > appeal to God > Christ’s resurrection > salvation

• water baptism publicly declares and expresses that reality

• every believer should desire it

• but our confidence is in Christ alone.

• In Acts 8, The Ethiopian eunuch said to Philip see here's water. What is preventing me from being baptized?

• What's preventing you from being baptized? Search your heart.

Exported from Logos Bible Study, 5:19 PM June 29, 2026.