Baptism as Memorial of Christ's Death and Resurrection
By O. Davis
Of what is baptism the memorial after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? or of what is it continued in the church as the sign? Our Lord after his resurrection perpetuates or carries forward into the gospel dispensation the institution, by commanding his apostles to “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Matt. 28:19. The first instance of obedience to this command of the Lord is found in Acts 2:38, and it is in answer to those that were convicted of their sins and inquired of the apostles what they should do. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” In this passage we find that baptism for the remission of sins is in the name of Him who died and rose again. It does not now look forward to Him who is to come, but back to Him that has come, died, and rose again, a memorial of the work of Christ by virtue of which sins are remitted; for baptism itself does not take away sin; that was to be done by the Lamb of God. In Acts 8:32–37, we learn that a belief in the work of Christ is an essential qualification for baptism. After Philip had preached Jesus to the eunuch, he asks, “What doth hinder me to be baptized?” And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest.” How clearly the institution stands out in this passage as a sign or seal of faith in that work of Christ, the Lamb of God, by which our sins are remitted. Thus far, we find faith and repentance essential to baptism. Acts 10:43: “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.” Verse 48: “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” This is the language of Peter when he first preached to the Gentiles Jesus Christ as having been put to death by the Jews, but raised the third day by God, and ordained to be judge of quick and dead. Thus it appears that baptism in the name of Jesus (who died and rose again) for the remission of sins was administered to both Jew and Gentile. In Acts 19:1–6, we find the baptism of John referred to as not covering the whole ground of the baptism of Christ, but as a figure pointing to Christ, as I showed in a previous article. Verse 4: “Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Jesus Christ. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” Although they had been baptized with John’s baptism, a baptism that pointed to a coming Saviour, yet Paul instructed them to be baptized with the baptism of the Lord Jesus, and thereby recognize and witness to the great fact that that Saviour had come. How clearly is here shown that John’s baptism prefigured the work of Christ, while Christ’s baptism is a memorial of it, and entitles those that receive it (by repentance and faith) to all the privileges of the Lord’s house or of his chosen people. It appears very clear thus far that it had come to be an ordinance by which a profession of faith was made, and the recipient was recognized as one to whom belonged the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 22:16: “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Here Paul is commanded to be baptized and wash away his sins. Now as the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, alone takes away sin, baptism can only be the emblem or sign of that blood by which the sins are washed away. This scripture binds baptism to the act of Christ by which our sins are remitted. A very familiar figure is here used to illustrate the significance of the ordinance. As things are made clean by washing in water, so are we made clean from sin by baptism, exercising faith and repentance. But we are not made clean or washed of our sins by the water in which we are immersed; for blood alone remits sin, and that blood the blood of Jesus, for there is no other name given under Heaven whereby man can be saved; hence, of very necessity, it becomes an emblem of the washing of the blood of Christ. We have thus far considered the institution as it was administered. We will now consider Paul’s command or reasoning upon its significance, and relation to faith. In Romans 6, he has been showing that out of Christ we are all under death, but that grace unto eternal life is extended unto us through Jesus Christ; and having accepted the grace through the means appointed, he asks, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” He answers, “How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” and then goes on to show that those who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death. Now as we are not really buried into death, it must be by figure. Those that were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death—they professed to acknowledge the death of Jesus Christ in their stead for their sins through the ordinance of baptism which contained that figure of death. But we have found that the laws of baptism are faith and repentance. Repentance for our sins is a sorrow for, and a putting away of, them, and faith directs us where to put them. Now is the exercise of faith and repentance as a necessary qualification for baptism in harmony with our being dead unto sin? Most certainly; for if we are truly sorry for our sins, we desire to put them away, to be divorced from the old man, the carnal heart—we are dead unto an inclination to sin; and faith, showing us that our sins cost no less to atone for them than the life of the sinless Son of God, love has taken the place of enmity. We desire to be Christ’s, to put off the old man. We have now, through the sign that God has given, entered into the bond of the new covenant. We acknowledged ourselves out of Christ, dead, sold under sin, but as Christ died for us, we accepted of his death in our stead through the sign that showed it in figure; and, as expressed by the apostle, we arise (from our watery grave) to walk in newness of life. We have now come under the bond of the new covenant: we, on our part, to be Christ’s, to walk in newness of life; he, on his part, to give us the promises of that covenant. The apostle now says, verse 5: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Verse 11: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Verse 14: “For sin shall not have dominion over you [you have accepted of the death of Christ for your sins]; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” The death of Christ that you accepted made full satisfaction to the claims of the law, and you now stand free in that grace that was to reign unto eternal life. We have, then, in the ordinance of baptism a figure of Christ’s death for our sins; and of his resurrection from death. Thus we clearly see that it is God’s appointed ordinance or institution by which we are professedly put on Jesus Christ and are entitled to all the privileges of his house or church; and that it consists in being so completely immersed in the water as to insure death if not raised out of it. How significant are the institutions of God, and how well calculated to fix the mind upon the plan of redemption as he has laid it. With these ideas before our minds let us consider the language of 1 Pet. 3:18–21. By the Spirit “he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which were sometime disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” How is baptism a figure of the flood? The old world being under condemnation for sin were immersed beneath the water (flood), and having accepted no hope of a Saviour for their sins (the wages of sin is death) died in that condition. But righteous Noah and family, having accepted salvation by the means then appointed, were saved, and a separation was made between the righteous and the wicked. Now, says Peter, the like figure whereunto even baptism doth now save us. Then let us see if baptism by immersion, for such we have proved to be the proper mode of baptism, contains this figure. The sinner is under penalty of death for his sins. He accepts the death of the Son of God (the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world) in his stead by being immersed beneath the water, where he would just as certainly die as did the old world by the flood, did he remain there; but as Christ has died for him he is raised up to walk in newness of life. And thus by baptism, by immersion, we do have the like figure which doth save us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Truly, then, can we not have the answer of a good conscience toward God? The blood of bulls and goats could not make us perfect as pertaining to the conscience; but the blood of the Son of God, God’s own offering, makes full satisfaction to his law, and gives us the answer of a good conscience, purging us from dead works to serve the living God. And as the old world, dead in sin, found a watery grave, so our old man should die by a like figure in our baptism, and thus we become separated from the old man of sin, and united to Christ, the Son of God. We have now passed from death unto life by profession through the ordinance that God himself has instituted in the church to emblematically set it forth. Could any other sign better illustrate the work? Can we leave out any part of the figure and have it still a memorial of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and the washing away of our sins by his blood? And thus upon the requirements of the gospel, as set forth by those who established it, we can only construct such an ordinance as we have been contemplating. The fact that baptism is emblematical of several parts in the plan and work of salvation often leads to confusion in our minds if we are not careful to rightly divide the word of truth. While the ordinance commemorates, as God’s appointed figure, or memorial, as we have seen, the death, burial, and resurrection, of our Lord and Saviour, it also illustrates our passing from death unto life in the present state. Rom. 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Here we are represented as having a new life. What has become of the old one? Verse 6: “Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Our obedience to the old man, the fallen Adam, having brought us under the penalty of death, we acknowledge the condition or sentence upon us. By accepting the death of Jesus Christ in our stead, we renounce any further obedience or debtorship to him (the old man), reckoning ourselves to him dead, and our allegiance transferred to the new man who has bought us by his own blood. And if we are really buried with him by baptism into death, will not the body of sin be destroyed? If, as the figure shows, we discern the crucifixion, sufferings, and death, of the Son of God on the cross for us—if these things are so associated in our minds in our baptism that we are buried with him into that very kind of death, will not such amazing love and condescension destroy the very inclination to sin? This is what the Scriptures expect of us, and therefore speak of us as having passed from death unto life—that the body of sin has been destroyed—been crucified with Christ—that we have put off the old man with all his deeds. How good God has been to his fallen, sinful creature, man. While man has rebelled against his Maker, despised and trampled his authority under his feet, insulted and profaned his great name, he still holds out pardon for him, and that through the blood and suffering of his Son, praying for his transgressions. What love! What mercy! Truly, what more could God do than he has done? While Jesus goes into death for us, we have but to show our acceptance of it on our part by God’s appointed sign. Jesus groans and dies; we accept the offering, and go free. Should we not be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God? If our hearts have indeed been penetrated by such immeasurable love, will not the very inclination to sin be destroyed, and love be begotten in its place? How wonderfully expressive are the institutions of God, and how calculated to assist the mind in forming and holding a correct gospel faith is the one we have just been considering! We now conclude that it must have been given to John to prepare the way for Christ, as a very expressive figure of the work to be done by One who could see the end from the beginning, and therefore could not only give an institution that should prepare the way for Christ, but should also be the very institution that was best calculated to perpetuate the gospel faith by commemorating Calvary’s part in the great work of man’s redemption, even to its being the figure of the spiritual work of putting off the old man and putting on the new man, arising from the watery grave to walk in newness of life.