The Sign of Christian Baptism

Not too many of us make much of our baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Some even make it optional in the Christian life. Not so with the Lord Jesus. It was not an option for Christ for He Himself has commanded that those who would believe and become His disciples are to be baptized as a sign of belonging to and being united with Him.

Baptism, as a form of ceremonial washing, "is a sign from God," says J. I. Packer, "that signifies inward cleansing and remission of sins (Acts 22:16; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 5:25-27), Spirit-wrought regeneration and new life (Titus 3:5), and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit as God's seal testifying and guaranteeing that one will be kept safe in Christ forever (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14)."

Dr. Packer adds that baptism "carries these meanings because first and fundamentally it signifies union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-7; Col. 2:11-12); and this union with Christ is the source of every element in our salvation (1 John 5:11-12). Receiving the sign in faith assures the persons baptized that God's gift of new life in Christ is freely given to them. At the same time, it commits them to live henceforth in a new way as committed disciples of Jesus" (Concise Theology, 212).

Thus being baptized in the name of the triune God we are both privileged and duty-bound to serve and love this God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. But our Christian baptism means more than that. In baptism we are not just telling God to serve him all our lives. God is, at the same time, signifying His covenant promises to us and to our children to be our God, sealing upon us His claim of ownership. For in baptism God owns us. We belong to him. We are identified with Him and He identifies with us. He is saying to us, "I am your God; you are my people."


Therefore serving God, loving him, denying ourselves, and forsaking our sin are ways to value and to live consistently with our Christian baptism. To live as if we are "the master of our fate" and "the captain of our soul" is denying and devaluing our baptism in the name of our triune God. 

Remember what the apostle Paul said: "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19b, 20). The apostle Paul also added: "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God...Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry...Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive...And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col. 3:3, 5, 12-13, 17).


No wonder Dr. Packer could say, "Baptism signifies a watershed point in a human life because it signifies a new-creational ingrafting into Christ's risen life" (Concise Theology, 213).