September 24, 2017
Back to Basics
Baptism and Communion
Baptism and communion are sometimes referred to as “the ordinances.” An ordinance is an authoritative order or a decree.
So basically, Jesus, having authority, has ordered us to do these things, the apostles taught in the Bible about the need for them, and the early church practiced them. At their most basic level, baptism and communion are symbolic reenactments of the gospel.
Baptism
Baptism is a symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice for us in that:
- Jesus died for us
- He was buried
- He resurrected from the dead
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Baptism is a symbol of what Jesus did for us, and after accepting his sacrifice for us, we are showing everyone we can that he has changed our lives. Ultimately, baptism is a huge party!
There are a lot of ways that we see baptism done wrong in some churches or denominations:
- People wrongly teach that baptism is part of salvation, not a response to salvation.
Acts 2:38
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
That’s only a small part of the picture. Anytime we look at a biblical truth, we need to look at the context of the whole Bible.
- Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
- Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
- Jesus was baptized in Matthew 3 by John the Baptist
- The thief on the cross next to Jesus
Luke 23:42-43
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
- People wrongly baptize infants
Romans 10:9
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
We know that baptism comes after salvation, so unless a newborn fully understands the Gospel and responds to it, infant baptism is an un-biblical practice.
- People wrongly baptize people with a method other than sumersion
Every time baptism is talked about in the Bible,
the greek word baptizo is used, meaning, "to submerge in water." It also doesn't symbolize the burial and resurrection of Jesus when it is done with sprinking.
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Communion
Communion is also a symbolic reenactment of the gospel. It happens when a group of believers comes together over food and purposely remember what Christ did for them.
Luke 22:14-20
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
He also gives us this ordinance - "do this in remembrance of me"
- It doesn’t say WHERE to do it.
- It doesn’t say WHO exactly should do it.
- It doesn’t say WHEN to do it.
- It doesn’t say HOW exactly you should do it.
- It doesn’t say HOW MUCH to eat.
It is taking a simple, everyday thing (eating)
that is based on relationship
and getting us to remember the most important relationship of all.
… us and Jesus
.
We need to prepare our hearts to again be face-to-face with the reality that our God was so in love with us, even through our sin, that he was willing to give his own life to win back ours. Communion isn't just going through normal life and remembering that Jesus exists. It’s changing normal life to remember that Jesus is all that matters.
Communication Card
- I will learn how to prepare my heart for communion.
- I commit to celebrating well with people when they get baptized.
- I will work on being obedient solely for the sake of obedience.
