Question 69: How does baptism assure us that Christ's atoning work on the cross was for us?

Question 69: How does baptism assure us that Christ's atoning work on the cross was for us?

Answer: Christ has appointed this outward washing, promising that, as water washes away the filth of the body, so also his blood and Spirit cleanse our souls from sin.

1 Peter 3:21, “Baptism, which now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

The catechism on baptism expresses it differently from the Bible. The Bible says baptism does not wash away the filth of the flesh, but the doctrine says it does. Baptism does not signify the washing away of sins, but rather death to sin.

Romans 6:3-4 “Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Being born again of water and the Spirit means dying in water (water baptism) and being born again of the Spirit (baptism of the Spirit). Today, baptism signifies water baptism, signifying death, while baptism of the Spirit signifies being born again from heaven. When a believer is baptized, if the pastor accurately explains this meaning and baptizes them, they will understand the baptism of the Spirit. However, today's pastors fail to explain the baptism of the Spirit to their followers in detail, so believers are unaware of the baptism of the Spirit even after being baptized. This is why believers are repeatedly baptized in the Spirit.

Acts 19:1-2 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus. Finding some disciples, he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” “No,” they said, “we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” Some of the disciples were Apollos’ disciples. Paul asked them about the Holy Spirit, but they said they had never heard of it.

Acts 19:3-5 “Then Paul said to them, ‘Into what baptism did you receive?’ They said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ But Paul said, ‘John ​​truly baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Their baptism by John means water baptism for the washing away of sins. The baptism they receive through Jesus is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

John's baptism in water symbolized the washing away of sins. However, the baptism Jesus gives signifies receiving the life of resurrection. He baptizes those who believe in his death on the cross with Jesus with the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name. The resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples and breathed on them, telling them to receive the Holy Spirit.

The core of Christianity is the belief in being born again of water and the Spirit. However, ignorance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not Christianity. It's shocking that Apollos, who was not baptized in the Holy Spirit, was a leader of the church. And his disciples had never even heard of the Holy Spirit. Many pastors and believers today are likely to be like this. They believe in the historical Jesus and in the Jesus who will return in the future. However, they are ignorant of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which enables rebirth in the present.


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