Baptism for Salvation (Acts 8)

When I was "re-baptized", I was very cloudy on why it was required, what it meant, and why it had to happen again. My advice to any adult or new convert being pressured into baptism or worse, "re-baptism", is to read the scripture as many times as it takes until the purpose of it becomes crystal clear.

Acts 8 was the lynchpin for how I ultimately interpreted the sacrament because I saw that new converts received water, but did not necessarily receive the Holy Spirit. When God finally opened up the meaning of this scripture to me, I went from death and despair to a renewed faith in Jesus Christ.

“But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.” Acts 8:12-13

Here we have converts who came to believe “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” and then went on to accept the sign of water baptism. According to verse 14, these converts had received the word of God, but it did not equate to their salvation, nor did the water baptism that followed. This is why Peter and Paul came and prayed that they would receive the Holy Ghost.

“Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” Acts 8:14-17

True baptism is the receiving of the Holy Ghost. It’s not the washing with actual water that makes us clean, but the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon us that does. Until that point, water baptism, is an outward symbol pointing to a spiritual operation that can only come by the grace of God. We must pray for that operation to occur in those whom we love, just as the Apostles did for those who’d received the word of God.

Water Baptism ≠ Salvation

Believing the Word of God ≠ Salvation

Baptism by the Holy Spirit = Salvation = Circumcision of the heart

“For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” Acts 1:5

Acts 8:16 is critical because it shows us that “unsaved” people were water baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  “For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

More to our chagrin, we have Simon the Sorcerer who was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, but whose heart was not right with God as we read in verse 21. Surely, he’d heard and believed as the scripture said, yet he did not receive the gift of saving faith.

But Simon the Sorcerer should be a great encouragement to us because he was not immediately cast into a fiery pit due to the mis-step of offering money for the gift of God. In verse 22, Peter tells him, “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” We then see a hint of Simon’s repentance in verse 24 when he replies, “Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.” Apparently, there was still hope for Simon.

It is evident from these passages that water baptism is not magic, but it is a sign pointing to the gift of God. It is an initiation into the covenant and it prepares the way for the Holy Spirit as John the Baptizer prepared the way for Jesus Christ. Is baptism required for salvation? YES it is! But it is not the baptism of your doing, nor the doing of an eager pastor.  

John the Baptist says to Jesus in Matthew 3:14, “… I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”

There is much to say on this subject, especially when considering who and by what means someone should be water-baptized. Where you land on these issues depends on how you understand the shift from the bloody covenant to the covenant in which Christ’s blood was shed. 

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. -Exodus 4:25

I’ll end this with a brief analysis of Colossians 2:11-12, which was another critical passage that informed my understanding.

“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

This does not mean that we are buried with Christ in water baptism. It means we are buried with him in baptism by the Holy Spirit, when God elects us to die to our works righteousness and to be raised to new life in Jesus Christ. This is similar to the circumcision made without hands, which is referenced in verse 11. It is not the physical cutting of the flesh nor the physical washing with water, nor the physical resurrection which are emphasized in scripture, but the spiritual operation of God upon us.

Thoughts on "Last Days" (Acts 1-3)

I love the bible because of its completeness, because every word is purposefully placed, and because New Testament scripture perfectly testifies to the promises of the Old Testament. In the end, I am left with the full assurance that God has fulfilled all things written in His Word and He did this through the Son Jesus Christ.

In Acts 3:18, Peter speaking to the “men of Israel” states, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”

By this sentence Peter testifies that God used all the prophets to point to Christ’s sufferings and brought these prophecies to pass.

Peter goes on to say, in Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord...”

Peter clarifies these words in the following verses 20-21: “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

Essentially:

1. God ordained a time for the restitution of all things

2. It was prophesied in scripture (this is key)

3. It was determined from the beginning of the world

4. Christ would be sent to accomplish it  

This same event is mentioned in Acts 1 after Christ ascended into heaven. The two men standing by in white apparel say to the Apostles, “…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven”, indicating an expectation of Christ’s return.

This same event is mentioned in Acts 2 after the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh. Peter wasted no time speaking of the “last days”, and instantly quoted Joel the prophet. Why would he use this reference at that particular time? Because Peter knew that he was living in the “last days”. Yes, God graced Peter, the lowly fisherman, with the knowledge to interpret exactly where he was in scripture. This is not by coincidence, but so that scripture could be fulfilled. From Acts 2:17-21:

And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams;

even on my male servants and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

And I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;

the sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 1,2, and 3 all agree: Christ coming = times of refreshing = restitution of all things = day of the Lord/the great and magnificent day. The Apostles at that time believed there was something more in scripture awaiting fulfillment and that their experiences after Christ’s accension were pointing to that event.

To further clarify, let’s define restitution.

From Websters 1828 Dictionary:

1. The act of returning or restoring to a person some thing or right of which he has been unjustly deprived; as the restitution of ancient rights to the crown.

The Apostles were expecting restitution after the crucifixion of a perfectly innocent Jesus Christ, based on prophetic scripture. They had clearly identified the guilty party in the crime and they continually reminded the criminals of their guilt and urged them to repent. The crucifixion of the Son of God would not simply get swept under the rug like a political scandal, nor would God have it return void.

Consider what the public sentiment might have been in the days after the crucifixion. I imagine it much like the days after the detonation of Building 7 (9/11 for the new folks); with no one really understanding what happened or why, with many searching for truth, and wondering who was actually in charge. Yet there were the high priests and rabbis, still ruling in Jerusalem, scoffing at those claiming that He would return, and their physical temple still standing unharmed. Would justice be done?

It’s not as if Christ rose from the dead and suddenly American evangelicalism filled the land and a "good old fashioned altar call" broke out. God forbid! No, there were stonings, and beatings, and men being unjustly cast into prison. And then there was Apostle Paul bargaining with new converts over the use of the law, new converts who had to reconcile their paganism with the Gospel in a post-crucifixion world. Something else had to happen to make the transition from the Old to the New Covenant, and redemptive history, complete.

The temple was the focus of scripture down to every measurement and ornament and ritual and it had tentacles throughout the old world. But God, from the foundation of the world, had it marked for annihilation in order to fully transition the Israel of God (Rom 11:26) to the permanently-affixed temple made without hands (Hebrews 9:8-11). The prophets of old testified of this and so did Jesus Christ himself in the Gospels (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 to name just a few).

And this was the purpose for Christ’s appearing again. He ascended into heaven so that the Holy Spirit would be poured out, and in like manner, He came down from heaven so that his wrath and judgement would be poured out on the world.

For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Rev 6:17

As disciples of Christ, it is imperative that we believe God accomplished this, and that we are no longer awaiting restitution or refreshment for the events of the first century, but that all things were set right in Jesus Christ.

God fulfilled his purpose when he brought forth perfect truth to Creation through his only begotten Son. Jesus was crucified for our sins and for our salvation and he returned to make an end of things that waxed old (Hebrews 8:13). We must be staunch witnesses of this in our own day and agree that the truth was settled and that the blood for transgression was shed long ago.  God is with us, forever, even for ever and ever. Amen.

But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Daniel 7:18

Thy People Shall Be Willing

“And after these things he went forth and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him.”

— Luke 5:27-28

“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power…”

— Psalm 110:3

In Luke chapter 5, the Good Shepherd leaves the ninety and nine astonished by a miraculous act of healing to go find a single publican. The Spirit does not come to as a reward. Levi was a publican, also known as a tax collector. This means that he was a thief, an extortioner, and covenant-breaker who was willing to afflict his brethren for personal gain. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit [1].

If salvation were a reward no one would get it. If we had to earn our salvation we wouldn’t, because we can’t. Instead it says, Not by works of rightouesness which we have done, but according ot his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost [2].

On the day of His power, he makes us willing like Levi to drop everything and follow Jesus. Levi gives no objection or excuses as to why he is too busy to drop his stop counting his money and follow the Savior. So what’s your excuse? What’s my excuse?!

When Peter was called to apostleship earlier in the same gospel narrative, he fell down before Jesus and said, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord [3].

Yes, there are some prayers God won’t answer! How fortunate for us that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance [4]! Our sin, our rebellion, our refusal or inability to “cooperate with grace” will not overrule God’s sovereign decree. Our despair and the accuser of the brethren reminds us of our sin and unworthiness. Our despair can say, Depart from me I am sinful! But our God has said, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee [5].

Scriptures

1John 3:8

2Titus 3:5

3Luke 5:8

4Rom 11:29

5Josh 1:5