What Doth Hinder Me To Be Baptized?

This is a message about Christian Baptism. It not only teaches what the Bible has to say about baptism, but deals with many of the misconceptions and answers many of the questions about baptism as well. We hope this tract will be a blessing to you.

Christian baptism is certainly important. After all, Jesus himself was baptized and He commanded every believer to be baptized as well. Therefore, in this little booklet, we are going to explore what baptism means, why a believer should be baptized, as well as hindrances that may stand in the way of being scripturally baptized.

As a starting point, we are going to explore a touching story of salvation which contains an example of believer’s baptism. It is from the New Testament book of the Bible known as, The Acts of the Apostles. Here, we find the story of Philip the Evangelist being directed by God to instruct a searching soul in the way of salvation.

We will first read this story just as it appears in Acts 8:26-39:

“26. And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27. And he arose and went: and, behold a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

28. Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

29. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31. And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

32. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34. And the Eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37. And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

39. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the Eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”

What Is Baptism?

Now, before we get into the lessons of this story, perhaps we should stop and explain exactly what the Bible means when it speaks of water baptism. You see, baptism is actually a picture of what saves a person, namely, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When one is baptized, he first enters the water forming a cross, so to speak. Then, as he is lowered into the water, he is saying that he believes that Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross for his sins, that He was buried and that He rose again from the dead. In other words, he is stating to the world that he believes the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that he is trusting Him alone as his Savior.

Baptism is not part of the gospel, but is rather a picture of the gospel of Christ. This becomes quite clear when we read what the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1:17:

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.”

You see Paul most always let others baptize while he restricted himself to preaching the gospel. No, baptism is not the gospel, but is rather a picture of the gospel. Peter called it “a like figure” of what saves us. “Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.” (I Peter 3:21)

Baptism is in fact, one of only two ordinances (prescribed observances) that Christ left to the church. The second is the repeated observance of the Lord’s Supper. Both of these ordinances picture the death and resurrection of Christ. It is important to understand that neither Baptism nor the Lord’s Supper have any saving power. On the contrary, they both remind us of what alone can save us: even the finished work of Jesus Christ!

Hindrances To Baptism

However, the purpose of this booklet, is not to study baptism as a doctrine, but rather to consider the hindrances that stand in the way of many people being baptized.

Notice, that after hearing a clear presentation of Christ and the gospel, the Ethiopian eunuch enthusiastically asked: “See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?” This is the exact question that we will try to address in the remainder of this tract.

If baptism is commanded by Christ, (see Matthew 28:19-20 etc.) why then do many fail to get baptized? To answer this question, allow me to point out seven hindrances to baptism that many face today.

1. Not Being Saved

Notice that in answer to the eunuch’s question, Philip replied: “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” You see, the first and only scriptural requirement to being baptized is a genuine faith in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross.

Before a person can be scripturally baptized, he must first place His heart’s trust in Jesus Christ as the crucified and risen Son of God and Savior of the world. This is referred to as being saved. In the following verse, the Bible describes how to be saved.

“The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

This is exactly what the Ethiopian eunuch did in our story when he said: “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God!” This same portion of the book of Romans then goes on to show us how to exercise this faith in a prayer for salvation. In verse thirteen it promises:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

There you have it. The only prerequisite to baptism is getting saved by exercising faith in Christ. If you have never consciously done this, you need to. You can do it right now, this very minute. Just bow your head and ask Christ to save you. Ask Him to save you from your sins. He did the dying. He has the power to do the saving too. All you have to do is ask!

Before I leave this first point, let me also make it quite clear that baptism before salvation is not scriptural at all. If you were baptized before you consciously got saved, or if you were baptized as an infant, you must understand that you were not scripturally baptized.

This is exactly why Billy Graham himself was baptized a second time. After coming to Christ as a teenager, and after studying his Bible, he came to realize that a person must be saved before baptism. He realized that, however well intentioned his parents were, his infant baptism was unscriptural and therefore invalid and void.

This is why I too have been baptized twice. Though I was baptized as a boy, I came to realize that salvation did not precede my baptism. Therefore, after getting saved, I requested a second baptism in order to be on scriptural grounds.

2. Not Being Sure You Are Saved

The second hinderance to being baptized is not being sure that you are saved. Now you may ask, “Is not this the same thing we have just been studying?” The answer is no. You see, there are people who know they are lost, and in need of being saved, and then there are other people who are 95% sure they are saved but who have 5% doubt. And believe me, 5% doubt means 100% misery!

There are people who wonder if they are saved. They have lingering doubts and are tormented by a lack of assurance. Now let me say right now, that there is no shame in this, but you must get it settled! In fact, the Bible clearly instructs us in this very matter when it says:

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.” (II Peter 1:10)

You see, God does not want you to be riddled with doubts about your salvation. In I John 5:12-13, we read:

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.”

God wants you to know that you are saved. You

don’t have to just “think so” or “hope so”. You can

have a “ know so” salvation!

Not long ago, one of my parishioners came to me with a nagging doubt about her salvation. She said, “Pastor, I am one of those five percenters. One day I feel saved and the next day I’m just not sure.” We sat down and in fifteen minutes time, all her doubts vanished as she received Christ as her Savior according to the scriptures. She was later gloriously baptized with full assurance of faith. It made all the difference in the world, and in eternity too!

This is not an isolated case. Time and again, I have seen people troubled with doubt, find peace and assurance. The main thing is to get it settled. Most often this will be concluded in the baptistry as another hinderance to baptism melts away.

3. Not Understanding What The Bible Teaches About Baptism.

One legitimate reason for hesitating in baptism is a lack of knowledge of what the Bible has to say on the subject. However, there is no good reason to remain ignorant on the subject. We have already seen that baptism is a picture of salvation through the finished work of Christ.

However, salvation is also our Lord’s prescribed way of making a public confession of faith in Him. In fact, in every single instance where someone got saved in the book of Acts, they were immediately baptized! You will readily see this if you want to look up the following examples.

• The multitude on Pentecost - Acts 2:41

• The people of Samaria - Acts 8:12

• The Ethiopian eunuch - Acts 8:38

• The Apostle Paul - Acts 9:18

• The household of Cornelius - Acts 10:48

• The household of Lydia - Acts 16:15

• The Philippian jailer and his family - Acts 16:31

Each of these and many other passages give us wonderful insights into understanding what the Bible has to say about baptism. In each case, baptism followed salvation immediately. Thus we come to understand that not only is baptism our Lord’s prescribed way of publicly confessing Christ before others, it should also be the new believer’s first act of obedience to the Lord. Since this is the undeniable biblical pattern, every genuine believer should be baptized as soon as possible after they are saved.

Our final observation from the above examples is that baptism is also the door, so to speak, for being added to the church membership. In Acts 2:41 we read:

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”Although every believer will undoubtedly learn more about baptism after they are

saved, it is not so complicated as to be used as an excuse for delaying the command to follow Christ in baptism as soon as possible. Remember, it is the first step of obedience, not the culmination of all knowledge.

4. Not Turning Away From Known Sin

The Bible teaches that baptism does not put away the filth of the flesh, but is rather the answer of a good conscience before God. (See I Peter 3:21) When a person is baptized, it is an expression of gratitude which reflects

the joy of being forgiven for sin.

However, I have known people who have steadfastly resisted being baptized because their conscience condemned them for some known sin in their life. I have also seen how the removal of this sin has occasioned an immediate and joyful baptism experience. You can see then how known sin can stand in the way of obedience in following our Lord in baptism, and even salvation itself! Repentence must be genuine and sincere.

Friend, baptism is the first step to making Christ Lord of your life. Do not let some petty or secret sin keep you from experiencing the joy of complete surrender to the Lord.

5. Not Being Courageous

Some people are hindered from following Christ in baptism because of fear. These fears are many and varied: fear of people; fear of how they will look in front of others; insecurities about their weight; even fear of water.

I remember my own granddaughter’s experience. She had just been saved in Summer Vacation Bible School. But when it came time to actually go down into the baptistry, she was terrified. It took several weeks of encouragement before she successfully followed through.

I remember another dear lady who wanted to be baptized in an empty auditorium after all the people had gone. Of course I gently refused her request pointing out that Christ suffered publicly for our sins. After some little counselling, she was happily baptized and continues to serve Christ faithfully to this day.

I think the important thing to realize is that although these fears can seem so real, they can also be overcome. The secret is to remember what Jesus went through for us. Let no fear become a hindrance to being baptized.

6. Not Being Humble And Obedient

There are people who are overly concerned about what other people think at the expense of what God thinks. Being a man-pleaser has tripped up many a would be disciple from being baptized. Being baptized is not a suggestion, it is a command. We must humble ourselves and be obedient to the commands of Christ our Savior. I have often said, “Baptism does not save people, but saved people do get baptized!” There is just no way around it, obedience will ultimately lead you to the baptistry.

7. Improper Or Incomplete Instruction

As we have already seen, there are improper baptisms. Infant baptism is nowhere taught in the Bible and certainly flies in the face of Philip’s remark to the Ethiopian eunuch: “If thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest.” An infant cannot meet this requirement.

Today, there are a number of teachings about

baptism which we believe are improper and unscriptural. Here is a short list of some of the more prevalent false teachings about baptism.

• Infant baptism. We have already addressed this issue as being totally incompatible by scripture.

• Baptismal regeneration. This is a Campbellite teaching that baptism is the door to salvation. It’s error is that it elevates baptism as a work that must be performed in order to get saved, and thus making baptism equal with the atoning work of Christ himself. This is a perversion that distorts the gospel. (See Galatians 1:6-9) The Bible plainly teaches against such concepts in many verses such as Ephesians 2:8-9.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Baptism is to accompany salvation, not supplant it. Baptism is to be a confession of our faith in the finished work of Christ, not an addition to His atoning work.

• Sprinkling instead of immersion. Sprinkling as a form of baptism is nowhere taught in the Bible, and we think the symbolism of Christ’s burial and resurrection is lost in such an observance. In one Bible example after another, the participants went down into the water, or came up out of the water. (See Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Acts 8:38-39, etc.) You see, one cannot depict the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ by sprinkling. It defies the type and loses much of its significance.

• Down playing or even ignoring the importance of baptism. While Campbellites elevate baptism to an unbiblical preeminence, still others undermine its importance. Groups like the Salvation Army have often displaced the ordinance with such things as uniforms and other man made trappings. Others either ignore or actually teach against the need for being baptized.

We believe that teachers who down play the significance of being baptized do a great disservice to the scriptures and to their converts as well, who are often left bewildered and confused in subsequent years. Often, only personal Bible counselling or solid Bible preaching will undo the doctrinal damage that is done.

Summary

1. Baptism does not save us but is rather a picture of what does save us, even faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Baptism is the first step of obedience to the Lord Jesus, who commands us to be baptized.

3. Baptism is the prescribed way for believers to publicly confess Christ.

4. Baptism is the means whereby new believers are to identify and associate themselves with other Christians, and is therefore a prerequisite to church membership.

5. Baptism is to be by immersion as a clear picture

of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

6. Baptism is a beautiful experience that helps the believer and encourages others to come to Christ.

Conclusion

It is never too late to be baptized any more than its too late to be saved. Just this year, it was my great privilege to baptize a man on his eightieth birthday. What a joy to see this dear saint of God come to a good confession of faith and to follow his Lord and Savior in the beautiful ordinance. What a blessing also to see his family blessed, and some to even follow his good example.

There is no reason for a true believer to be hindered in following Christ in baptism. If you are not saved, this must come first. Call upon him now! The scripture clearly promises that:

“The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:12-13)

Simply pray a sincere prayer something like this:

“Dear Lord, I am a sinner and in need of a Savior. I believe that Jesus Christ was your Son and that he died on the cross for my sins and that he rose again from the dead. Lord Jesus, come into my life and save my soul. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.”