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SOME THINGS THAT BAPTISM DOES NOT DO
Through water baptism one gets into the Christ and into
His death (Romans 6:3). Via scriptural baptism one gets into the body or
church of the Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). Scriptural baptism results
in one’s sins being washed away (Acts 22:16). These are all wonderful Bible
truths that point out great changes in a person’s life and relationships.
It is tragic that many in the religious world do not recognize these truths.
While the Bible plainly speaks of the necessity of water
baptism and the blessings that result from it, it is also true that there
are some things that baptism does not do. Let’s look at a few of these.
Baptism does not --
(1) Remove financial debts. If one has borrowed money in order to buy a house and each month is required to pay the bank or some financial institution a certain sum of money, for that person to be baptized does not remove his/her obligation to make those monthly payments.
(2) Remove the consequence of some sins. The man who gets drunk, drives a car, has a wreck, and loses a daughter in the accident will be without that child as long as he lives on this earth. He may later obey the gospel by being baptized, but the consequence of his drunkenness (the loss of his daughter) is not changed by his baptism.
(3) Erase other people’s memory of one’s past life. Scriptural baptism results in sins being remitted (Acts 2:38), but other people will still remember the past life, good or bad, of the one baptized. The baptized person will have to live with this reality.
(4) Give a person the right to go back into sin. When one obeys the gospel from the heart, he/she is made free from sin (Romans 6:17,18). Baptism, however, is not a stamp of approval for returning to and living in sin. Baptism takes care of past sins, but does nothing to remove future transgressions. Away with the idea that says as members of the church we can plead, "But I’ve been baptized, so I have the freedom to do as I please."
(5) Make a person a member of a denominational group. It is possible for one to become a member of a denomination, and it is the case that some denominations require a "baptism" for such membership. However, scriptural baptism puts one into the Lord’s church and nowhere else (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Lord adds the saved to His church and nothing else (Acts 2:47).
(6) Remove physical ailments. A saved person ought to have a better
outlook on his/her physical infirmities, but being baptized does not remove
them. If one suffers with congestive heart failure before baptism, that
congestive heart failure will not be changed by baptism.
Also, baptism by no means guarantees that a faithful child of God will
never have health problems. Paul, a faithful servant of the Christ, had
a thorn in his flesh long after he was baptized (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Also, Timothy had a "preacher’s stomach" (1 Timothy 5:23) and Paul once
went on without brother Trophimus when the latter was sick (2 Timothy 4:20).
(7) Change an adulterous relationship into a God-approved relationship. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" (Matthew 19:9). A person that divorces his/her mate, but does not do so because of the mate’s fornication, enters an adulterous union if he/she enters another "marriage." Jesus calls the new union "adultery." If an unbaptized person enters such an adulterous union, then for him/her later to be baptized does not change the adultery into a God-approved marriage. If, in God’s sight, a man was simply living with a woman before his baptism and their legal marriage was not approved by Him, then for the man to be baptized does not make the woman into his wife. Baptism is not a marriage ceremony. (The same would apply to a homosexual – if he is baptized, then repentance requires that he get out of his homosexual relationships).
(8) Automatically change a person’s heart. It is the change in heart or desire to please the Lord that should lead one to baptism! Many that have been immersed have failed to live faithfully to their Lord after baptism. Why? Their lives never changed because their hearts never changed. Moms and dads, don’t be deceived into thinking that if you can just get your child to be baptized, then that will change his/her heart. It doesn’t work that way. Baptism must be preceded by repentance (Acts 2:38).
(9) Automatically remove barriers between the one baptized and other people. While the newly baptized person ought to strive to be at peace with all men (Romans 12:18), the fact remains that those who were antagonistic to him/her before baptism just might retain such antagonism after baptism. A Christian can do his/her best to right all past wrongs, bury the hatchet, and restore severed relationships, but sometimes other parties just are not interested in such.
(10) Automatically make one ready to teach a Bible class. It is often
the case that folks come up out of the water "on fire." That is wonderful,
and God forbid that we should do or say anything to dampen their zeal.
Yet, it is also true that zeal must be based on knowledge (Romans 10:1-3),
and those that are given the responsibility of teaching need to be those
that have first proven themselves, both in their knowledge (Hebrews 5:12-14)
and in their lifestyle (Titus 2:7).
Not for a minute would we consider trying to minimize the significance
of being baptized. At the same time, though, we must keep in mind the purpose
and results of baptism, realizing that there are a number of things that
baptism does not and cannot do.
Roger D. Campbell