Baptism is not about physical descent or family heritage, but about the spiritual reality of new birth in Christ. The new covenant is marked by a personal relationship with God, not by external rituals passed down through generations. Each believer is called to display their faith openly, showing that their identity is rooted in Christ and not in their ancestry. The act of baptism is a testimony to the transformation that has taken place within, signifying a heart that has been made new by the Spirit. [00:15]
Romans 6:3-4 (ESV)
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by 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.
Reflection: In what ways does your life reflect the reality of being made new in Christ, rather than relying on your family background or traditions?
The pattern in Scripture is clear: repentance and faith come before baptism. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change, a public declaration that one has turned to God and trusted in Jesus. This order is seen throughout the New Testament, where those who believe and confess Christ are baptized as a response to their faith. It is not a ritual for those who have not yet believed, but a step of obedience for those who have already encountered the saving grace of God. [00:33]
Acts 2:38 (ESV)
And Peter said to them, “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.”
Reflection: Have you personally made a conscious decision to trust in Christ before being baptized, or is God inviting you to take that step of faith today?
The promise of the new covenant is that everyone included in it will truly know God, from the least to the greatest. This is a shift from the old covenant, where membership was often based on birth and not necessarily on personal faith. In the new covenant, the sign is given to those who have a genuine relationship with God, who can confess His name and call on Him personally. This ensures that the community of faith is made up of those who have experienced God’s grace firsthand. [00:51]
Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV)
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Reflection: How does knowing that you are personally known by God shape the way you live and interact with others in the faith community?
Baptism is not merely a shadow of Old Testament rituals like circumcision, but a powerful sign of union with Christ in His death and resurrection. It is a declaration that the believer has died to sin and now lives a new life in Christ. This union is the heart of the gospel, and baptism is the visible proclamation of that reality. The act itself does not save, but it points to the saving work of God in the believer’s life. [01:05]
Colossians 2:11-12 (ESV)
In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Reflection: In what ways can you more intentionally live out your union with Christ, remembering that baptism points to this deep spiritual reality?
While baptism is a meaningful and important sign, it is God alone who saves. The outward act is a testimony to the inward work of grace, but it is not the means of salvation itself. Trust is to be placed not in the ritual, but in the God who gives new life and forgives sins. This truth calls believers to focus on the substance of faith rather than the symbols, and to celebrate the God who works powerfully in and through His people. [02:45]
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Reflection: Are there any religious practices or traditions you have been tempted to trust in for your standing with God, rather than relying fully on His grace?
In exploring the meaning and practice of baptism, the focus is drawn to the clear teaching of Scripture regarding who should receive this sign of the new covenant. The old covenant, marked by circumcision and lineage, has been fulfilled and transformed in Christ. Now, the sign of belonging to God’s people is not inherited by birth, but received through new birth—faith in Jesus. Romans 6 points to baptism as a symbol of being buried and raised with Christ, a public display of faith that cannot be made on behalf of another, especially not an infant who cannot yet believe or confess.
The pattern in the New Testament is consistent: faith precedes baptism. Acts 2 records Peter’s call to “repent and be baptized,” making repentance and faith prerequisites for the sign. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 further illustrates this, as the eunuch confesses Christ before entering the water. Baptism is not a shadow of the law, nor a mere continuation of circumcision, but a declaration of union with Christ, a reality only those who know Him can claim.
Jeremiah 31’s promise of a new covenant is that all its members will know the Lord personally. This means the sign of the covenant—baptism—belongs to those who have come to faith, not to those who have not yet believed. The distinction between law and gospel must remain clear; the gospel calls for a response of faith, and baptism follows as a sign of that response. Colossians 2 draws a connection between circumcision and baptism, but makes clear that the reality is found in Christ, not in the sign itself. Ultimately, it is God who saves, not the outward act, but the act is a testimony to the saving work already done in the heart.
Romans 6:3-4 (ESV) —
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by 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.
- Acts 2:37-38 (ESV)
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “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.”
- Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV)
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
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