Aug 21
15
Baptist Catechism 96
Q. 96. How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them. (1 Peter 3:21; 1 Cor. 3:6,7; 1 Cor. 12:13)
Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 3:18–22
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:18–22, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
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There is a doctrine out there that goes by the name baptismal regeneration. This is the teaching that God regenerates sinners — that is to say, makes them spiritually alive — through the waters of baptism. This view is to be rejected, for it contradicts what the scriptures clearly teach, which is that God regenerates sinners by the power of his Holy Spirit, not because they believe and are baptized, but so that they will believe and be baptized. Those who are dead in the trespasses and sins do not believe, brothers and sisters, for they are dead. God must breathe spiritual life into them if they are to run to God through faith in Christ. We are naturally blind. God must give us eyes to see. We are naturally deaf. God must give us ears to hear. We are naturally rebellious. God must subdue us and call us to himself by his word and Spirit. Regeneration does not proceed from faith (much less baptism). No, it precedes faith. We are able to believe only because God has awakened us to himself.
But this does not mean that the Spirit of God does not work any further within us after regeneration and faith. No, the Spirit does continue to work with those he calls to the Father through the Son. He seals those who believe, and he does sanctify them further still.
But what about this passage in 1 Peter that I have just read which says, “baptism… now saves you”. Does Peter mean to say that we are saved by baptism? Is baptism the instrument by which we receive the gift of salvation? Certainly, our answer must be, no, for the scriptures clearly teach in many other places that the instrument by which we receive salvation is faith. Then what does Peter mean?
The short answer is this: it may be said that baptism saves us because of what it is that baptism signifies. In water baptism, the believer makes a public profession of faith. It is not the baptism itself that saves, but the thing that baptism signifies. Water baptism signifies the washing away of our sins. And how is it that our sins are washed away? Not by the baptismal waters themselves, but by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and received by faith. That is what 1 Peter 3:21 actually says. And I quote: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 3:21, ESV). So, when one is baptized in water they are saying to the world, “Jesus is Lord”, and they are appealing to God for a good conscience. What is their appeal rooted in? Not the baptismal water itself, but the finished work of Christ. Faith in Christ is the means by which we come to have the salvation that Christ has earned. It may be said that baptism saves us because baptism is a sign of all that.
Now, this is not an exposition of 1 Peter 3:18-22. Much more could be said about that passage. Here we are considering the doctrine presented in Baptist Catechism 96, and this doctrine is very helpful as we seek to understand how the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper work.
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Baptist Catechism 96
The question is, “How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?”
Are baptism and the Lord’s Supper used by the Lord to bring salvation and its benefits to the elect of God? Well, of course. They are means of salvation in much the same way that the word of God is a means of salvation.
If I said that the word of God saves you, what would you think? I hope you will understand what I mean. The word does not save automatically so that all who hear God’s word are saved by it. No, it is a means to salvation. But to be saved one must receive the word by faith. In particular, they must receive the gospel of Jesus Christ which is presented there. And it is the same with baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are a means of grace, for they do signify the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But they do not save automatically so that all who are baptized, or all who partake of the Lord’s Supper, are saved.
Listen to the answer our catechism gives. It is most helpful.
“Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation…” Notice the word “become”. They are not an automatic means of salvation, as I have already said.
Next we read, “not from any virtue in them…” Baptism and the Lord’s Supper save and sanctify, not because there is power in the water itself, or in the bread and cup itself, but because of what they point to, namely Christ, crucified and risen, and the forgiveness of sins that is found in him.
The answer continues with these words, “or in him that doth administer them…” In other words, it is not the minister who makes these sacraments effective by his blessing. By the way, it may be that you were baptized by a man who later showed himself to be a fraud. It doesn’t matter. Did you have sincere faith when you were baptized? Were you baptized in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Then your baptism should be considered valid, even if the minister showed himself to have false faith.
Next, we find the phrase, “but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them.” So it is Christ who makes these sacraments an effective means of grace for his people. He uses these things to bring his people into the faith, to sanctify them, and to keep them. This he does by the working of the Holy Spirit.
Baptismal water, and the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, are common elements. But they are made Holy by the blessing of Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit. We should approach these sacraments with reverence, therefore. The water is just water. It is not magical. The bread is bread, and the wine is wine. They are not transformed into anything else when the minister blesses them. But we know that the Spirit is present in a unique way when his people partake of these things. Reverence is needed, therefore. We must be careful to approach in a worthy manner.
And what is needed, above all else, to approach in a worthy manner? Faith in Christ is needed. It is a most unworthy thing to partake of these elements without faith, for then we are hypocrites. When we are baptized, and when we partake of the Supper, we say through our actions, “Jesus is Lord”, and “I believe”. But if there is no true faith, then we contradict ourselves. Worse yet, we take God’s name in vain. We claim that we are his, and that he is ours, when in fact it is not true.
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Conclusion
So let us come worthily, brothers and sisters. Let us be careful to give baptism only to those who make a credible profession of faith, and let us come prepared to the table lest there be found in any of an unbelieving heart. And how do those who believe live? They strive to keep the commandments of God.
Lastly, let us come to the waters of baptism, and to the bread and the cup of the Supper, knowing for certain that God does work through these things to distribute his grace to his people. We should come expecting to receive from him, therefore.
Q. 96. How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them. (1 Peter 3:21; 1 Cor. 3:6,7; 1 Cor. 12:13)
