1. WHAT’S IN THE WATER?

2. Calvinist: “In short, Baptism is an act. Actions can not save us
Calvinist: “In short, Baptism is an act. Actions can not save us. God saves us through faith, which is a gift.”

3. Methodist: By scripture, Wesley points out that there is no mandate forbidding the baptism of children or infants.  On the contrary, since God directed circumcision for eight-day-old infants (Gen. 17), and baptism was given “in the room” of circumcision, scripture appears to allow it.  Wesley finds additional scriptural support in Jesus Christ’s command to his disciples that they not refrain from bringing children and infants to Him (Luke 18:15-16).  

4. Catholicism: “Catholics practice infant baptism, which they consider a gift of God’s grace. Infants and young children are “baptized in the faith of the Church” (CCC, 1282). So important is baptism in the Catholic faith that they teach that an unbaptized child who dies either goes to hell or to purgatory.”

5. Church of God: “Some people have thought so because of a mistaken interpretation of I Pet. 3:21 and Acts 22:16. But Peter plainly represents baptism as a figure, or symbol of regeneration. And the command of Ananias to Paul places emphasis on “calling on the name of the Lord,” or repentance. It is clear by reading Paul’s epistles, that he did not believe baptism effected salvation.”

6. Somehow people draw the conclusion that the necessity of baptism is ridiculous.
They asks, “What is in the water?”

7. I. WHAT’S IN THE WATER? OBEDIENCE

8. There is nothing in the water. Yet, there is something providential
There is nothing in the water! Yet, there is something providential! Those who hear and obey the word will be immersed in water in order to be saved!

9. 1. Immersion Pouring and sprinkling both demand the liquid H2O.
Yet, it will merely get the person wet, NOT SAVED!
1. Immersion

10. Matt. 3:16, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.”

11. Acts 8:38, “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.” 

12. Rom. 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Col. 2:12, “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.”

13. 2) Identical
Obedience demands doing things the way God says to do them.
In every example of water baptism, it is immersion.
Sprinkling came about by Augustine Augustine (AD ). Augustine took the position that infants inherit the sin of Adam and Eve, and therefore are born sinners and should be baptized soon after their birth.

14. II. WHAT’S IN THE WATER? AN OPERATION

15. A doctor performs an operation to remove tumors.
The Great Physical performs and operation of the soul to remove the sins.
Baptism creates a new man.
Rom. 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

16. OPERATION OF GOD
Col. 2:12, “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.”

17. III. WHAT’S IN THE WATER? OBSERVING

18. Not only do we have the command to be baptized, we also observe the New Testament church of the First Century.
People on day of Pentecost: Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 2:41, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

19. The Enunch: Acts 8:36, 38, “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?... 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.”

20. Household of Cornelius: Acts 10:48, “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”
Lydia: Acts 16:15, “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”

21. The Jailer: Acts 16:33, “And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.”
Crispus: Acts 18:8, “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.”

22. IV. WHAT IS IN THE WATER? OBSTRUCTION

23. A condition of being clogged or blocked.
God requires many things that become obstructions to some.
Faith vs. Human Logic

24. THE WALLS OF JERICHO
Josh. 6:3-5, “And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.   And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.  

25. THE WALLS OF JERICHO
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” 

26. 2 Kings 5:10-14, “And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.   But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.  

27. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”  

28. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

29. WHAT DOES BAPTISM DO? (1) It washes sins away! (2) It puts on Christ!
(3) It creates a new man!
(4) It brings one in contact with the blood of Christ!
(5) It saves!
WHAT DOES BAPTISM DO?