There is an operation of God that takes place when a penitent believer is baptized. “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” (Colossians 2:12). God operates to: remit, blot out, and wash away sins (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 22:16). Baptism is important, necessary to receive remission of sins (Acts 2:38), necessary for one to be in Christ (Romans 6:3-4), necessary to become a child of God (Galatians 3:26-27), necessary to be put into the one body, the church (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23).
However, this operation involves the past life, and only as one is brought into Christ does the operation affect the present and future. One must live a Christian life. What baptism cannot do:
1. Baptism cannot change the life. This is done by repentance. Notice these verses: “But what think ye? A man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in the vineyard. And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went” (Matthew 21:28-29). A changed life is wrought by repentance.
2. Baptism cannot remove temptations. “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let patience have (its) perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). The true view of temptation or trial is that it is an opportunity to gain new strength through overcoming. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12).
3. Baptism cannot prevent one from doing wrong. It is true that a child of God should not err from the truth, but even after preaching to others Peter was still condemned for his action; “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Cephas before (them) all, If thou, being a Jew, livest as do the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, how compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” (Galatians 2:11, 14). Notice what the apostle Paul wrote, “But I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
4. Baptism cannot guarantee eternal salvation. “So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). One purged, cleansed from sin, must add the Christian qualities stated in 2 Peter 1:5-11: “Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in (your) virtue knowledge; and in (your) knowledge self-control; and in (your) self-control patience; and in (your) patience godliness; and in (your) godliness brotherly kindness; and in (your) brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Baptism does not instill these important qualities of Christian character.
There is a marvelous working of God that takes place when people are baptized. One is raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). If we fail to live the new life, we are failing to live in harmony with one of the meanings of our baptism; we were raised a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Our affections, and thinking, must be fixed on things above. Baptism is important, but baptism is not the end of what a Christian must do. Does your life show that you have been raised with Christ? Or, does it show that you need to recall the meaning of your baptism?