EN－①－C－006 Basic Teaching 2025年版(ver.8) C Basic of Christian life（６） Baptism
■・■－1/2 25/05/18
Baptism is a public act of faith by those who have decided to follow Jesus through getting their whole bodies immersed in the water.
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"He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”(Mark 16:16)
There are cases in some churches where they baptize the infants so that they may be able to go to heaven even if they may die early, which they do based on this scripture. However, it has to be those who believe that get saved. So there is no sense in baptizing those who do not have faith.
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The other extreme (Luke23:43）is the idea that you should just believe and that is enough and there is no need of baptism, because Jesus declared salvation to the one who repented on the cross. The background of such belief is the lack of understanding that salvation is a process.
Jesus got baptized in order to be an example for us to follow, before he started ministrying. Therefore, if someone is not baptized even though he has faith, that shows that his faith is not moving towards the right direction.
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There are three witnesses when we get baptized as our statement of our faith.
（Eph1:3）・・Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
（Luke15:7） ・・ "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
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To have a relationship with God is done in the family of God. That is, we are invited into a community of God. Therefore, baptism can be compared to a wedding.
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3）Devil： It is declared officially through baptism that you get out of the control of Devil.
（１John5:19） We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
Before we get saves, we were all under the control of Devil. So baptism declares the rejection of that control officially.
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■ Requirements for baptism
１）To have faith in Christ ：Anyone can have faith. However, the degrees are different depending on the person. No one has perfect faith from the beginning. In fact, none of us has perfect faith. Therefore, there is no strict standard for faith. But the following may be the requirements;
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２）Direction to become disciples： （Matthew28:19）"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
The requirement for getting baptized is to have a direction to become disciples of Christ. It does not mean bcoming perfect. It is a matter of attitude of direction that you desire to lean and follow Jesus.
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３） Understanding the Standard of Christian Living:
This includes avoiding conditions commonly referred to as addictions—such as to alcohol, nicotine, gaming, or pornography. For those who are currently in such situations, it is important that they have a desire to break free or are in the process of recovery. Being involved in worldly impurities does not mean one cannot receive baptism; however, it is important to understand the need to turn in a better direction.
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There are many other aspects as well, one of which is making offerings (donations).
Of course, this is entirely a matter of personal choice, as it is considered a part of worship. Whether one gives, and how much, should be based on each individual’s will.
However, offerings can also reflect where one’s heart is. As Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
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The Bible presents the idea of offering a tenth of one’s income (tithing) as a standard. This concept originates from the Old Testament, but even so, our church regards it as a standard of Christian living and a foundation for blessings.
For this reason, many churches take the opportunity around the time of baptism to teach about tithing. Since this tithe is different from the regular offering given during worship services, it is helpful to understand it as a separate practice.
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That said, in our church, all offerings are placed in the same envelope or container, so it is impossible to know how much each person has given. This is because worship, at its core, is not something to be done under pressure or compulsion from others.
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■ Why do we get baptized?
１）Because Jesus commanded that： Baptism is what Jesus commanded us to do as Matthew 28:19 says. And Jesus Himself did get baptized and showed us an example so that we may all get baptized. (Matthew 3:15)
Baptism is act of repentance of sins. As Jesus humbled Himself and got baptized, whild He had no sin, we all should get baptized.
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２）It is done in the love relationship with God
（Matthew3:17）And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
It is not just an obligation as it was commanded, but our God loves us and He delights when we walk in His Will. So we get baptized because we love God.
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■ Baptism is ～
１）public statement of faith： as it was mentioned before（１Peter3:21）3:21 ・・・baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God),
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Baptism is the only official statement of faith. That is why, even in families or countries that are tolerant of believing in Jesus, one may still face persecution upon receiving baptism. Furthermore, in Islamic countries, it can even put one’s life in danger.
The perspective on religion commonly seen in Japan is that you can believe in anything as long as you honor the sects of ancestors.
As far as you remain in that frame, they may tolerate your believing in Christ. But once you are to get baptized, there may be strong resistance. It is because getting baptized means public statement of faith instead of believing in hearts.
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We often say, “If you believe in Christ, you will be saved,” and that is certainly true. However, whether or not a person is truly a Christian is a separate matter. This is because the meaning of “Christian” is “someone who is in Christ.”
We are not believe like that, but the common understanding of many churches is that if you come to church every week but have not been baptized, you are KYUDOSHA (Seeker) (Someone exploring faith). A seeker is someone who seeks the way to salvation, and is more than an unbeliever but less than a Christian.
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Our church takes a strategic approach of not creating a sharp divide between people of the world and Christians, but instead maintaining a gradual transition—viewing everyone as part of a loosely connected community. This is also the reason we use the term “group.”
Therefore, even those who have not been baptized are rarely made to feel alienated. So if you still have doubts or if it doesn’t sit right in your heart, there is no need to force yourself to receive baptism.
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２）The statement to come out of the control of the devil： as it was mentioned in <05>.
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３）The funeral to bury old self
Baptism is compared to wedding in the previous explanation. It is also a funeral, which means making a new start, parting old self. If you do not part old self, you will end up dragging it in your life.
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Romans6:4-6）6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
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Baptism is reproducing the death of Jesus. The body before crucification was corruptible body. However, the resurrected body is uncorruptible body and glorified body. As we get baptized, we experience the death and resurrection of Jesus symbolically.
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Baptism is not ～
１）Act and water of baptism does not clean us. （１Peter3:21）the answer of a good conscience toward God ・・・
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２）It is an entrance of faith, not the completion.
The goal of our faith is to become like Jesus. Therefore, baptism is like an entrance ceremony of our faith. And thegrow of our faith does not depend on our efforts but on the work of the Holy Spirit.
（２Corint3:18）3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
（Eph4:13 ・・・・:13 till we all come to ・・・to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;