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Why Does the Bible Say Baptism Saves Us? · Pastor John Piper's answers

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  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the aspestor John podcast. We're reading the
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  Speaker 1: Navigator's Bible reading Plant together, and tomorrow we read X
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  Speaker 1: twenty two together, specifically a chapter where Paul recounts for
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  Speaker 1: us his dramatic conversion experience, his blindingly dramatic conversion experience.
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  Speaker 1: In the story, we're introduced to a devout and god
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  Speaker 1: the Christian man named Annanias, who approached the recently blinded
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  Speaker 1: Saul now named Paul and restored his site to him,
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  Speaker 1: or told him that it would be restored soon. Then
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  Speaker 1: Ananias told Paul in verse sixteen, quote and now why
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  Speaker 1: do you wait, rise and be baptized and wash away
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  Speaker 1: your sins calling on his name? X twenty two, verse sixteen.
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  Speaker 1: Water baptism and sinwashing are here connected. Likewise, we have
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  Speaker 1: forty questions in the inbox about X two thirty eight.
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  Speaker 1: They're in the text. A bunch of seekers have gathered
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  Speaker 1: to hear Peter say to them, quote re Penton, be
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  Speaker 1: baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 1: for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive
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  Speaker 1: the gift of the Holy Spirit quote Act two thirty
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  Speaker 1: eight and three thousand people repent in are baptized. It's
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  Speaker 1: an amazing sight and yet another text that appears to
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  Speaker 1: put water baptism in the moment of forgiveness or conversion.
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  Speaker 1: So dozens of listeners have written into basically ask based
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  Speaker 1: on Acts two thirty eight and or Acts twenty two
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  Speaker 1: Verses twelve to sixteen. This one same fundamental question, pastor John,
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  Speaker 1: Are we saved after water baptism, before water baptism or
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  Speaker 1: in water baptism?
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  Speaker 2: I would first answer by making the question more precise?
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  Speaker 3: Are we justified before? In or after?
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  Speaker 2: Are we united to Christ? Do we become one with Christ?
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  Speaker 2: And God becomes one in percent for us? Before in
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  Speaker 2: or after baptism? Because in the New Testament the word
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  Speaker 2: saved is used for what happens before, in and after
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  Speaker 2: baptists Esians two to eight, we have been saved one
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  Speaker 2: Corinthians one eighteen. We are being saved. Romans thirteen eleven.
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  Speaker 2: We are if salvation is nearer to us now than
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  Speaker 2: when we believe. So being saved happened before, happened now,
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  Speaker 2: is happening now, will happen finally in the future. So
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  Speaker 2: the word salvation in the New Testament is broad and
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  Speaker 2: includes pieces of salvation.
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  Speaker 3: And what's really.
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  Speaker 2: Being asked is when did it all start? The first
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  Speaker 2: moment of union with Christ, the moment of justification, which
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  Speaker 2: is not a process like sanctification is, but decisive. If
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  Speaker 2: God is for us, who can be a against us?
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  Speaker 2: When did that start? At what point does God count
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  Speaker 2: us a child, not a child of wrath, which we
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  Speaker 2: all are by nature Pesians two three, but a child
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  Speaker 2: of God, so that from that point on he is
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  Speaker 2: one hundred percent for us with no wrath. When did
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  Speaker 2: that happen? What was the decisive means that brought it about,
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  Speaker 2: that united us to Christ, that justified us. So let
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  Speaker 2: me give my answer from texts, and then show how
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  Speaker 2: it relates to how that point relates to baptism. So
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  Speaker 2: Romans three twenty eight we hold that one is justified
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  Speaker 2: by faith apart from works of the law Romans five
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  Speaker 2: to one. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
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  Speaker 2: we have peace with God Romans four or five. To
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  Speaker 2: the one who does not work, but believes in Him
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  Speaker 2: who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
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  Speaker 2: John three point sixteen. God so loved the world that
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  Speaker 2: he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
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  Speaker 2: should not perish, but has eternal life. Acts thirteen thirty eight.
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  Speaker 2: Through this man, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
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  Speaker 2: and by him, everyone who believes is freed or justified
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  Speaker 2: from everything from which you could not be justified by
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  Speaker 2: the law of Moses. And on and on and on
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  Speaker 2: I could go. I had a bunch of others, and
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  Speaker 2: I thought, for time's sake, I'll just leave them out.
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  Speaker 2: So here's my inference from those texts and others many
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  Speaker 2: others like them. Justification being put with God by union
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  Speaker 2: with Christ in the divine miracle of conversion, a new birth.
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  Speaker 2: That point is by faith and faith alone on our part.
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  Speaker 2: God uses faith as the sole instrument of union with
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  Speaker 2: Christ and thus counts us righteous and becomes one hundred
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  Speaker 2: percent for us in the instant that we have faith
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  Speaker 2: in Jesus. That's my answer. And now the.
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  Speaker 3: Question is, okay, how do you talk.
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  Speaker 2: About baptism and how do you understand those texts that
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  Speaker 2: were quoted that seemed to connect baptism to that act
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  Speaker 2: that beginning. So let me give some answers to that.
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  Speaker 2: First thing I would say is that the thief on
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  Speaker 2: the cross, was told by Jesus that that very day
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  Speaker 2: he would be with him in Paradise. He was not baptized.
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  Speaker 2: And therefore, though I know he's a special case, I
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  Speaker 2: don't think you build a theology of baptism on the
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  Speaker 2: thief on the Cross. But one thing, one thing it
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  Speaker 2: says is baptism is not an absolute necessity, because it
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  Speaker 2: wasn't in his case. Here's the second thing I would say.
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  Speaker 2: Paul treats baptism as an expression of faith, so that
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  Speaker 2: the decisive act that unites us to Christ is the faith,
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  Speaker 2: and it is expressed outwardly in baptism. Here's here's a
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  Speaker 2: very key texturing because you know, when I went to Germany,
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  Speaker 2: I was a lone Baptist, you know, in a din
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  Speaker 2: of Lutheran lions, and they were loving lines.
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  Speaker 3: They just licked me.
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  Speaker 2: They didn't they didn't eat me, but they did not
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  Speaker 2: approve of what I believed. And I remember taking a
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  Speaker 2: retreat with twelve little cubs and one and one big doctor,
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  Speaker 2: father named Leonard Gobold, and we were talking about baptism
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  Speaker 2: the whole weekend. And this was my text. This was
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  Speaker 2: my text that I put up. I said in this
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  Speaker 2: is Colossians to eleven and twelve. In Him in Christ,
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  Speaker 2: also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands,
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  Speaker 2: by putting off the body of flesh, by the circumcision
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  Speaker 2: of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in
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  Speaker 2: which you were also raised with him through faith. You
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  Speaker 2: were buried with him and raised with him in baptism
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  Speaker 2: through faith in the powerful working of God.
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  Speaker 3: Who raised him from the dead.
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  Speaker 2: So the burial with Christ in the water and the
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  Speaker 2: rising with Christ out of the water, it seems to
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  Speaker 2: me from that text, are not what unites you to Christ.
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  Speaker 2: That is the going under the water, the coming up
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  Speaker 2: out of the water. That's not what unites you to Christ.
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  Speaker 2: It is through faith that you are decisively united to Christ.
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  Speaker 2: And here's an interesting analogy, since circumcision was brought into
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  Speaker 2: the picture there, and there's kind of an image of
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  Speaker 2: circumcision in Cautions to If you go to Romans four eleven,
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  Speaker 2: Paul says, Abraham receive the sign of circumcision as a
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  Speaker 2: seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while
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  Speaker 2: he was uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the
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  Speaker 2: father of all who believe. Without being circumcised. So that
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  Speaker 2: righteousness would be counted to them all. So if you
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  Speaker 2: just take the analogy and that's all it is, it's
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  Speaker 2: just an analogy between baptism and circumcision, then this text
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  Speaker 2: would say that baptism is a sign of a righteousness
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  Speaker 2: that we have before we are baptized, because we have
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  Speaker 2: it through faith and through union with Christ. Then we
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  Speaker 2: go to the relevant text and acts that the questioner raised,
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  Speaker 2: like Acts twenty two sixteen, rise and be baptized and
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  Speaker 2: wash away your sins. Now, if you stopped right there,
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  Speaker 2: you say, well, there it is. You know, the water
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  Speaker 2: is the forgiving agent. But that's not where you stop.
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  Speaker 2: It says, rise being baptized and wash away your sins,
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  Speaker 2: comma calling on his name. So the sense I think
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  Speaker 2: is the same. Baptism is the outward expression of calling
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  Speaker 2: on the name of the Lord in faith. It's not
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  Speaker 2: the water that ef our justification or union with Christ.
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  Speaker 2: The water is a picture of the cleansing, but the
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  Speaker 2: faith in the heart, the call on the Lord from
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  Speaker 2: faith is what unites us in and forgives us. And now
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  Speaker 2: that's the meaning that one Peter three twenty one actually
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  Speaker 2: picks up on when it says in relationship to the
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  Speaker 2: flood and Noah's rescues through the arc through the water.
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  Speaker 2: It says, baptism, which corresponds to this, that is the
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  Speaker 2: salvation of Noah's family in the ark and the flood. Baptism,
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  Speaker 2: which corresponds to this, now saves you. That's probably the
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  Speaker 2: most clear text for those who want to say that
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  Speaker 2: baptism is salviafic that actually does the saving.
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  Speaker 3: This says, baptism saves you.
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  Speaker 2: And then immediately as though he knows he said something
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  Speaker 2: almost heretical because it would so compromise justification by faith,
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  Speaker 2: he says, not as a removal of dirt from the body,
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  Speaker 2: but as an appeal. So now we're back to this
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  Speaker 2: call issue washed what you're sayings by calling on his name,
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  Speaker 2: but as an appeal to God for a good conscience
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  Speaker 2: through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 3: In other words, the.
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  Speaker 2: Call of faith from the heart, not the water. And
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  Speaker 2: he explicitly says, not the removal of dirt from the body.
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  Speaker 2: In other words, it's not the actual functioning of the
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  Speaker 2: water that does the saving. Even though I just said
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  Speaker 2: baptism saves you, what I mean is that this outward
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  Speaker 2: act signifies an appealed to God that's coming from the heart.
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  Speaker 3: And it's that faith that saves.
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  Speaker 2: So when John the Baptist calls his baptism, or Mark
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  Speaker 2: calls his baptism a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
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  Speaker 2: of sins, it probably means a baptism deifying repentance which
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  Speaker 2: brings forgiveness, because repentance is simply the way of describing
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  Speaker 2: the change of mind that gives rise to faith. Now
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  Speaker 2: here's one last important text they're raising. Fact, this is
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  Speaker 2: where you begin X two thirty eight. Repent and be baptized,
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  Speaker 2: every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 2: for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive
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  Speaker 2: the gift of the Holy Spirit. So it looks like
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  Speaker 2: repent condition number one, be baptized condition number two, and
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  Speaker 2: forgiveness will be given to you. And I've been arguing
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  Speaker 2: because I think so many texts teach it that no
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  Speaker 2: repentance and faith as one piece are what obtains forgiveness,
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  Speaker 2: not the baptism. So what you disagree with this text, Piper?
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  Speaker 2: Who do you think you are? And I think that
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  Speaker 2: text should be read something like this. And I remember
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  Speaker 2: seeing this years ago and then finding at other places.
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  Speaker 2: Suppose I say to you, Tony, you want to go
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  Speaker 2: from Phoenix to la on the train, and it's about
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  Speaker 2: to leave, and I say, grab your hat and run or.
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  Speaker 3: You'll miss the train.
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  Speaker 2: Now, I just gave you two commands, like Peter gave
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  Speaker 2: two commands repent and be baptized. But only one of
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  Speaker 2: them is a cause of getting to the train on time,
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  Speaker 2: namely running run. But I said grab your hat. Grabbing
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  Speaker 2: your hat is an accompanying act, not a causative one.
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  Speaker 2: It may be very important. Now there are maybe all
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  Speaker 2: kinds of reasons why you should have a hat, Like
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  Speaker 2: why did you tell him to grab a hat? Well,
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  Speaker 2: I've got my reasons, you know, for all kinds of reasons.
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  Speaker 2: But grabbing the hat does not help you in the
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  Speaker 2: least get on the train on time. Now, that's the
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  Speaker 2: way I think we should hear Peter when he says,
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  Speaker 2: repent and be baptized, every one of you and make
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  Speaker 2: the train of forgiveness. You get on the train of
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  Speaker 2: forgiveness if you repent and are baptized, and the repentance,
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  Speaker 2: the change of mind that includes faith, gets you to
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  Speaker 2: the train and Baptism is an important, important for all
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  Speaker 2: kinds of reasons, but it's not causative in the same
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  Speaker 2: way that repentance is. So here's my bottom line answer
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  Speaker 2: to the question. Faith precedes baptism. That's why I'm a Baptist.
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  Speaker 2: Faith precedes baptism and is operative in baptism.
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  Speaker 3: So we are.
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  Speaker 2: Justified at the very first act of genuine saving faith
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  Speaker 2: in Christ, and then baptism follows, and preferably would follow
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  Speaker 2: soon as an outward expression of that inward reality.
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  Speaker 1: Well, that hat in Phoenix is to keep your head
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  Speaker 1: from getting sunburned.
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  Speaker 3: Good.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I'm glad there's a good reason for it.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, Astor John. Faith precedes baptism, Amen, Faith precedes baptism,
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  Speaker 1: beautiful meditation on our union with Christ. Thank you, Pastor John,
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  Speaker 1: and thanks for joining us today. If you have a
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  Speaker 1: question to ask Pastor John, find a link to email
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  Speaker 1: us and find our complete episode archive at askpastor John
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  Speaker 1: dot com. Well, what makes someone spiritually dirty? In fact,
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  Speaker 1: how does the Bible define spiritual dirtiness? To begin with
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  Speaker 1: another sharp question based on a trio of Bible text,
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  Speaker 1: wor're reading together very soon. I'm Tony Ranky see on Monday,