Knowing Baptism
Sunday Seminary—16
Know What You Believe. Believe What You Know.
Have you ever had a moment where someone explains something to you, but you only really understand when you see it done? Maybe a parent shows you how to fix a flat tire, and the steps only make sense when demonstrated. That’s how God works with us in Scripture.
As we saw last time in our Sunday Seminary, God promises something, and then he gives a visible sign along with the promise. These signs are what Christians call “sacraments”—visible expressions of invisible realities. Knowing baptism is the first sacrament we want to understand.
Christ gave baptism as a tangible expression of his grace that receives us into the church, assures our faith that he’s washed us of sin, and is applied throughout our entire life.
Circumcision and Baptism
Article 34 of our Confession links baptism to circumcision. Circumcision was a bloody Old Testament sign, given only to boys on the eighth day. Baptism is the unbloody fulfillment in Christ. Matthew 5:17 reminds us: “I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them.” All the Old Testament sacrifices and signs pointed forward to Christ. Now, in him, the real sacrifice has been made. Hebrews 9:27–28 explains that unlike earthly priests offering sacrifices daily, Jesus offered himself once for all.
Baptism takes the place of circumcision: it welcomes both boys and girls into God’s covenant people, sets them apart from alien religions, and dedicates them entirely to God. Baptism is a tangible sign that we belong to his church.
The Invisible Reality of Baptism
Baptism also assures our faith that God has washed us of sin. The Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28:19 teaches us how:
God the Father adopts us into his family.
God the Son assures us of the washing away of our sins.
God the Spirit applies all these benefits in our hearts.
Baptism reminds us that the water doesn’t save us—it’s the blood of Christ that purifies our souls. Just as the Israelites passed through the Red Sea to freedom, baptism points to Christ’s blood as our passage from the bondage of sin into the Canaan of spiritual rest.
When you feel trapped by sin or Satan’s lies, remember baptism. It’s God’s visible sign, pointing to his invisible work: washing, purifying, renewing, comforting, assuring, and clothing us with the “new man.” Sing with confidence, “I’ve already found what I’m looking for—in Christ!”
Administered Once, Applied for Life
Baptism is administered once but applied for life. Article 34 emphasizes that it cannot be repeated—we cannot be born twice. Yet its benefits continue every day. How do we experience them daily? Through prayer and faith:
Thank the Father for adopting you into his church family.
Thank Christ for washing away your sins.
Thank the Spirit for applying these promises to your heart and life.
Baptism is a lifelong gift: it continually reminds us that we belong to Christ, are forgiven, and are renewed in his Spirit.
Remember Your Baptism
Baptism is God’s visible sign of his invisible promises. Christ gave it to receive us into his church, assure us of the forgiveness of our sins, and sustain us throughout our lives. It is unrepeatable, yet ever-present in its power.
Remember your baptism daily. Let it remind you that you belong to God’s family, that your sins are washed away, and that the Spirit continually renews your heart.
Speak to each Person of the Trinity in prayer: thank the Father for adoption, the Son for cleansing, and the Spirit for applying these gifts. Live in the reality of your baptism, letting it shape your faith, hope, and obedience every day.