Baptism: David & Stephen Bagwell -- 1/27/08

Sunday, January 25, 2008

BAPTISM: DAVID & STEPHEN BAGWELL

I know that this question will arise. No doubt, some of you have already been asking it. The question goes like this: “Is it really possible that these two young men had not been saved until recent days?” How could that be? We saw them here with us week in and week out. And no one had to handcuff them to get them here. They increasingly expressed a strong interest in the Lord and in His Word. Last year when we went to the mall to share Christ with others, they went with us. Surely they must be mistaken; surely they were His children all along.

Rhonda reminded me of a similar situation. (Rhonda has to remind me of lots of things). My sister Tami was in college. She came to believe with all her heart that she had never been saved, though she was baptized when she was young, had seemed to be a vital part of the church, and lived what others would view as a Christian life. An older lady in her church, a lady who was a Bible teacher, expressed this opinion: “If Tami wasn’t a Christian, then none of us are Christians.” Perhaps some of you feel that way about David and Stephen.

So is it possible that they were only recently saved? David and Stephen certainly believe so, as they have already expressed. We might also mention that David and Stephen were not pressured when they were young, neither by their parents nor by others in this congregation. And they were not extremely young when they were baptized. David was eleven; Stephen was thirteen. By all appearances, they had repented and believed the gospel.

So what about it? We must be reminded that man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (I Sam. 16:7). It is very possible for people to be fooled. The individual himself may even be fooled. I remind you again of the many who will say to Jesus on the last day, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? and in your name cast out demons? And in your name do many wonderful works?” (Mt. 7:22). To them Jesus will say, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity” (7:23). Consider Judas Iscariot. By all appearances, he was as much a follower of Jesus as the other eleven. He went everywhere they went and did everything they did. When Jesus announced on that last night that one of them would betray Him, not one of them said, “I suspect it’s Judas.” No, instead, they all said, “Is it I?” And yet Judas was a devil all along (according to Jesus’ words in John 6:70).

So we must admit that it is indeed possible for a person to give great outward evidence of knowing the Lord when he does not. That is the testimony of David and Stephen. But this obviously hasn’t been easy for David and Stephen, for they confess that they were born again in April (David) and in October (Stephen). The distance between their believing and their baptism is not the norm. May God give us grace to deal with this in a way that will bring glory to His name.

So how do we respond to their testimony? How do we handle this kind of situation? Let me suggest a twofold response. First of all, we rejoice. Last Sunday we talked about joy, and now the Lord has given a great occasion for rejoicing. It’s true that even if the building had burned this week and five of us had been killed, it would still be occasion for rejoicing, for every situation is an occasion for rejoicing in Him. Nevertheless. God has chosen this particular set of circumstances, and we thank Him for them.

Let’s read it from Luke 15:1-10…
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5. And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. 8. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9. And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Jesus said that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repents than over 99 that need no repentance. Who are the 99 that need no repentance? In this situation, surely they represent the Pharisees. But didn’t the Pharisees need to repent? Of course, they did, but they didn’t think so. The Pharisees saw no need of repentance in their own lives. As a result, the angels couldn’t rejoice over them. But make no mistake about it, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents. If there is such joy in heaven, shouldn’t there be great joy among God’s people on earth!

Perhaps another question might arise: Can a person be baptized more than once? No, not really. As a person is born into the kingdom once, so he can testify to that spiritual birth by baptism only once. But weren’t David and Stephen both baptized in the past? If they hadn’t received the life of Christ, then it wasn’t baptism. The outward performance has no validity if there is no inward reality.

Brothers and sisters, let’s not let the past take away from the joy of this baptism today. This is no less true baptism because they went through the motions in the past. This is an occasion for great rejoicing in the Lord. And even if some of you struggle with David and Stephen’s understanding of the situation, rejoice in the fact that today these young men are seeking the Lord with all their hearts.

Now let’s consider the second aspect of our response. It is impossible to celebrate with David and Stephen without entertaining this question: “If David and Stephen weren’t truly saved until recent days, could there be others in the same situation? Could there be others who have professed faith in the Lord but who do not possess His life?” Don’t stop there; let’s take it personally and then ask, “Could I be one of those?” While that is not a question we need to be asking every day of our lives, we are indeed commanded to examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith (II Cor. 13:5). So let’s allow the Lord to search our hearts this morning, even as we rejoice with David and Stephen.

I confess that this is not an easy thing. Our purpose is not to stir up needless doubting and false guilt. If you belong to Him, may the Lord give you a quiet but strong assurance of that reality. On the other hand, if there is no assurance, let’s take heed and cry out to God.


This morning we will share with David and Stephen the experience of being baptized. Baptism is one of the means of preaching the gospel. Instead of using words, baptism employs a picture. The one who is baptized preaches a powerful sermon, even if he doesn’t speak a single word.

So what is it that is pictured by baptism? Let’s read it again in Rom. 5:19-6:5…
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

It cannot be denied that baptism is an act of faith and obedience on the part of the one being baptized. How can one follow Jesus and not be obedient to what He says in Mat 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." The pattern in Acts is found in 18:8, “[They] believed and were baptized” (see also Acts 8:12,37-38; 16:31-33).

It seems that Jesus’ own baptism had something to do with this faith and obedience. It certainly had nothing to do with washing His sins away, for He had none. While baptism isn’t the actual washing away of sins, Jesus’ own example underscores the truth of how important baptism is. Jesus Himself said that He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. And why was it right for Him to be baptized? The voice which descended upon Him when He came up out of the water said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). “This is my beloved Son,” quoted from Ps. 2:7, affirmed that Jesus would indeed be God’s royal king, even as he would fulfill the royal Psalm. “In whom I am well pleased,” quoted from Isaiah 42:1, further clarifies that the road to His kingship would be the road of suffering and death, even as Isaiah 42 is one of those “suffering servant” passages. When Jesus was baptized, it’s as if He were saying, “Father, I receive all that you have for me. I submit myself to you fully and openly.”

So Stephen and David, when you are baptized this morning, you are doing so in submission to the Father. You are testifying that you want to please the Father in all things, though it means walking on the narrow way of suffering.

But this morning we want to stress again what baptism pictures. Not only are you submitting to the Father in faith and obedience, but you are providing the occasion for one and all to see the gospel. Romans 6 speaks of being buried with Christ by baptism unto death and being raised up from death. Let us not forget that the death and resurrection here spoken of is first of all the death and resurrection of Jesus our Lord. There can be no question about that. Had He not died and rose again, none of us would have any hope of being raised to life.

When you are put down into the water, you will become the picture of Jesus’ death and burial. Jesus died on the cross. There He took your sins upon Himself. Your sins, as are mine, are evil and wicked. God cannot tolerate even the smallest of your sins. Those sins made you the enemy of God. You deserve His eternal judgment and wrath. But praise God that Jesus died. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:6). Jesus endured the wrath of God, that you might not have to.
When you go down into that water, you will be cut off from everything around you. So it was for Jesus when He was on that cross; He was cut off from His Father. Out of that horrifying anguish, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He who had had perfect fellowship with God the Father forever and ever was not cut off. That is the ugliness of sin.

But praise God that Jesus didn’t stay in that grave. When you are raised up out of that water, you will picture the resurrection of Jesus our Lord.

Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose; He arose. Hallelujah! Christ arose!

It’s not just a song; it’s reality. The resurrection was the Father’s stamp of approval upon the life and death of His Son. Just as Jesus had said, it was finished. Everything was done, that we might have life through His name.

David and Stephen, we are baptizing you today because you are testifying that you have indeed received life through Jesus’ name, through His death and resurrection. According to Rom. 8:29, Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. Jesus was the first to be raised to die no more, but He by no means the last. As He put it, “Because I live, ye shall live also” (Jn. 14:19).

When you are put down into the water, you are bearing testimony that you died with Christ. Paul goes on to say here in Romans 6 that you were crucified with Christ. You died to the old way of life. And when you are raised up out of the water, you are bearing testimony that you have been raised to walk in newness of life. That new life is none other than the life of Christ. As Paul says in Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live, yet not, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Our skeptical minds want to cry out and say, “No, it’s a fairytale. We haven’t really been given the life of Christ. He can’t really live His life through us. That’s too much to ask.” Skeptical minds, remember the power of the resurrection. How much power did it take for God to raise Jesus up out of the grave? Now I remind you of the great truth of Ephesians 1. Paul prayed that the eyes of their hearts (“understanding” in the KJV) might be enlightened so that they would know among other things “what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places…” (Eph. 1:18-20). Did you hear that? The same power that God used to raise up Christ has been made available to us who trust Him. It isn’t just power, but the exceeding greatness of His power, His mighty power. David and Stephen, I pray for you, and for all of us, that we may indeed know the exceeding greatness of that power in our lives for His glory!