Don’t let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ.  For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.
When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure—the cutting away of your sinful nature.  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.  In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.

Colossians 2:8-15 (NLT)

Have you ever had one of those Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz experiences where you feel like you just woke up to realize that you’re not in Kansas anymore?  I had one of those today as I googled “the American Dream” to research a writing project.  In the top ten results was a “youtube” link and that is when it hit me: video is no longer a fad in communication, but another form of language!

Before I get too many stinging comments to rebuke my inferred affirmation of video media, let me confess where I am going with this story.  Pictures seem to be timeless in their use and ability to tell stories and dramatize events.  From ancient hieroglyphics to renaissance art to modern video media, pictures are used to record and communicate stories.  Baptism, as drama, is a picture that tells the story of stories; the deliverance of a of a sinner from sin, to, and by God!

John Piper wrote recently, “Baptism as a drama of death and resurrection with Christ gets its meaning from the faith that it expresses. In baptism you are “raised with him through faith.” Yet, we seem to have lost sight of the value of this essential, biblical ordinance.  Thomas A. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright have so noted, “Some within the Christian confession claim that baptism should be classified as a minor issue.  Such a sentiment is misdirected, for baptism is regularly connected in scripture with belief and salvation….Baptism is important precisely because it is tied to the gospel, to the saving work that Christ accomplished in his death and resurrection.”

In the text above, Paul recognized the value of baptism as a dramatization of deliverance from sin by Jesus Christ who humbled Himself through the cross humiliating the powers and authorities who oppose us.  In most arenas, such a declaration would mean war!  Is it any wonder that baptism has been such a hotly debated issue through the ages?

Is it biblically consistent to claim faith in, and allegiance to, Jesus and not declare it through baptism?  Is baptism really just a minor issue, or does it have a measurable impact in our lives?

Care to test the water? (Sorry, just couldn’t resist the pun!)