The What? What's the meaning and significance of baptism? Does it save us? Should everyone who

attends church be baptized? Alistairair Beg addresses these questions and more.

Today on Truth for Life Weekend,

he's teaching from the closing verses

in Acts chapter two. Chapter 2. We said last time that the sacraments or ordinances, and I will use these words interchangeably

this morning, the sacraments or ordinances which Jesus left to us

each have material elements in them. In the case of baptism is his water, in the case of the Lord's supper it is bread and wine and each

ordinance is distinguished from its reality by the material itself so that it is not in going into the baptism pool that someone is saved

but being in that baptism pool signifies the cleansing which Jesus brings. It is not by eating the bread and

drinking the wine that we continue to live in Christ as if by imbibing something that was sufficient for our progress, but rather these elements speak to us of a reality greater than themselves.

And so we sought to affirm that this visible object or sign points to a reality

which is different from and more significant than itself.

And as true as that was in relationship to the Lord's Supper, it is very important

that we understand that it is so in relationship to baptism itself. In the sign of baptism the reality is displayed but it is not dispensed

Now the fact is that anyone who wonders around a church building for any length of time at all and

largely any kind of building will be smart enough to realize that baptism is

something which is practiced. With the exception of the Salvation Army and

the Quakers, virtually every area of church life practices baptism.

And so most people know something about it.

And in that lies one of our greatest problems.

Because in knowing a little bit, we often don't know enough.

And it is subject to unbelievable confusion and misunderstanding.

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