Water baptism is a public pledge of allegiance to Jesus the King.
One of the core parts of the Gospel is that Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to King David that one of his descendants would occupy Israel’s throne forever.
“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NASB)
When Jesus rose from the dead, he was confirmed as the promised Davidic King, the Jewish Messiah, the glorious Lord of Lords, who now sits at God’s right hand, possessing all authority in heaven and earth and ruling over his kingdom until his enemies are completely subdued. One day he will come again as the glorious Son of Man in Daniel 7:13-14 to judge the living and the dead and share his glory and authority with those who declare their allegiance to him.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)
The only proper response to make to such a Person is to give him our allegiance, trust, love, and loyal service.
An Old Testament Example of Pledging Allegiance
When David, the called and anointed but yet to be crowned king of Israel, was hiding in the wilderness to escape King Saul’s jealous and murderous pursuit, men began to recognize David’s leadership and calling and realized that he was the future king of Israel. They heard about Samuel’s prophecy over him and how that prophet had poured oil over his head to anoint him as Israel’s future king. They knew that David had killed the giant and led Israel’s armies to victory over her enemies. The Holy Spirit inspired many to join his rag tag band of believers in the wilderness.
One such man was a leader named Amasai, who approached David at his hideout. When David questioned his intentions, whether he came as friend or foe, the Bible says that Amasai was “clothed” with the Holy Spirit, which means that Amasai become a spokesman for God at that moment. What came out of his mouth was a huge encouragement to David on two accounts. Here is what he said, which has been recorded for our benefit.
Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” Then David received them and made them officers of his troops. 1 Chronicles 12:18 (ESV)
On the one hand, Amasai spoke words of affirmation and encouragement to David. He prophesied that God would give David and his supporters success (shalom) in every way – peace, prosperity, health, wholeness, and victory. When he said, “your God helps you,” he described perfectly one of the most important ministries of God’s Spirit, whom Jesus called the “Helper” in John 14:16. He is the one who is called alongside and now lives inside true believers to enable us to enjoy God’s presence and fulfill God’s purposes for our lives. David was in a very stressful and discouraging situation, and these words must have refreshed his soul.
In addition, Amasai’s words were a declaration of allegiance to King David and a model for us with respect to King Jesus, David’s promised descendant. It was a threefold declaration of faith: an acknowledgement of David’s identity as king, a profession of loyalty, and a dedication to service. This is what it means to “believe” in our Lord.
Being a Christian is much more than agreeing with a doctrinal statement of faith: it is trust in and loyalty to the risen King.
The Gospel Call to Allegiance
A good Gospel presentation should include the declaration that after his resurrection Jesus ascended into heaven and now sits at God’s right hand as the reigning Lord of all, who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Peter preached these words to Cornelius in the first Gospel presentation to Gentiles with the promise that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43) It should be clear that the belief to which Peter refers is that Jesus is Lord of all. Paul confirms this in his famous rendering of the essence of what it means to become a follower of Christ.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)
We confess what we believe; so, if we confess that Jesus is Lord, it is because that is what we believe. Confession of Christ’s lordship presupposes that we properly respond as his subjects, which is to give allegiance, honor, trust, love, and obedient service to him. Those who do this are forgiven of their sins of disobedience and disloyalty to God and his Messiah King. It’s really very simple, but often misunderstood. We are not asked merely to confess that Jesus is our merciful Savior who died for our sins as God’s Lamb, but who does not require anything from us. Rather, we are told to confess that he is Lord, which presupposes our love, loyalty, and obedience.
Any Gospel presentation that does not major on Christ’s identity as the risen Lord is deficient. Our response to this amazing news must include a declaration of allegiance to the Lord, or we are little more than Christian consumers who are looking for a “get out of jail free” card.
When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we acknowledge his true identity, declare our allegiance, and devote ourselves to a lifetime of service, just as Amasai did toward King David so long ago.
Water baptism is our public formal declaration of allegiance to King Jesus.
It is one thing to privately ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, but something else altogether to seal it by being baptized in water. Have you stood up for Jesus in public yet?
Prayer
You may wish to pray the following as a prelude to taking the step of publicly declaring allegiance to King Jesus.
Jesus, I recognize you are indeed Lord of all, just as the Bible says. When you rose from the dead and ascended to God’s right hand, you became my Lord. I bow my knee to you and pledge my loyalty to you. I give my life to you to use me as you see fit. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life! Help me to tell others about this great Good News and help them to be disciples, too. Holy Spirit, fill me and empower me to live the Christ life and to be a fisher of men. Amen.
