How Water Baptism Hardens the Reprobate Unbeliever
Baptism hardens the unbeliever.
Throughout Scripture there are those who are near to the things of God, but who fall away (Heb 6).
Ham watched the salvation of God, himself being baptized in the deluge. Many in the Exodus company of Israelites received the same baptism with Moses in the sea crossing. They even raised their voices in songs of God’s salvation at the first free church of the Sinai. However, they died under God’s just wrath in the wilderness. These serve as instruction for us (1 Cor 10). Our lesson: Baptism hardens the reprobate unbeliever.
Why does our omniscient God allow unbelievers to receive the sign of His covenant, in which He promises to be the God of those who trust Him?
The sacraments are a delight to God’s people. They preach a visual Gospel, whereby God’s people are washed and fed and clothed with Christ, in the Spirit.
The sacraments are displayed for the world to see what God has done, and still does, for His people. They are physical signs of a spiritual reality of grace given to God’s adopted children.
Imagine a person wearing a t-shirt reading, “I belong to Jesus.” This is an outward message for the world to see, and we assume the message points to an inward reality for that person. Still, the possibility exists that the t-shirt wearer is in error. Man looks at the t-shirt, but God looks at the heart.
There are many people in churches who are not believers in Jesus, although they themselves and others may presume them to be. There are many reasons for this: first, their church may be a cult — not a true church; second, their preacher may preach a wrong Jesus and a wrong way of salvation, which they believed; or they may have been baptized, catechized, and regular partakers of communion but are not elect.
There is no need to go on with more explanations, although my intent is to shed a bit more light on these matters. The answer to our question is simple…
God allows reprobate unbelievers to receive the sign of baptism to differentiate between His chosen children and the reprobate. Both may receive the sign (t-shirt), but the two will display very different realities. You will know them by their spiritual fruit, not their t-shirt.
To look at a green distant hill, one may assume she is viewing green grass. A closer look and the hill is infested with green weeds. The same is true upon closer scrutiny of local church bodies and even individual Christians.
Baptism is an outward sign pointing to Christ’s work on the cross and the Spirit’s internal work in the heart.
Once, on a train, I saw a sign for Berlin, suggesting the reality of that German city, but I have never set foot within the bounds of Berlin’s city limits. My experience was the sign, not the reality. Berlin is not about me whether I wear a t-shirt with the name and city seal on it (sign), or whether I move there permanently. Berlin is a reality apart from me.
In the same way, God’s covenant is a reality apart from me. It exists on its own. Wearing a t-shirt that says, “God’s covenant member” is not what makes me a member. Ishmael and Isaac both had t-shirts (circumcision). One went on to live a life of reprobation (Ishmael), and one went on to live a life of faith (Isaac).
The point is that entry into the life of faith in God’s covenant promises, that is, life in Christ, is by grace. The only way to the other side of the deluge is the ark. The only way to the other side of the sea is a gracious parting of the sea, by God, our deliverer. Many are called to know of a full salvation, but few are chosen to experience the fullness.
Baptism opens this reality of salvation, when our reality is actually salvation. The alternative experience is draw very near to the ark, the sea, the promised land, and even Jesus Christ Himself (Judas Iscariot), but to end up hardened of heart, like Pharaoh, who was very privileged to sit under the preaching of God’s Word on many occasions. That preaching hardened his heart, which exposed him as a reprobate.
Baptism does the same as the Word of God preached, it delights the Spirit-baptized believer, and it hardens the water-only baptized unbeliever.
The baptized unbeliever may have used her free will to put on the t-shirt, but only God’s free will can bring her to that place of reality. Water baptism points us to Spirit baptism, demonstrating a difference, proving that only God, by His grace, saves the elect and in His just wrath, judges the reprobate.
Your parents may have traveled to Berlin, but if all you got was the t-shirt, then your reality is different from their reality.
Your parents may be Spirit-baptized believers in Christ, but if they only brought you to water-baptism, then you must examine yourself, now, as to whether that water baptism has resulted in a genuine reality of faith or a hardness toward Christ Jesus…because water baptism points to, even leads to, both realities.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
February 9, 2022
