"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
Why Baptism?
Baptism is the exciting and wet beginning of a new life in Christ Jesus. Four things take place when we obey the Bible's command to be baptized:
- We take on the family name of Jesus Christ.
- Our sins are washed away, and the blood of Jesus Christ is symbolically applied to our hearts.
- We participate in the burial of Jesus Christ.
- We are resurrected, in type, with Christ as a new creature and begin a new life.
Is Baptism Necessary?
ABSOLUTELY! The Greek word for baptism is baptizo, meaning to dip, submerge, or plunge underwater. Baptism by immersion is essential to becoming born again and entering Heaven.
Ephesians 4:5 declares, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." Since there is only one baptism, we must understand what it entails.
Someone might say, "I believe in Jesus, and that should be enough," or "I'm a good person." Yet, Jesus Christ declared, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). In Mark 16:16, Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be damned."
Belief is an action word, meaning a firm conviction and willingness to act. Those who believe in Jesus know that He said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Therefore, if we truly believe, we will be baptized.
The Bible Record of Baptism
The book of Acts records how the apostles obeyed the command of Jesus found in Matthew 28:19, "Go ye—teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." He also stated, "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among ALL Nations, beginning in Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47).
The beginning of the New Testament church is found in Acts 2, where the apostle Peter preached the first message of salvation on the Day of Pentecost. He told his convicted listeners, "Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). The message remained consistent throughout the book of Acts and the epistles.
Samaritans: "When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" Acts 8:12
Saul/Apostle Paul: "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" Acts 22:16
Gentiles: "Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized - he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" Acts 10:47, 48
Disciples of John the Baptist: "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" Acts 19:5.
What Is The Family Name?
You may have noticed that none of the New Testament baptism examples use the Trinitarian formula. Many sincere and God-fearing people have been baptized in the titles of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It is possible to be sincere yet still wrong.
That's why we must ground our beliefs and actions in the word of God. Jesus commanded us to baptize in "THE NAME" of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The apostles followed the Lord's command. They understood and preached "Neither is their salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The apostle Paul wrote, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17).
Through baptism, we leave the family of Adam and death (Romans 5:12-21). We are given the authority to operate in the new family name of Jesus Christ and life because "as many of you have been baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
Who wouldn't want to put on Jesus Christ and be part of His family?
Who Should Be Baptized?
EVERYONE! Yet, because there are many opinions about the meaning of salvation, especially regarding baptism, some believe that as long as one has faith, their salvation is secure. Others flippantly declare, "All roads lead to Rome." However, we are not going to Rome but to Heaven!
The apostle Peter preached the first message of salvation on the Day of Pentecost. He told his convicted listeners, "Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).
To be born again, we must repent. Repentance requires us to confess and forsake our sins against God and others.
What Is Repentance?
Repentance is a 180-degree turn away from the world's mindset. Repentance involves experiencing a godly sorrow for sinning against God and turning away from one's sinful, disobedient nature (Ephesians 2:1-3).
That is why infant baptism is invalid – they do not understand the concepts of good and evil, nor can they repent.
The Bible tells us, "All have sinned" Romans 3:23 and that "God now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). The apostle John wrote, "For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions" (1 John 2:16, NLT). In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, there's a list of sinful activities to be repented from: Sexual perversion, idolatry, disobedience, hatred, abusiveness, addictions, anxiety, and such like.
Genuine Repentance comes with a great promise, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). When we repent, "our old man is crucified with him" Romans 6:6 and needs to be buried in a watery grave. We can have a conscious right with God, a desire to live righteously, and our sins are washed away through baptism (1 Peter 3:21).
Buried With Jesus Christ
The Apostle Paul wrote that we are "Buried with Him in baptism" (Colossians 2:12) and that "as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death" (Romans 6:3). Who wouldn't want to identify with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's burial and resurrection?
So, have you been baptized into the body of Christ? Have you taken on the name of Jesus Christ? Have all your sins been remitted in the watery grave? If not, why not? Experience the Gospel and the abundant life (John 10:10).
