BAPTISM
Your First Step of Obedience to
Christ
(after Salvation, meaning that you)
Recognized that you are a sinner
Received in your HEART Christ’s payment in FAITH that
he saved you
Matthew
28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: Ephes.
2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: 9Not
of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.
Baptism is the first step of obedience for the new Christian. It is a way
for the new believer to show forth their love for Christ and Him saving them.
Love is meaningless unless it is put into action . . . " John
Baptism allows the new believer to experience the joy of obeying the Lord
and putting that love into action. This is evident in
the story we find in . . . Acts 8:35-39 Then Philip opened
his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36And as they
went on their way, they came
unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to
be baptized? 37And Philip said, If thou believest
with all thine heart, thou mayest.
And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God. 38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down
both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39And when
they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip,
that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Notice
how the Bible says that this new believer, the eunuch, went on his way
rejoicing after he was scripturally baptized. Likewise, when we are obedient in
Baptism it brings great joy to our lives. Baptism is only recognized one way in
the Bible . . . Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a
voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Acts
In the Bible no one was ever baptized except by
IMMERSION of the body under water. The very word "baptism" literally
means to dip, to plunge, to submerge or to immerse. Nowhere in the Bible is
sprinkling of babies or adults every taught.
Jesus was baptized by immersion in the River of Jordan . . ."
Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a
voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The Bible declares that baptism shows our death,
burial and resurrection with Christ. Baptism pictures the dying of the old man
before being saved, burial of that old life of sin and disobedience to God and
a resurrection of a new life in Christ to walk in the newness of the Christian
Life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is what Paul is saying . . ." Romans 6:3-5 Know
ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death? 4Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. 5For
if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also
in the likeness of his
resurrection:
Now that you know what the Word of God says about
the importance of baptism after a person is saved, will you, if you have never
made that commitment to follow Christ in Baptism, present yourself a believer
in Jesus Christ as a candidate next Sunday and experience the obedience, love
and joy Christ will give you?
Make your commitment and grow in Christ as a
victorious believer.