STEP 5: BE BAPTIZED (Immersed in Water)!

 

 

One cannot preach the Gospel of Christ without preaching baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 16:15-16). In fact, water baptism is always a part of preaching Christ (Acts 8:5, 12, 35-39). Jesus began his personal ministry by being baptized (Matt. 3:13-17), and He ended His earthly stay by commanding baptism (Matt. 28:18-20).

 

The death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus for our sins are the facts of the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4). These facts must be believed and obeyed if a soul is to be saved (cf. Rom. 6:3-4, 17). If we do not obey the Gospel, we will be eternally lost (2 Thess. 1:7-9). The command to be baptized was a part of the first Gospel sermon (Acts 2:37-38), because water baptism beautifully portrays the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Rom. 6:1-4).

 

How many baptisms does the Bible demand? "There is…One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5).

 

What is the action? “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are raised with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead” (Col. 2:12).

 

What is the one baptism for? Baptism washes away our sins by the blood of Jesus (Matt. 26:28; Acts 2:38). Baptism brings us into Christ (Gal. 3:27) where all spiritual blessings are found (Eph. 1:3). These Spiritual blessing include but are not limited to forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7), salvation (2 Tim. 2:10), the indwelling Spirit of God as an earnest and intercessor (Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:26), and eternal life (1 John 5:11).

 

The only scriptural candidate for water baptism is a taught penitent believer. If one does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, or has not decided to turn from his sins (repented), he is not a scriptural candidate for baptism. The one being baptized must know about the shed blood of Jesus, where it is to be contacted, and what it does. If one does not realize that by being baptized into the death of Jesus (Rom. 6:3) his sins are washed away by the blood of Christ (Matt. 26:28), and is thus added to the church of Christ by the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:13), he is not a scriptural candidate for baptism.

 

Concerning denominational baptism, if a person was baptized, but was ignorant of the significance of baptism to his salvation, he was not baptized scripturally. He needs to be taught right and baptized again (cf. Acts 19:1-5). Since baptism is a burial in water (Rom 6:4), a person who simply had a little water sprinkled or poured over his head or body was not scripturally baptized. So if a person has not been immersed in water with the proper understanding of its significance (cf. Romans 6:17), he has not been baptized scripturally and needs to go back under the water again.   

 

Please answer the four questions below by reading the scripture and filling in the blanks:

 

Why are we baptized?

 

Acts 22:16… We are baptized to wash away our _____________.

 

Revelation 1:5b… We are baptized to wash away our sins by the _____________ of Jesus.

 

Romans 6:4… We are baptized to walk in newness of ______________.

 

John 3:3, 5… We are baptized to be ____________ again.

 

1 Peter 3:21… We are baptized to be ____________.

 

Acts 2:41, 47… We are baptized to be added to the _______________.

 

 

How are we baptized?

 

Acts 8:38-39… We are baptized by going down into the _____________ and coming back up out of the ____________.

 

Colossians 2:12… We are baptized by being _____________ in the water.

 

 

Into what are we baptized?

 

Galatians 3:27… We are baptized into ______________.

 

Romans 6:3… We are baptized into Christ’s ______________.

 

1 Corinthians 12:13… We are baptized into one _______________ (the church).

 

 

What will we receive when we are baptized?

 

Acts 2:38… We will receive forgiveness of _____________ and the gift of the ___________  ____________.

 

 

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