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We are commanded to be baptized in many Bible verses.
"And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:28
We are not saved by baptism, but rather, we are following in the steps of Jesus, who was baptized by John the Baptist. This came from a Jewish tradition of cleansing by water. Many Jews even had a ritual bath or Mitvah in their homes so they could be cleansed daily in New Testament times.
I come from a Baptist tradition, so I believe in adult believer baptized by immersion. Others might differ about that.
Allan, you must be saved to be baptized. I hope you are beginning to realize that believing in Jesus is the way, and are intent on repenting of your sins, so you can be baptized.
"And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:28
We are not saved by baptism, but rather, we are following in the steps of Jesus, who was baptized by John the Baptist. This came from a Jewish tradition of cleansing by water. Many Jews even had a ritual bath or Mitvah in their homes so they could be cleansed daily in New Testament times.
I come from a Baptist tradition, so I believe in adult believer baptized by immersion. Others might differ about that.
Allan, you must be saved to be baptized. I hope you are beginning to realize that believing in Jesus is the way, and are intent on repenting of your sins, so you can be baptized.
D
Likened to a watery grave where you die to your old self and your old ways and are reborn. Likened to a wedding ceremony, taking the name of Jesus Christ in a commitment, promising to follow Him for the rest of your life, where you can be joined with Him and He can come into you in the form of the Holy Spirit, producing fruit and making the change possible.
P
I Peter chapter 3 verses 18 thru 22
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Water baptism is the answer of a good conscience towards God. In other words, if you believe that Jesus died, was buried, rose from the dead and ascended back up to heaven, then you ought to likewise die to your sins via repentance and receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior and be water baptized yourself. In doing so, you'll be outwardly declaring what has happened inwardly in your life:
A death to sin when you were symbolically crucified with Christ, the burying of your old man or old manner of living and the raising up into a new life of servitude unto your Lord and Savior.
Noah's ark was a type of salvation in that it was God's chosen means of deliverance even as Christ is God's ultimate chosen means of deliverance from sin. Whereas the ark was raised to the top of the mountains of Ararat by the flood waters, we are symbolically raised up and seated together with Christ in heavenly places as Christians and water baptism is an outward sign of the same. Of course, this outward sign means nothing without the inward reality as well.
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Water baptism is the answer of a good conscience towards God. In other words, if you believe that Jesus died, was buried, rose from the dead and ascended back up to heaven, then you ought to likewise die to your sins via repentance and receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior and be water baptized yourself. In doing so, you'll be outwardly declaring what has happened inwardly in your life:
A death to sin when you were symbolically crucified with Christ, the burying of your old man or old manner of living and the raising up into a new life of servitude unto your Lord and Savior.
Noah's ark was a type of salvation in that it was God's chosen means of deliverance even as Christ is God's ultimate chosen means of deliverance from sin. Whereas the ark was raised to the top of the mountains of Ararat by the flood waters, we are symbolically raised up and seated together with Christ in heavenly places as Christians and water baptism is an outward sign of the same. Of course, this outward sign means nothing without the inward reality as well.
Baptism is the following.....
1. The first act of obedience as a saved child of God
2. It is the public declaration of faith
3. It states that you have crucified the old man with Jesus, been put in the ground with Jesus and have been resurrected a NEW CREATION in Christ Jesus...
4. It is comparable to circumcision and is a painting, picture of what has been accomplished in Christ
5. It does not add to, facillitate and or complete salvation as that (salvation) is a once for all act of faith
6. It is a work of righteousness and no one is saved by works of righteousness!
1. The first act of obedience as a saved child of God
2. It is the public declaration of faith
3. It states that you have crucified the old man with Jesus, been put in the ground with Jesus and have been resurrected a NEW CREATION in Christ Jesus...
4. It is comparable to circumcision and is a painting, picture of what has been accomplished in Christ
5. It does not add to, facillitate and or complete salvation as that (salvation) is a once for all act of faith
6. It is a work of righteousness and no one is saved by works of righteousness!
F
To the contrary:
Instead of a priori defining 'saved,' or 'being saved' I and you should see how the context when it's used in the Bible defines.
Also instead of relying on my own terminology, or shorthand, to communicate the Bible, I should accept not only the Bible's meanings------but also it's terminology and word choice.
To be sure, baptism has nothing to do eternal damnation or not. It cannot and it does not. In the Scripture, or in fact.
But Jesus, Mark, Peter, for example make the bare statements that baptism saves. Do you see what I'm saying?
If I say something---and the Bible language flatly contradicts me (or I flatly contradict it), then maybe it's me who should adjust. And not the Bible. Baptism saves, hallelujah. But it in no way saves in regard to eternity in God's judgment.
It is very similar to wedding. In that Israel was espoused to the Lord, in her days in the wilderness, her redemption and salvation began with the Lamb and the Sea
Instead of a priori defining 'saved,' or 'being saved' I and you should see how the context when it's used in the Bible defines.
Also instead of relying on my own terminology, or shorthand, to communicate the Bible, I should accept not only the Bible's meanings------but also it's terminology and word choice.
To be sure, baptism has nothing to do eternal damnation or not. It cannot and it does not. In the Scripture, or in fact.
But Jesus, Mark, Peter, for example make the bare statements that baptism saves. Do you see what I'm saying?
If I say something---and the Bible language flatly contradicts me (or I flatly contradict it), then maybe it's me who should adjust. And not the Bible. Baptism saves, hallelujah. But it in no way saves in regard to eternity in God's judgment.
It is very similar to wedding. In that Israel was espoused to the Lord, in her days in the wilderness, her redemption and salvation began with the Lamb and the Sea
The water itself does nothing. It is the act of obedience in submitting to God's command to be water baptized that God then removes the body of sin/remits sins. As in the case with Naaman, the water itself did nothing, it did not heal his disease but it was his act of obedience to God in dipping 7 times in the Jordan river as instructed by God that God healed him.
The first initial meaning of baptism is the coming down of the Holy Spirit like rain on the dry ground. John the Baptist makes this clear when he says, 'I baptise you in water, but He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit' having in mind OT pictures of the coming of the Holy Spirit (Is 32.15; 44.1-5; 55.10-13). John's baptism was pointing forward towards that day. John gives no hint that his baptism was supposed to wash or cleanse. And Old Testament washings never cleansed (unless mixed with sacrificial blood). They were preparatory. It was the time waiting on God that cleansed. Thus there are few if any grounds for comparing baptism with Old Testament washings.
John's baptism had in mind the Old Testament promises of the coming of the Holy Spirit like rain on the dry ground (Is 32.15; 44.1-6; 55.10-13; Ezek 36.25-26). Thus when Jesus spoke of being born of water and Spirit this was what He surely had primarily in mind. That is why in Acts water baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit are regularly connected.
Thus Paul could speak in terms of it as signifying dying and rising again, because that is what the Holy Spirit does for us (Rom 6.3 ff.). The emphasis in Paul's writings is that baptism illustrates the work of the Holy Spirit in giving new life (like rain) and producing fruitfulness (compare how John the Baptist's message was also one of fruitfulness.
The statement of Ananias in Acts 22.16 is slightly ambiguous. Literally he said, 'arising be baptised, and wash away your sins calling on the Name of the Lord.' (Acts 22.16) The sentence is split into two halves each of which has a main verb and a connecting participle. This suggests that it is primarily the calling on the Name of the Lord that will wash away his sins If it is seen as also directly applied to being baptised it is the only verse in the New Testament that connects baptism with washing away sin. (And whilst the record of what he said is the inspired word of God showing that he said them, it does not mean that his own words themselves were so inspired. The record of what Satan said is also the inspired word of God, but it does not mean that Satan's words were inspired.)
John's baptism had in mind the Old Testament promises of the coming of the Holy Spirit like rain on the dry ground (Is 32.15; 44.1-6; 55.10-13; Ezek 36.25-26). Thus when Jesus spoke of being born of water and Spirit this was what He surely had primarily in mind. That is why in Acts water baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit are regularly connected.
Thus Paul could speak in terms of it as signifying dying and rising again, because that is what the Holy Spirit does for us (Rom 6.3 ff.). The emphasis in Paul's writings is that baptism illustrates the work of the Holy Spirit in giving new life (like rain) and producing fruitfulness (compare how John the Baptist's message was also one of fruitfulness.
The statement of Ananias in Acts 22.16 is slightly ambiguous. Literally he said, 'arising be baptised, and wash away your sins calling on the Name of the Lord.' (Acts 22.16) The sentence is split into two halves each of which has a main verb and a connecting participle. This suggests that it is primarily the calling on the Name of the Lord that will wash away his sins If it is seen as also directly applied to being baptised it is the only verse in the New Testament that connects baptism with washing away sin. (And whilst the record of what he said is the inspired word of God showing that he said them, it does not mean that his own words themselves were so inspired. The record of what Satan said is also the inspired word of God, but it does not mean that Satan's words were inspired.)
Amen! In the first place, if being healed from leprosy is an illustration of salvation, we have another case that reveals one can be saved without any water. Read it in Luke 5:12-15. No water is found here. Secondly, Naaman was not even a believer until after dipping in Jordan. He said "NOW" (after being healed) I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel," (2 Kings 5:15) and vowed to worship only Him (vs. 17). If we follow this "example," we will have to baptized unbelievers! Naaman received cleansing from leprosy (not eternal life) after he dipped in the Jordan 7 times, but no sins were literally remitted for Naaman in Jordan. Likewise, water baptism does not literally remit sins. The NT uses the experience of Naaman as illustrative of the SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, not of salvation through baptism. Naaman was a heathen, not a believer, and did not know God until the miracle occurred. The purpose of the miracle had nothing to do with salvation through baptism, but was to demonstrate "there is a prophet in Israel" (2 Kings 5:8) and that "there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel," as Naaman found out (2 Kings 5:15).