Many folks ask whether they should be baptized or not after they become followers of Jesus. I’ll share with you what Jesus tells us in Matt 28:18-20 … “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (nasb)
Jesus tells us here that we are to seek out new followers of Christ, and to baptize these new disciples (students, followers) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we must also teach them what He has commanded us, from now on. According to Jesus, we should baptize people who believe and follow Him. In fact, it should be a first act of our coming to follow Christ!
Go look at the book of Acts along towards the end of Chapter two. Things weren’t always easy in the early church. Jewish leaders would be making every move possible to stop these (foolish) Jesus believers before they get started. But Jesus had other plans.
After the Holy Spirit had come on the followers of Christ, Peter was preachin’ as the Spirit was leading him. And he spoke Truth and he came to the point about following Christ. He told of how one needs to leave behind the life he had been living and turn it over to Christ. And the first step of obedience was that a feller needed to be baptized! Please understand, we tell them about Jesus and what He has done; but Jesus changes them.
Back in the early church, much like today, baptism was a declaration that the believer was identifying himself with that group of people who were called Christians, and they were despised and hated by the Jewish leaders.
Baptism represents being identified with the death of Christ as one goes into the water he or she is buried with Christ, the old life is washed away, and the new life comes forth as one comes out of the water to have newness of life in Christ Jesus.
It says right there in Acts that Peter was preachin’ all this wonderful good news about Jesus and near 3,000 souls were added to the body of Christ that day!
Now understand, to identify yourself with those who were called Christians meant persecution, maybe death; it even meant being kicked out of the family. Once a feller publicly went into the water, he declared to all the world, he belonged to this group called Christians. He was letting the world know that he would stand, walk, run, ride for Christ who died for his sins, then immediately he was persecuted, hated, and despised. So, it was understood that in baptism, the believer entered into the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. And that suffering part was often pretty much literal for the Jew in the early church.
But what does it mean, today, for us to be baptized? Baptism is simply what one does once he or she has invited Jesus to be Lord. No turning back, no turning around.
Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ Jesus. Just like back in that early church, when one comes to Christ there is no need to wait.
Over in Acts 8, the Holy Spirit led Philip to talk to an Ethiopian eunuch about what he had been reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip updated him about the good news of Jesus and how salvation was available to all who believe. They came to some water and the eunuch asked “What is to keep me from being baptized right here?” Well, of course, nothing prevented it. He believed and desired for Christ to be his Lord. It was a done deal!
No, baptism does not save, but it is certainly something we ought to do out of obedience to our Lord! It doesn’t matter where. But make it somewhere where you can be dunked plumb under.
Choose Jesus, choose life! And find a Bible believin’ church where you “fit in” and know, grow, and follow Christ! See y’all at church and keep PRAYIN’ for HIS HARVEST! And y’all KEEP PRAYIN’ for RAIN! Amen