Don't Deny Baptism

- By David R. Ferguson     It seems rather sad that so many in the religious world wish to discount as necessary what God has deemed is important. Take, for example, the question of baptism. "And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ They then that received his word were baptized: And there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved." (Acts 2:40-41; 47b) This passage clearly shows how the hearers were not added to those numbered among the saved until they had been baptized.     Ananias told Paul, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on His name." (Acts 22:16) This passage clearly states that our sins are not washed away until we are baptized. If our sins were already removed, there would be no need to have them washed away further.     Peter wrote, "that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: Which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:20-21). This passage unequivocally says we are saved at the point of baptism. It’s the response of our good conscience to do as we have been commanded.     At the conclusion of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, we have the following: "And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:39) The Ethiopian eunuch did not go on his way rejoicing until he had come up out of the water. Why was he not rejoicing earlier if he had already been saved? Why didn't the Spirit take Philip away before baptism if it was not necessary for the completion of God's saving power? The answer: He was not saved until he submitted to baptism.     Paul wrote to the Galatians, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). If we were already saved before baptism, we would already be clothed in Christ.     "Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him through baptism unto death: That like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin" (Romans 6:3-6). Paul tells us that baptism is the reenactment of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. We must crucify our old self, and we do not die to crucify our old self until we have been buried in the watery grave of baptism.     May God bless you today!

- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church of Christ in Mentor, OH.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/ or davidferguson61@yahoo.com **