Baptism in Water
Now that you are saved you will want to learn about Baptism in water.
The Bible does not present water baptism as optional. Jesus gave the command of baptism in the great commission: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). At the least, this command of Jesus requires the church to make disciples by baptizing believers in the name of God. Thus water baptism here and throughout the New Testament is associated with Christian initiation. This commission from the Lord leaves us no option or alternative. We must baptize believers or disobey God's plan of salvation
The scriptural foundation of the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:1-4). In our regeneration, we are to identify with Christ in each of these aspects. Repentance and water baptism identify with Christ's death and burial, and the infilling of the Spirit identifies with His resurrection (See Romans 6:4.) Thus water baptism in the name of Je-sus Christ is one way we identify with Jesus and His work of our redemption.
In the New Testament, Jesus told Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). If "born of water" refers to water baptism, there is no mistake about its necessity. But some people at-
tempt to evade the necessity of baptism by interpreting "born of water" as "born of the Word." The Word is important in the salvation experience, for it is the source of our faith (Romans 10:17). However, to be born of the Word a person must believe and obey the Word. Since the Word points us to the cross, to repent-ance, to water baptism, and the infilling of the Spirit, the only way to be born of the Word is to believe, re-pent, be baptized, and receive the Spirit. It is signifi-cant that the apostles interpreted Jesus' teaching of being born again to mean water baptism and Spirit reception. (See Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:44-48; 19:1-6.)
The Bible does not present water baptism as optional. Jesus gave the command of baptism in the great commission: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). At the least, this command of Jesus requires the church to make disciples by baptizing believers in the name of God. Thus water baptism here and throughout the New Testament is associated with Christian initiation. This commission from the Lord leaves us no option or alternative. We must baptize believers or disobey God's plan of salvation
The scriptural foundation of the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:1-4). In our regeneration, we are to identify with Christ in each of these aspects. Repentance and water baptism identify with Christ's death and burial, and the infilling of the Spirit identifies with His resurrection (See Romans 6:4.) Thus water baptism in the name of Je-sus Christ is one way we identify with Jesus and His work of our redemption.
In the New Testament, Jesus told Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). If "born of water" refers to water baptism, there is no mistake about its necessity. But some people at-
tempt to evade the necessity of baptism by interpreting "born of water" as "born of the Word." The Word is important in the salvation experience, for it is the source of our faith (Romans 10:17). However, to be born of the Word a person must believe and obey the Word. Since the Word points us to the cross, to repent-ance, to water baptism, and the infilling of the Spirit, the only way to be born of the Word is to believe, re-pent, be baptized, and receive the Spirit. It is signifi-cant that the apostles interpreted Jesus' teaching of being born again to mean water baptism and Spirit reception. (See Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:44-48; 19:1-6.)
