The subject of baptism has confused many believers in Christ over the years. It is not the teachings of the Bible, however, that have caused this confusion, but rather man’s various “interpretations” of biblical teaching that is the source of the difficulty. When we take the sum total of what the Bible teaches on the subject, we can understand that baptism is required by God in order for one to be a Christian.

Some various ideas about the purpose of baptism have come up in the last few decades. A few groups teach that baptism is simply a “public profession of faith,” or “an outward sign of an inward grace.” Some require baptism only to join their local congregation, and if you move to a different group you have to be baptized again to join that group, even if they teach the same thing about baptism. Some even teach that baptism is optional!

By searching the scriptures, however, we do not find any of these ideas expressed by the Holy Spirit. There is no biblical passage that talks of baptism as a “witness” before men that you believe in Christ. There is no passage that speaks of “joining” a local congregation. There is no passage that discusses a conversion taking place separately and apart from baptism.

The scriptures do, however, speak of baptism as the final part of the conversion process. Jesus Himself commanded the disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” This process was to happen by baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and also by teaching them to observe all that He commanded (Matt. 28:19). Baptism and teaching are required to make disciples. Jesus required it to make one saved, as well (Mark 16:16).

God’s word also speaks of baptism as being “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Therefore, baptism stands between a believer and receiving forgiveness of sins. Following Peter’s declaration of the terms of entering God’s kingdom in Acts chapter 2, we see many other conversions take place. Every individual spoken of in the book of Acts as becoming a Christian was baptized immediately: Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:13); the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36); the apostle Paul (Acts 9:18; 22:16); Cornelius and his family (Acts 10:47-48); Lydia (Acts 16:14-15); the Philippian jailor (Acts 16:33); Crispus and other Corinthians (Acts 18:8); and 12 men at Ephesus who had an incorrect understanding of New Testament baptism (Acts 19:1-7). In none of these accounts do we read of baptism being a “witness” or an “outward sign of an inward grace.”

These men and women needed to be baptized into Christ for a reason! The reason was to receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) and to be added to the church (Acts 2:47). The church, of course, is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18), and it is His body (the church) that He will save (Eph. 5:23).

Far from being an optional practice, the baptism of a believer is an important part of God’s plan for man’s salvation. We have learned other parts of God’s plan of salvation in past articles in this series. We have learned that faith in Christ comes from hearing His word (Rom. 10:17), and that Jesus calls on us to believe in Him as the Messiah (John 8:24), God who came in the flesh (John 1:1,14), to repent of our sinful lives (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30), and to openly confess Him as our Savior (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9,10). Finally, being a repentant, confessing believer, we can be baptized into Christ and added to His church.

Do you want to obey the gospel of Christ and be added to the Lord’s church? Use this directory to locate a group of Christians in your area who can assist you.

God bless you, and we love you!