Baptism

Christ commands it.

• "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."  (Matt. 28:19)

Christ Himself is our example.

• "Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan {coming} to John, to be baptized by him."  (Matt. 3:13)

A believer shows his obedience to Christ when baptized.

• "So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls."  (Acts 2:41)

Conclusion:  We are baptized to obey the command of Jesus Christ.

• "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized unto His death?  Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with {Him} in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also {in the likeness} of His resurrection..."  (Rom. 6:3-5)

Baptism is with water

• "John answered them saying, 'I baptize in water, {but} among you stands One whom you do not know.'"  (John 1:26)

Baptism is by immersion

• "And it came about in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him."  (Mark 1:9-10)
• "And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him."  (Acts 8:38)

Conclusion: Only baptism by immersion pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Following Salvation

• "But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike."  (Acts 8:12)
• "And as they went along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, 'Look! Water!  What prevents me from being baptized?'  And Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.'  And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'"  (Acts 8:36-37)
• "So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls."  (Acts 2:41)
• "But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were unfastened.  And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.  But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!'  And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas and after he brought them out, he said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'  And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.'  And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.  And he took them that {very} hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his {household.}"  (Acts 16:25-33)

Conclusion:  Baptism follows salvation, immediately if possible.

Because it is an ordinance commanded by Christ (Matt. 28:19).  Also, the Apostle Peter taught the necessity of baptism (Acts 2:28).  After his conversion, Paul recognized that he needed to be baptized (Acts 9:18; 22:16).  Paul also taught that others should be baptized (Rom 6:3; Col. 2:12).  Even in the earliest days of the church Christians knew the importance of practicing baptism (Acts 2:41 8:12, 13, 26, 38).

Baptism doesn't do anything!  There is nothing magical about it.  It is, however, an act of obedience and submission to the command of Christ.  It is a wonderful way of showing to the world that we are identifying ourselves with Christ.  Baptism is also a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and a symbol of our death to sin and new life in Christ (1 Peter 3:18-22; Col. 2:12; Rom 6:3-4).

There are several reasons that we practice baptism by immersing people under the water, one of which is the term itself.  Baptism comes from the Greek work baptizo  which literally means, "to dip in or go under."  Secondly, Biblical examples of baptism indicate that the people were going into large bodies of water (Mark 1:9-10; John 3:23; Acts 8:38-39).  Such circumstances convey immersion.  Perhaps the most important reason we practice immersion is what baptism symbolizes.  We are confessing publicly through water baptism that we have spiritually died, been buried and raised to new life in Christ.  Being placed under the water and rising up out of the water best symbolizes this spiritual work that Christ did when we first believed in Him.

The Bible says we should first make disciples and then baptize them (Matt. 28:19).  The Bible makes it clear that a person should repent and believe before being baptized (Acts 2:37-38; 8:12; 18:8).  Baptism is a symbol of the new life a believer has (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:11-12).  There is neither reason nor any command to baptize infants.

NO!  Baptism is a symbol of what has already happened to you (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:11-12).  Also, we know that works or any good deeds we could do have nothing to do with salvation (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9).  But a believer should be obedient and be baptized if at all possible.  It is not an option; it is a command of Christ.