Here is a Bible study that I hope will be helpful to you to answer some of the questions you might have about baptism:
BAPTISM IS COMMANDED BY CHRIST - (Mat 28:19) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...
FAITH IS NECESSARY PRIOR TO BAPTISM - (Acts 2:38) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit . . . (Acts 8:36‑37) Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" 37 Then 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."
BAPTISM IS A PICTURE OF DYING AND RISING WITH CHRIST - (Rom 6:3‑4) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
SOME ASPECTS OF BAPTISM TO CONSIDER:
- To follow the example of Christ: (Mat 3:13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
- To fulfill all righteousness: (Mat 3:15) But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
- Only one necessary: (Eph 4:5) One Lord, one faith, one baptism...
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS:
- You are baptized because you’re saved, not to be saved. (Eph 2:8-9)
- You can still go to heaven if you weren’t baptized. Remember the thief on the cross? (Luke 23:42-43)
- Immerse, sprinkle, pour? Don’t get hung up on the way to baptize. Immersion seems to be the closest to Scripture (Mat 3:16; Acts 8:38-39) but I probably would choose to be baptized by sprinkling during the winter in Siberia! (Rom 7:6)
- How old do you have to be? If a child can be saved at an early age, then it is my opinion that he or she can be baptized with understanding as well. (Mat 19:14)
What a joy to follow the Lord in baptism and to tell the world that we have died and risen with Christ into newness of life. Jesus is still changing lives today!
Louie
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