Baptism?

How important is it

really?

Maybe more than you think!

Jesus said…
Matt. 28:18-19

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

 Mark 16:16

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned

Peter said…
Acts 2:38

 …repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the holy ghost.   

1 Peter 3:21
The like figure whereunto baptism  doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,)  by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul said…
Col .2:12

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who raised him form the dead.

How did the church respond?

Acts 2:41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added about unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 8:12

But when thy believed Philip preaching concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women.

Acts 10:48

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Acts 19:4-5

Then said Paul,, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

But aren’t we saved by grace, and not by works?

Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the *washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the holy ghost.

Titus 3:5    * washing of regeneration is baptism

So, what exactly is the gospel?

1 Cor. 15:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, And that he was buried, and that he rose the third day, according to the scriptures.

Death, Burial & Resurrection

          is the Gospel

2 Thess. 1:7-8
And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

          

So, what is the obedience to the Gospel?

On the birthday of the New Testament Church, the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, then again in Acts 8, 10, and 19 we see that in each case the church repented, was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as was evidenced by speaking in tongues and magnifying God.

The order of these three steps varied on occasion, but all three elements were present in each case.  Repentance is our death to self will; the acceptance of the Lordship of Jesus in our lives.  We are buried with Christ in baptism.  Our power to walk in the newness of  a resurrected life is found in the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  Our obedience to the gospel is Acts 2:38- repentance, baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

Check out the new Tracts page! 
Also, check out the power point presentations on both pages! 
Links to both found at the top of this page.