Baptism
Baptism is very important. Jesus Himself was Baptized in the Jordan River and He was God so if He did it so should His followers. He even gave us a command to be Baptized:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16
There are many false teachings about Baptism unfortunately. Some false religions like Mormonism teach that you can Baptize dead people and make them members of the Mormon Church by standing in their place and being Mormon Baptized which is ridiculous. Catholicism teaches that babies need to be Baptized by having water poured on their head to be cleansed from original sin and have demons exorcised out of them or else they go to Hell. False teachings always lead to a cycle of confusion. To counter the false teachings on Baptism other churches go to the extreme opposite and put no importance on it at all which of course does not please Jesus because He said He wants us to be Baptized.
“3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4
When we are Baptized we are submerged under water to symbolize dying and being buried.
“5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:5-7
When we come out of the water we come out of the grave in the likeness of Jesus’ resurrection, we are a new creature risen from death which is the world. We no longer serve sin but live for Jesus and follow not the flesh but the Holy Spirit. We die to ourselves and resurrect to living for Jesus.
“8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” Romans 6:8-10
The Bible is not talking about having to repeat certain prayer three times and bow several times and assign godparents and special candles and then get a certification signed by a bishop for this to be legitimate. That is traditions of men and foolishness when it comes to the simplicity of the teaching of what Baptism is.
“11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:11-13
When we are Baptized we are Baptized into the death of Jesus and His resurrection. You must believe the True Gospel to get Baptized because you have to believe you can overcome sin through Jesus. If you do not believe this and think that “once saved always saved” repeat a sinner prayer, get dunked in the tank to some effeminate Christian emotional rock music and strobe lights by a barista-looking pastor (or even worse a rebellious woman false pastor) with a theology degree and then keep on living in sin without any change then you have missed the point and are no better off than the Catholic repeating a ritual because that is basically all it is. An emotional feeling during a ritual does not equal saving life-changing Grace. Baptism is symbolic of your old self dying and rising in new life with Jesus which even though our body will one day physically die we will pass on to eternal life with Him.
“37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, 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.” Acts 2:37-38
Baptism is simple, it is commanded and it does not need to be done in an extravagant type of way to bring attention to the person getting baptized. You can run down to the lake, the pond, the river, the pool, the bath tub as soon as you believe the Gospel and get baptized. There is no doubt that the devil wants to make Baptism as confusing and manipulated as possible.
