Have you been thinking about being baptized? If so, or even if you haven’t, let me share two huge reasons why you should do it.
Followers of Jesus are commandeD to be baptized.
Jesus said plainly in Matthew 28 for His disciples to baptize new disciples. This is literally the first thing He asks us to do once we have repented and placed our faith in Him.
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
-Matthew 28:19-20
While I understand that, for some, there may be hesitation because of nerves, I also think many either haven’t been taught the importance of it, or are hesitant because they’ve been told that baptism doesn’t save you, and have concluded that it isn’t important. Kind of like being in a car dealership and being offered all the extra package options — nice to have, but unnecessary.
We know salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). It isn’t through any type of works, including baptism. If you’re baptized without having placed your faith in Jesus, you’re just going to be a wet unbeliever.
That said, no matter the reason for hesitation, check out what Peter proclaimed in Acts 2 when some wanted to know what they needed to do to be saved:
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
-Acts 2:36-38
Now, let me address a potential question you may have. If baptism doesn’t save you, why did Peter seem to say baptism was required to have your sins forgiven? Well, think about it for a second. In the days of Jesus, baptism was (and still is) about identifying yourself with Christ. If someone were baptized in Jesus’ day, it would often result in being disowned by their family and friends and would likely mean inviting persecution on themselves.
The Bible says that if we declare with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9). When you come to Jesus, you are saying that you believe in what he did on the cross and rising from the dead alone for your salvation AND that you want to make Jesus the Lord of your life. You’re no longer trying to steer the ship. He’s in charge.
So what might it reveal about this decision if you are refusing to do the first thing He has commanded you to do? It’s easy to say you believe, but do your actions match your words? This is why Peter so closely connected baptism with salvation—not because baptism itself saves, but because it was the expected and immediate response of saving faith—and it is another reason why baptism is so important. Baptism doesn’t produce salvation. BUT, because of their commitment to obey Christ, saved people WILL desire to be baptized.
“Baptism doesn’t produce salvation. BUT, because of their commitment to obey Christ, saved people WILL desire to be baptized.”
It is a testimony of what Jesus has done for you.
Baptism (Baptizo in Greek) literally means to immerse or plunge. It’s the act of being completely engulfed by something. The correct and literal form of baptism is to go completely underwater, but I would argue that it is also correct symbolically.
Baptism is a picture of two amazing works Jesus has done. When you go under the water and get raised back up, it reminds everyone watching what Jesus physically did for the world. It is a testimony to his physical death, burial, and resurrection.
It is also a testimony of what Jesus did for you spiritually. Before you turned to Jesus, the Bible states that you were dead in your sins. After repentance and faith, Jesus worked a miracle that only He can, raising your spiritually dead soul to life.
Check out this verse that implies both the physical and spiritual aspects of what baptism represents:
“Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”
-Romans 6:4
There is more that could be said on baptism, but I hope I’ve at least got you thinking about the importance of this decision. If you’d like to get baptized, let me encourage you to talk to your pastor about it! If you need more info and have no one to contact, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
