Baptism is an important step in following Jesus. It symbolizes one’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and a resurrection to new life in Christ—just as Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose to life again (see Romans 6:3-5). Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples and to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 28:18-20).

 

Baptism has no saving virtue in itself. Jesus is our only Savior. But those who love Him will follow Him in baptism to signify their decision to accept Him as their Savior.  According to the Bible, what are the prerequisites for being baptized?

 

1. Confess your sins.

The Bible says of John the Baptist: “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins (Matthew 3:5, 6, NKJV). We need to acknowledge that we are sinners and confess our sins to God. If we do, He will forgive us (see 1 John 1:9).

2. Repent of your sins.

When Peter preached to the people in Jerusalem on Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus, many of them were convicted by the Holy Spirit and asked Peter what they should do. He replied, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38, NKJV).

3. Believe

Believe on Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Savior from sin. When Philip met an Ethiopian and told him about Jesus, the Ethiopian wanted to be baptized. Philip told him, “ ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ . . . . And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him” (Acts 8:37, 38, NKJV). “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16, NKJV).Get your free e-book to enrich your spiritual life!

Baptism is an outward sign of something God has done in your life.  It is a visible sign that becomes your first act of witness. In baptism, you telling the world what God has done for you.
 

Romans 6:3-7 says, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 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.  “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.”

 

The meaning of baptism

Baptism symbolizes a death, burial and resurrection, which is why the early church baptized by immersion. The word “baptizo” means to immerse. It symbolized the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and it shows the death of the old sinner in the one being baptized.

 

Jesus’ teaching on baptism

We also know that baptism is a righteous thing to do. Jesus got baptized even though He was sinless. Matthew 3:13-15 says, “...John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ 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.”

Jesus adds this about baptism in Mark 16:15-16, “...Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

​

Are we saved by baptism?

You will notice that the Bible ties baptism to salvation. However, it isn’t the act of baptism that saves you. Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear that our works don’t contribute to our salvation. We can’t earn salvation, even by being baptized.  However, you must ask yourself. If Jesus asks you to do something and you refuse to do it, what does that mean? It means you are willfully disobedient. Is a willfully disobedient person repentant? Absolutely not!  Baptism is not what saves you, Jesus does! But refusing baptism says something powerful about the state of your relationship with Jesus.

Keep in mind, if you are unable to get baptized, like the thief on the cross, God understands your circumstances. However, if you are able to be baptized and won’t or choose not to, that action is willful sin.

 

As a missionary you will be following the command of Jesus when He said, “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” (Matthew 28:19).  You, yourself, need to be baptized before you can do this with new believers elsewhere.