| Are you READY
for baptism? | | | |
Does God REQUIRE anything before being baptized? What two things does the Bible state must occur BEFORE a person is forgiven of their sins and receives God's Holy Spirit? What five questions will help a person decide if they are READY for baptism? Is anything REQUIRED before receiving forgiveness and God's Spirit? On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter preached a sermon that powerfully convicted his listeners. When they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37) Peter replied, "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 2:38, NKJV throughout unless stated). According to Peter, repentance and baptism are required for a man to be forgiven of his sins and to receive the Holy Spirit. But when we think about it, is this any different from what Philip required of the Ethiopian eunuch?: "Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, 'Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet . . . "So the eunuch answered Philip and said, 'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?' Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 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?' 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' . . . "So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him." (Acts 8:26-28, 34-38)
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| Was it possible for the Ethiopian eunuch to believe "with all his heart" that Jesus had taken his sins upon Him and died in his place without being moved to profound repentance? Could anyone truly believe that Jesus suffered and died in his place and still wish to continue in sin? We aren't told all that Philip explained to the Ethiopian eunuch, but it is plain that he required no less than Peter. Like Philip, Peter required no lengthy probation period, no days of fasting and prayer, no overcoming or bearing of fruits. How could he when he and the other disciples baptized three thousand people on the day of Pentecost alone (Acts 2:41)? How IMPORTANT is baptism? Baptism is an important decision - a turning point in a man's life. Why did the apostles baptize people so quickly? What was the rush? Why not take a little time to be sure? Wasn't there a possibility that some of the people they baptized were not ready? The answer is simple. Peter and Philip knew that baptism was required for salvation for Jesus had said: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved . . ." (Mark 16:15-16). For them, it was not enough that a person nod his head when he heard the Gospel. Even an oral profession of faith would not do. When a man or woman accepted Jesus Christ, he or she had to go under the waters of baptism. If a person had not been baptized, he could not be saved. Eternal life was at stake - why delay? The Ethiopian eunuch was ready for baptism. What about you? What five questions should be considered BEFORE baptism? Here are five things to consider when deciding if you are ready to be baptized: - DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?
This was the confession offered by the Ethiopian eunuch, and anyone who is ready for baptism will be able to echo it. Jesus was not merely a great teacher. He was not merely a great healer. He was not just another rabbi. He was, quite literally, the only begotten Son of God. You probably think you believe this, but do you, REALLY? - DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE A SINNER?
Paul makes it plain that "All have sinned," but that doesn't mean everybody believes it. The simplest definition of sin is found in 1John 3:4: ". . . for sin is the transgression of the law." (KJV). But this question cannot be answered in the abstract. Does your life bear any of the marks of sin - pain, fear, loneliness, hatred, resentment, sickness, hunger, frustration, depression, or bitterness? Sin is not some mysterious religious idea. It is that collection of things we say, think, feel and do that systematically wreck our lives and the lives of those around us. Most people have heard that the "wages of sin is death," but they think the penalty is a long way off. You only come to believe you are a sinner when you come to see the results of sin in your life - here and now. If you do not believe you are a sinner, you are not ready for baptism. ARE YOU ASHAMED OF JESUS CHRIST? For many, "ashamed" is too strong a word, but they may well be embarrassed by some of the things Christ demands of them. If you are embarrassed by Jesus Christ, then you are not quite ready for baptism. Paul wrote to the Romans: "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. " (Romans 10:8-10). ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO JESUS CHRIST? No, I am not asking if you are ready to call him Lord, or to call yourself a Christian. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. " (Matthew 7:21). Commitment to Jesus Christ means that you are ready to surrender your life to Him and to live it His way. It means you are ready to make some real changes in the way you live your life. It means you are ready to repent. ARE YOU READY TO ENTER INTO COVENANT WITH JESUS CHRIST? On the night of the last supper, Jesus passed around a cup of wine to his disciples and said, "'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' " (1Corinthians 11:25) When we enter into a covenant, we create a new relationship. This new relationship carries with it certain privileges and obligations. These privileges and obligations are described in some detail in John, chapters 13 through 17. They are summarized in a short formula: "Whatever you ask of me, I will do it. Whatever I ask of you, you must do that." The new covenant you will make with Jesus Christ is not a one way deal. It carries obligations. If you can answer these questions YES, YES, NO, YES and YES then you are highly likely ready to be baptized. This is not merely a religious exercise that you can do or not do. It is not something for you to consider when you get around to it. It is quite literally a matter of life and death. Remember Jesus' words: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16) There is no reason for you to wait a day. If it is time to change your life, if it is time for you to make a commitment to Jesus Christ, then today is the day of salvation for you. The Ethiopian eunuch did not put it off until another day. Why should you? |
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