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[Mark 16:16 KJV] “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”.
According to the text, baptism is the second most important step towards eternal living. It is an initiation into the newness of life.
Those who are baptised are dead and buried with Christ; and by coming out of water, they are rising into newness of life. They are ressurrecting with Christ.
[Romans 6:1-7 KJV] “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 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. For he that is dead is freed from sin”.
If we were planted together in the likeness of His death, then we shall rise in the likeness of His ressurrection. Baptism has great spiritual significance in our walk with the Lord.
Inasmuch as those who died in the Lord without the opportunity to be baptised shall still be saved, it is important to fulfill all righteousness and get baptised. This is the Lord’s instruction and we must keep with it.
The following are simple steps to be baptised in water:
The convert should have believed the gospel:
The Bible says those who hear the gospel, believe and are baptised shall be saved. Baptism must follow faith. You must be converted to be saved. You must admit that you have sinned and have come short of the glory of God; you must believe and confess that you can recieve the free gift of God which is eternal life by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross and His subsequent ressurrection from the dead.
There should be enough water into which the convert may be immersed:
Baptism is by immersion and not bathing or sprinking. We learn this from the baptism of Jesus Christ at the Jordan, and the eunuch from Ethiopia.
You must be baptism by another believer or minister by whom you believed:
It is better to be baptised before witnesses as a public confession of faith.
In modern Christianity, a certificate may be given as a sign of baptism:
This has no spiritual significance but neccessary for effective administration of the church and her members.
Let us find out in this text:
[Acts 8:26-39 KJV] “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing”.
This is how the Ethopian eunuch got baptised. You shall also find newness of life as you come out of water. There shall be supernatural signs at your baptism and God will usher you into a fresh life.
Be blessed, I love you!
Noah Simpe Bediako
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