Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16 ESV
In Acts 2:38, Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
If you have been baptized, have you ever stopped to consider why you were baptized? I’ve heard various reasons from various people. One common reason for baptism is being “caught up” in a moment during a revival or church camp. You see all your friends going to the altar and you follow along. Some feel that they were just at the right age. Some say they were just feeling like they should or because it was expected of them by someone.
Our Scripture passage says whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. But note that when Peter gave his sermon in Acts chapter 2, he said repent and be baptized. Being baptized alone does not save us. It’s really important that you understand this. Baptism is merely a public profession of our faith or letting the world know that we believe in Him.
James 4:7 tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us. He says in verse 8 that if we draw near to God, God will draw near to us. God doesn’t force salvation on any of us. Many of us draw closer to God in times of trouble. But true salvation is a commitment to serve Him and praise Him in good times and bad.
When we draw near to God and truly believe in Him, we come to understand this awesome love He has for us. When we understand His true, unconditional love, we don’t want to sin. We know our sin breaks His heart. We don’t want to let Him down. We become brokenhearted over the sins we have committed against Him.
Thankfully in 1 John 1:9 we are told that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we are broken hearted over our sins, we can confess our sins to Him. We can repent and He will forgive us of our sins.
The problem, often times, is that repentance doesn’t precede Baptism. We are called to Salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us we are saved by grace through faith. We are called to Salvation due to God’s mercy and grace once we wholeheartedly believe in Him. Again, if we believe in Him, we no longer want to sin. We want to do the things that are pleasing to Him.
With all that being said, I want you to truly consider why you were baptized. Think back to when you were baptized. Were you a young child, a teen, an adult? Think about the situation in which you were baptized. Think about the emotions that affected your decision to be baptized.
The explanation of how Salvation occurs is explained by using the letters A, B, and C. First, we have to admit that we have sinned and been disobedient to God. Secondly, we have to believe in Him. We have to believe that God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins and that He was crucified, died and was buried. We have to believe that He rose from the dead on the third day and sits at the right hand of God the Father and will come to judge those who are alive and those who are dead. Then we must confess our sins to Him and ask for His forgiveness. We must repent.
If you were baptized for the wrong reasons, I encourage you to draw closer to God. If your baptism wasn’t preceded by repentance and didn’t bring about any lasting changes in your life, turn to God today. Call upon Him and be saved (Romans 10:13). I beg of you to understand that our time is short. There is no time like the present. So don’t delay.
Have a great day!