Water Baptism

Jesus himself said,“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”(Mark 16:16)

God’s way of salvation is still the same: First believe, then be baptized. Before being baptized a person should fulfill the three conditions.

1. Be taught the nature and reason of the act.
2. Repent of his sins
3. Believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God

John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, accompanied by confession of sins (Mark 1:4-5). But Jesus had no sins to confess or repent of. Rather by being baptized in this way, Jesus set a pattern for all who would afterward follow him in obedience to the will of God. This is indicated by the reason which Jesus gave: ”Thus it becometh us to fulfill all Righteousness.”

Believing in Christ produces an inward change in our hearts. Being baptized in water is an outward act of obedience, by which we testify of the change that has taken place in our hearts. By this act we make ourselves one with Christ in his burial and in His resurrection; we are separated from our old nature and life of sin and defeat; we come out of the water to lead a new nature and life of righteousness and victory made possibly by God’s power in us.