IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE BAPTIZED? By Josimar Salum

IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE BAPTIZED? By Josimar Salum

 “Behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot was reading the prophet Isaiah.

 Then the Spirit said to Philip: Approach that chariot and follow it.  As Philip ran, he heard him read the prophet Isaiah and asked: Do you understand what you have been reading?

 He replied: How can I understand if someone doesn't explain it to me?

 And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

 Now the passage of Scripture he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter;  and like a dumb lamb before its shearer, so he did not open his mouth.  In his humiliation he was denied justice;  who can describe the generation to you?  Because from the earth his life is taken.

 Then the eunuch said to Philip: I ask you to explain to me who the prophet refers to.  Does he speak of himself or of someone else?

 Then Philip explained;  and beginning with this passage of Scripture, he announced Jesus to him.  As they went out on the way, when they came to a certain place where there was water, the eunuch said: Here is water;  what prevents me from being baptized?

 [Philip replied, It is allowed if you believe with all your heart.

 And he answering said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.]

 So he had the chariot stopped, they both went down into the water, and Philip baptized the eunuch.”  Acts 8:27-38

 A God-fearing man or woman discovers that to be a disciple of Jesus he/she must be baptized.  And he/she even compels the one who taught him/her about Jesus Christ to baptize him or her:

 Nowadays it is emphasized that it is necessary to teach someone about the things of God, in a special class, so that the person can decide whether to be baptized or not.

 The truth is that what initiates a person to be a disciple of Jesus is baptism.

 “Jesus came and spoke to them, saying:

 All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

 What makes a person become a disciple of Jesus is baptism.  Without baptism this person has not even become a disciple yet.

 There is nothing clearer than this Truth in the entire New Testament.

 “When they heard these things, their hearts were pierced, and they asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, brethren, what shall we do?

 Peter answered them, Repent, and 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.

 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far off, that is, to whom the Lord our God will call.

 Then those who accepted his word were baptized, with an addition that day of nearly three thousand people.”  Acts 2:37-39, 41

Baptism is not a symbolic act neither a performance to show your allegiance to Jesus. If you are baptized just to demonstrate a religious act you are just performing. 

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! 

How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 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. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. 

Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 #ASONE