You do not have permission to delete messages in this group
Copy link
Report message
Show original message
Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message
to Bible-Pro...@googlegroups.com
Are You
Putting Off Your Salvation?
Even though they’ve come to understand the truth of God, many put
off baptism for years. But is that really acceptable to God?
Should you delay your baptism?
Recently a colleague and I talked to a gentleman who told us that
he had waited to be baptized for several years. Yet circumstances
had somehow sidetracked his intentions. Now he is finally ready to
earnestly consider taking this vital step towards conversion.
Others attend church for years with a desire for baptism somewhere
in the back of their minds while continuing to entertain doubts
about making a lifelong commitment.
Part of the problem for many is a lack of biblical perspective on
the subject. A helpful way to gain that perspective is to look at
examples of people in the Bible confronted by their need for
baptism.
Paul’s experience
The apostle Paul hadn’t always been a Christian. Far from it! In
fact, he had violently persecuted Christ’s true followers (Acts
22:4-5; 26:9-11). His life was headed in the wrong direction, away
from God’s promise of eternal life. Spiritually, he was on a
one-way trip to Eternal Damnation.
But on Paul’s way to Damascus--ironically, on a mission to
persecute Christians--God mercifully intervened, stopping him in
his tracks and granting him repentance.
Shortly afterwards Christ sent Ananias to instruct the future
apostle in the right path.
Perceiving Paul’s repentance, Ananias asked him: "And now why are
you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins,
calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16, emphasis added
throughout). Paul had flagrantly transgressed God’s law, even to
the extent of being partially responsible for putting Christians
to death. But a merciful God gave him the opportunity to put his
sins behind him, leaving them in the bottom of the baptismal pool
where they belonged.
God can do the same for you. No matter what wrongs you have done
in the past, you can put them behind you and rid yourself of the
guilt that plagues so many.
What do you need to do? The only requirements are true, genuine
faith and true, genuine repentance --being genuinely sorry for
your sins and firmly determining to follow God’s way of life as
summarized in the Ten Commandments and the true Word of the
Gospel. The apostle Peter called this godly sorrow "repentance to
life" (Acts 11:18). The result is an abundant life now as never
before (John 10:10), as well as the first major step toward
eternal life in God’s Kingdom.
Of course, the salvation process requires doing "works befitting
repentance" (Acts 26:20). This means giving up habits that the
Bible shows are wrong while committing to a life of obeying God’s
law.
The only road to eternal life
Many, and hopefully you as a visitor of All The Good News Of Bible
Prophecy , have already given up many of their old ways. They’ve
begun the process of repentance, jettisoning old pagan practices
along the way. For years they have been reading the Bible and
other material.
Yet they hesitate to take the necessary step of baptism--their
passport to everlasting life in the Kingdom of God. The apostle
John wrote: "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the
Son does not have life" (1 John 5:12). Those words can be a little
scary and demand positive action.
The book of Acts is a window into the life of the early New
Testament Church. One of its most prominent themes is baptism.
Does the historical record reveal much delay and endless
procrastination, or is repentance followed by baptism as a matter
of course?
After the historic Day of Pentecost, when the Church was founded,
Peter’s first Holy Spirit inspired sermon convicted members of his
audience of their sins. His listeners immediately sought a way out
of their dilemma, and God mercifully provided it. "Then Peter said
to them, ‘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 2:37-39).
The role of the True Holy Spirit
The True Holy Spirit is the seed of eternal life that leads us to
salvation. Other passages show that God gives His Holy Spirit to
the truly repentant person after baptism by the laying on of hands
by His true servants (Acts 8:14-18). Then, through the gift of the
True Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ begins to live His life in us (see
Galatians 2:20).
The New Testament record shows that "those who gladly received his
[Peter’s] word were baptized, and that day about three thousand
souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the
apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and
in prayers" (Acts 2:41-42).
Those who were baptized continued in the True and Faithful
Christian life, obeying God and fellowshipping with others on the
Sabbath day. Continuing the story flow, how did those early
audiences react when they heard the true gospel preached? "But
when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women
were baptized" (Acts 8:12).
The Ethiopian eunuch
Later Philip encountered the Ethiopian eunuch (the treasury
minister in the Ethiopian queen’s government) reading the book of
Isaiah in the Scriptures. After Philip had thoroughly explained
the truth of God, this official asked him: "What hinders me from
being baptized?" (Acts 8:36). Today many might ask themselves the
same question.
Philip replied: "If you believe with all your heart, you may." The
eunuch responded, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God"
(verse 37). (We should note that many other scriptural passages
make it clear that true belief should always include repentance
and obedience.)
But then what happened? Did Philip recommend delaying the
ceremony? Not at all. "And both Philip and the eunuch went down
into the water, and he baptized him" (verse 38). Since baptism
pictures the death of the old sinful man (see Romans 6:3-6), the
consistent New Testament example of baptism is one of total
immersion in water. This takes but a second or two.
Considering the realities of baptism--death and burial of the old
man in a watery grave--being sprinkled (Christened) and baptizing
those too young to understand baptism’s significance are not in
keeping with the biblical example and teaching.
The day of your baptism
How did the Ethiopian eunuch react to his baptism? Luke tells us
that after Philip left the scene the Ethiopian "went on his way
rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). It was probably the happiest day of his
life. His past sins were forgiven and behind him forever. He could
look forward to a transformed life, basking in the knowledge of
God by studying the Scriptures in ever-increasing understanding
made possible by God’s True Holy Spirit.
The day of your baptism is not a day of suffering and sadness.
Have you ever noticed the facial expression of a bride on her
wedding day? A big smile graces the face of blissful happiness and
great joy.
Both marriage and baptism are rites of passage into a different
and much better way of life. The former, on the human level, is
for this physical life, but the latter constitutes an important
step toward living forever in God’s eternal Kingdom.
Your personal circumstances important
We should note here that baptism is not for those with no
understanding of the law of God. As part of this sacred rite, we
enter into a covenant with God in which we promise to strive to
obey His law for the rest of our lives. This is
repentance--turning our lives around to obey God. But we must
first understand what God requires of us before we commit to it.
In the examples above of Paul and the 3,000 Jews baptized when the
New Testament Church began, they all had a background of
instruction in God’s commandments. So did the Ethiopian eunuch,
because the Jewish religion--it may surprise some to learn--was
commonly practiced in his home country.
All The Good News Of Bible Prophecy reaches its visitors on many
levels. Some are already truly converted Christians well on their
way to the Kingdom of God. For them this article will be a timely
review and reminder.
Many others may have only visited us a few times, and much of this
biblical knowledge might be entirely new to them. It may even
strike them as strange, depending on their previous understanding.
These readers may need more time before even considering
baptism--time well spent in studying the Bible. To assist you in
your study we provide many articles in our Archives and Sermons
section.
If you are new to the truth of God, you need to study and receive
instruction in God’s commandments and foundational truths.
Eventually you can make an informed decision on an eternal
commitment to God.
If you haven’t already, perhaps you will visit our Bible Study
section, many helpful lessons will explain the Prophetic plan of
God from Genesis to Revelation. Several highlight the importance
of becoming a True Christian, repentance, baptism and the role of
the Church in the convert’s life.
However, the primary focus of this particular article is for those
who are unnecessarily delaying baptism based on ideas or feelings
that are not supported in Scripture. Paul told Timothy to "lay
hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:12). Without baptism this
becomes impossible. Baptism is a command of God, part of His plan
of salvation. So why not take the plunge?
Personal counsel
Lack of repentance or faith is the only valid reason for delaying
baptism. But many of you have already taken significant steps in
that direction. If you understand and seek His truth, God will
grant you even deeper repentance. So why put off what the Bible
calls "the baptism of repentance"? (Acts 13:24). Why delay your
start down the road to eternal salvation? Indeed, as Paul tells us
in Acts 17:30, God "now commands all men everywhere to repent."
If you would like to explore these spiritual matters further, we
can help you - just visit our web page listed below. In detail ,
we explain repentance, baptism and any other biblical subjects in
much more detail.
Your obedience to the command to be Baptized by full immersion,
separates you and sets you apart from the world's crowd, you have
then been accepted as a Special Person of God, now separated from
the world, reborn by the infilling of the One True Genuine Holy
Spirit, with the essence and nature of Christ and into the Family
of God.
Remember what Ananias told Paul nearly 2,000 years ago: "Why are
you waiting? Arise and be baptized."