Baptism is not a ritual. The baptism of water is an act of obedience that follows conversion to symbolically portray the washing away of sins (Brown). Peter confirms that this washing of regeneration involves baptism declaring, ”...baptism now save you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1Pet

The book of Acts shows several examples of believers becoming Christians. In every case, water baptism was the final step for their salvation. The Baptism of Water is for the body. The ‘Old Man,’ has no place in the kingdom of God. This ‘Old Man,’ our body, dies, so to speak, and by faith we live in the ‘New Man’, which is the new body that Jesus will give us at the Resurrection. However, until then we line in Christ Jesus as His body in faith and the Holy Spirit is what baptizes us into the body of Christ (Eustsler).

Baptism, like belief, repentance, and confession is a part of God’s plan for the forgiveness of sin. No one can be saved without the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, water baptism is the means by which one contacts the blood of Christ (Smithson). Paul explains how this is done. “Know ye not, that so many of us were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4). Newness of life, being born again, comes only after being buried in the death of Jesus Christ through baptism.

Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me form being baptized?” The Phillip said, “If you believe with all you heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And Phillip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Phillip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:36-39).

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart form Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have hard from me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4, 5).

According to author Rusty Miller, Baptism is a necessity. Baptism is not a denial of faith or a denial of God’s grace. We submit to baptism to show our faith and our submission to the command of God. Baptism is not a ritual, nor simply an act by those who are already saved. Jesus has proven that ritualistic religion will fail (Matt. 9:11-13) and those people in Acts 2 were clearly believers, yet they asked what was lacking, to which Peter answered repentance and baptism (vv.37-38) (Miller). Baptism is immersion, according to Paul’s figure of baptism as burial, along with Luke’s account of Phillip and the eunuch, which is confirmed in the New Testament. It is also a command of God (Acts 10:48) and should be settled in the minds of those who are truly seeking to do His will. Paul clearly stated the equal status of baptism with some of the other Christian beliefs when he sated, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling

Some topics in this essay:
Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Spirit Lord, Whatever Christ, Miller Baptism, Paul Smithson, Suffering Jesus, Brown Peter, Jesus Christ”, Lydia Acts, jesus christ, water baptism, holy spirit, baptism holy spirit, baptism repentance, baptism holy, baptism water, necessity baptism, phillip eunuch, command god, baptized water, blood jesus christ, flesh appeal god, paul’s figure baptism, bible speaks baptism,