Jesus Christ commanded water baptism. Apostle Peter obeyed Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost. Taught the meaning of water baptism and its interaction with belief, repentance, and confession. Over 3,000 people were baptized into the body of Christ (The Church). Water baptism and why it matters is something to research and consider.
Acts 2:36-39
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 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. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Peter instructed them to repent and be baptized for what purpose?
This teaching is for who?
Note: it is a good idea to read the whole text (Acts 2:14-41). Water Baptism and Why It Matters
John 3:1-8
Jesus Christ taught about being born. This is a key to understanding what it means to be born again, and to fulfill entrance into the Church. You must be born again to be a part of God’s church.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Fill in the blanks:
Unless you are born again you cannot _______ and cannot ________ the kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ mentions “water” and the “Spirit” in this Scripture passage. This is the same thing that he implemented in Matthew 28:18-20 and Peter revealed in Acts 2:39-6-39.
Romans 6:1-14
Paul the Apostle wrote the Book of Romans. Romans chapter six is a powerful passage that covers sin, redemption, and living a godly life.
Pay special attention to how Paul starts with talking about sin, baptism, and unity with Christ and God the Father.
Verses 1 to 4
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
- When you are baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, you are baptized into His death. Able to live a new life
Verses 5 to 7
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
- What can you be confident of after you are baptized?
- Are we set free from sin when we participate with Christ?
Verses 8 to 14
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Who is your master?
Who (or what) is no longer your master?
We look forward to you joining God’s holy Church.
Colossians 2:9-15
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
- Buried with Him in Baptism. Made alive together with Him!
1 Peter 3:18-22
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
IMPORTANT: Just as Jesus Christ was put to death in the flesh but made live in the Spirit, when YOU are baptized – YOUR flesh will be considered dead, but YOU will be made alive by God’s Holy Spirit. A Spirit that delivers power over sin.
Baptism saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His blood cleanses your conscience and empowers you to live a holy life.
Water Baptism and Why It Matters
Hope Church of Christ
Randolph, Massachusetts 02368
