When a person receives Christ, the Bible teaches that he is to make known publicly his salvation through baptism. Baptism does not save. However, as a picture of his salvation, baptism publicly identifies a believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. A saved person is to be baptized.
The Bible clearly teaches believer’s baptism. Acts 2:41 says, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized.” The only candidates for Scriptural baptism are those who have received Christ. Unsaved people have not died to sin, neither has their old man been put away, neither do they have new life in Christ. Believer’s baptism eliminates the possibility of infant baptism.
The Bible clearly teaches baptism by immersion. The word baptize means “to dip or to immerse.” The only way to picture the burial of Christ is to be plunged all the way below the water. Philip and the eunuch “went down both into the water.” Immersion eliminates the practice of sprinkling.
The Bible clearly teaches that baptism adds a believer to the membership of a church. Again in Acts 2:41, “And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Following Christ means becoming a part of a NT Baptist church. Baptism brings a new believer into the fellowship of the church. Saved people follow the Lord in baptism.
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