Sound Doctrine, the Bible above all. by E.G - HTML preview
Download the book in PDF, ePub, Kindle for a complete version.
 |  |
REQUIREMENTS FOR BAPTISM.
Facts 16:32-34 |
"And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he, taking them at that same hour of the night, he washed their wounds; and immediately he was baptized with all his family. And he took them to his house, and set the table for them; and rejoiced with all his household that he had believed God." |
––––––––
FIRST HEAR THE WORD, believe, repent and then baptism.
Matthew 28:19 |
"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." |
Acts 18:8 |
"And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household; and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized." |
Acts 10:49 |
"Then Peter answered, 'Can anyone prevent the water, lest they be baptized are those who have received the Holy Spirit also like us?" |
Many other biblical texts show us that faith always precedes baptism.
The very fact that the Church is made up of the congregation of believers of which one cannot be a part without the personal experience of the new birth:
John 3:3 |
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." |
It implies that baptism is only the symbol of the previous experience of faith, without which baptism itself would not be valid.
As we have seen, the New Testament teaches that those who had believed and had
repentant, were the ones who received baptism, which indicates that baptism is not for
Not to be saved, but to confess that one is already saved.
For us it is not necessary as a means of salvation, but as a testimony that we are already saved. And also as a precept. That is, because it is so ordained by the Lord.
Baptism thus gives us the opportunity to confess Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior before men and thus fulfill the Gospel requirement of Jesus:
Matthew 10:32 |
"Whosoever therefore confesses before men, to him will I also answer before my Father who is in heaven." |
To make Christ's commandment a reality in us by this way, we accept his lordship over our lives:
Romans 14:8-9 |
"For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. Consequently whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For Christ died for this and he rose again, and lived again, to be Lord both of the dead and of those who live." |
Therefore, only those who have acknowledged their sin, who have repented, and who have accepted Chisto Jesus as their personal Savior, are qualified for baptism.
Infant baptism.
Were children baptized in the New Testament? There is evidence of three families that were baptized:
● That of the Philippian Jailer (Acts 16)
● That of Está fanas (1 Cor. 1: 16)
● Lydia's (Acts 16:15)
But in none of these cases is there any mention of children. By
Therefore, there is no biblical basis for teaching such doctrine.
Based on Scripture, it is that:
"Men and women were baptized." (Acts 8:12) "But when they believed Philip, who preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women were baptized."
In this way, baptisms performed on infants have no value because they did not ask for it
voluntarily, annulling the personal testimony that everyone must give in identification
with the act. Children should not be baptized because of their inability to understand Christ's message.
If an unbaptized child dies, will it be lost? Baptism does not save or condemn the child.
Salvation is through faith in Christ, not through baptism:
"And in no one else is there salvation; for there is no other name under heaven given to the
men, that we may be saved." (Acts 4:12).
Because the Gospel presents children as special objects of the love of Jesus and the Father.
Baptism, therefore, does not save, either alone or accompanied by faith, since by faith alone we are saved:
"For all have sinned, and are destroyed from the glory of God, being justified
freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God
He put as a propitiation through faith in his blood, to manifest his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had passed over past sins, with a view to manifesting his righteousness in this temple, that he might be the righteous one, and the one who justifies him who is of the faith of Jesus.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.
By what law? By that of works? Not but by the law of faith. We conclude, then, that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Is God only God of the Jews? Is He not also God of the Gentiles? Certainly, also of the Gentiles. For God is one, and he will justify by faith those who are circumcised, and through faith those who are uncircumcised. (Romans 3:23-30).
Romans 5:1 |
"Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." |
Galatians 2:16 |
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of the Little Jesus, we also have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law no one shall be justified." |
Galatians 3:6-12 |
"So Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Know therefore that those who are of faith are the children of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, gave the good news beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed. So those of faith are blessed with the believer Abraham. For all who depend on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not abide in all things written in the book of the law, to do them. And that by the law no one is justified toward God is evident, because, "The just shall live by faith; and the law is not of faith, but says, 'He that doeth these things shall live by them.'" |
Galatians 3:26-29 |
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; for all of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, you are Abraham's offspring, and heirs according to the promise." |
Ephesians 2:8:10 |
"For by grace you are saved through faith; and this not of you, for it is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we walked in them. " |
Nor is forgiveness of sins received through baptism, since, for this, repentance of sins is necessary:
Acts 3:19 |
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, that come from the presence of the Lord times of refreshment." |
Facts 8:20-22 |
"Then Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God is obtained with money. You have no part or luck in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this iniquity of yours, and pray to God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven." |
And confession to God through his Son, accepting his blood shed on the Cross of Calvary as the only means of cleansing or forgiveness.
1 John 1:5-10 |
"This is the message which we have heard from him, and we proclaim unto you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and we cleanse from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." |
1 John 2:1-2 |
"My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin; and if anyone sins, We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation by our sins; and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world." |
Hebrews 9:22 |
"And almost everything is cleansed, according to the law, with blood; and without bloodshed no remission is made." |
Acts 13:38 |
"Know this, therefore, men and brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is preached to you" |
Facts 10: 42-43 |
And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one whom God has appointed to be Judge of the living and the dead. To this all the prophets testify, that all who believe in him will receive forgiveness of sins by his name." |
Colossians 1: 13 |
"Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son" |
Why should we be baptized?
- Because God commands it:
"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19).
- Why I am baptized symbolizes our death and burial to the old life of sin, and we announce our birth to a new life in Christ:
Why are we buried with him into baptismal death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we also might walk in newness of life. In the same way, consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let not sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey it in its lusts; neither do you present your members of sin as instruments of iniquity, but present yourselves to God as the living from the dead, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness."
(Romans 6:4, 11-13)
- For in being baptized we testify not only of our death to sin but also of our future resurrection:
Why we continue to stand together with him in the likeness of his death, so shall we be in the likeness of resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer serve sin.
Because the one I love is you, you have been justified from sin. And if we die with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; knowing that Christ, having risen from the dead, dies no more; death no longer dominates him. For as soon as he died, he died to sin once for all; but as soon as he comes, he lives for God." (Romans 6:5-10)
- Because we must follow the example of the apostles and the first Christians:
"But when they believed Philip, who preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women were baptized." (Acts 8:12)
"And immediately they fell from his eyes like scales, and immediately he received sight; and he arose and was baptized." (Acts 9:18)
- For in doing so we testify to all of us our faith in Christ:
"And as they went along the road, they came in a certain water, and the eunuch said, 'Here is water; What prevents me from being baptized? Felipe said: if you believe with all your heart, you can do it. And he answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." And he ordered the cart to stop; And they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him quotation marks. (Acts 8:36-38)
- For not being baptized shows little obedience to the will of God, and therefore it is to be doubted that he was born again:
"Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, 'If you continue in my word, you will truly be my disciples.'" (John 8:31)
"You are my friends, if you do what I command you." (John 15:14).
"That ye may walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:10).
CONCLUSIONS:
- Biblical baptism is for believers only. Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he who does not believe shall be condemned."
- There is not a single instance in the Scriptures of the baptism of infants or of persons who had not previously given evidences of personal faith in the Lord.
- According to Romans 6:4, "For we are buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life."
- When we are baptized we walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
- Baptize literally means "to immerse," the biblical form of baptism is by immersion.
- In Biblical baptism the believer is "buried" in water and then "raised" from it.
- It is a symbol of what does not happen when we believe in Christ, die to our way of life, and live for God.
- It is a symbol of the basis of salvation, which is the death and burial of Christ and his resurrection from the grave.
- It is a symbol of the essence of salvation, which is the believer's death to the old life of sin and his spiritual resurrection with Christ to walk in newness of life.
- It is a symbol of the hope of salvation, which is the future resurrection.