What is the purpose of baptism?
Being baptized in the name of Jesus is an essential part of God’s plan of salvation. The Bible plainly tells us that unless we are born again of the water (baptism) and the Spirit we can not enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
The Purpose Of Baptism
Simply put, we all have a sin problem. It is a nature we were born with. God’s plan to deal with this problem requires us to repent of these sins. Once we have truly repented, God has chosen baptism as the way for us to have our sins washed away and forgiven. We find this purpose or reason for baptism in the following couple of verses.
(Acts 2:38) Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 22:16) And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.
The Water That Brought Death Now Saves Us
The Scriptures talk about those who were disobedient to God in the days of Noah and the building of the Ark, and how only eight people were saved from drowning in that water. Water brought the death of many who disobeyed then. Now this same water that is used in baptism is what saves us. It doesn’t do this by removing actual dirt from our body, but it is a pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves us because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:20-21)
As God’s Word says, when we join with Jesus in baptism, we join him in his death. (Romans 6:3)
(Romans 6:4-5) 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. 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.
