We know you are out there. I’m talking about people who want to find the truth (John 8:31-32). But the truth isn’t found from a fancy preacher or in big church buildings along with all kinds of man-made programs and hundreds of members. Instead the truth is found in that which is simple and plain (1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 7:13-14). In order to find the truth a person must be looking for the truth (Acts 16:30). The person must come to realize that not all that is said in the religious world makes truth (1 John 4:1). One must search the Bible and not the sermons of men in order to know if what is taught is indeed so (Acts 17:11; John 17:17). We want you to obey the gospel because that is the only way you can find peace after death (Hebrew 5:9). Because if a person dies in sin, then all hope is lost and that person has no chance of escaping the fires of Hell (Ecclesiastes 9:4; John 8:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Now, let us talk about what the word of God has to say about becoming a Christian.
The first thing you must do is allow time for teaching. In every New Testament example of salvation, people set aside time to look into what God expects from those hoping for salvation. Men must be taught of God, and all who believes the message, come unto the Lord (John 6:45; Acts 15:7; Acts 18:8). What about you? Are you willing to set aside time in order to be taught from the word of God? (Acts 8:30-35, 16:13-14).
The next step toward salvation is having faith in the message as the truth. In Acts 18:8, we read of Crispus who heard the gospel being taught and he believed it. In Acts 15:7, Peter said that the Gentiles did the same thing. The message of the gospel is the information which leads men from darkness into the Kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13; Romans 10:13-17).
Next is repentance, so think about that for a moment. What good does it for anyone to hear the wonderful news of salvation, and then do nothing? The Bible teaches we shouldn’t hear the word only, but we should also obey it (James 1:19-27). If the gospel teaches us to start going to church, we must start going. If the gospel teaches us to quit using profane speech, we've got to quit doing so. If the gospel teaches us to stop shacking up, we must quit shacking up.
The next thing one must do is confess the name of Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10). The reason for doing so is because there is no other name given among men by which we can be saved (Acts 4:10-12). What one would say in the confession is very simple, the example in Acts 8:37, has the Eunuch saying, “I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God”. That is all you have to say and then we will baptize you.
Last but not least, is the act of baptism. I’m going ask you to study the chart on baptism (below) and take notice what it does for the soul of man, and after that, I hope you will be baptized so you can be a part of the body of Christ.
Baptism—Is it just to show we are already saved, or is it necessary to save us?
Are we to follow the examples that the early Christians outlined in the Bible?
When are we not to follow the examples of the early Christians?
1) So what did the Christians do?
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Who?
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Answer
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Discussion
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What did 3000 Jews do, after Peter gave them a command from God?
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Acts 2:38 says: They repented and were baptized.
Why?
For the remission of their sins.
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They obeyed the command of baptism in order to have their sins washed away, and so should we.
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In the great commission, the disciples and we are told to teach the gospel to every creature. Were we commanded to do anything else?
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Yes. Mark 16:15,16 and Matt. 28:18-20 say:
Those who believe the gospel and are baptized will be saved.
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We know that:
one + one = two
Similarly,
belief + baptism = salvation
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Paul was a great disciple of Christ, but he had one job to complete before he could begin his mission. What was it?
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In Acts 22:16, after he had been struck blind, Annanias told his to to the following:
—arise
—be baptized
—wash away your sins
—calling on the name of the Lord.
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If even Paul was obedient to the command of baptism, what about us? Shouldn’t we obey too?
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Philip was sent to a traveler from Ethiopia for the purpose of teaching this man and leading him to Christ. What was the effect of Philip’s teaching?
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In Acts 8:38-39, after Philip had explained the scriptures to the Ethiopian traveler, the Ethiopian ordered the driver to stop the chariot and Philip baptized him.
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Don’t you wonder why the man was baptized right there on the side of the road if baptism was not essential?
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Compared to all the other examples of baptism in Acts, what was different about Cornelius and his family?
How did God show the Jewish Christians that the Gentiles were equally acceptable to God?
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They were Gentiles, and Peter and the other Jewish Christians thought the Gentiles were beneath them and less worthy of God’s salvation.
Acts 10:9-15—he vision
Acts 10:21-26—meeting Cornelius
Acts 10:34-37—understanding the vision: no partiality.
Acts 10:44-46—God shows he will accept Gentiles in the kingdom. God poured the Holy Spirit on the household of Cornelius in order to show the Jewish Christians that he accepts all nations.
Acts 10:47—Peter admits that Gentiles too can be baptized
Acts 10;48—Peter commands them to be baptism (NOT AN OPTION)
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Until now, only Jews had been baptized into the body of Christ. (See Acts 1–10).
Matt. 28:18-20 commands us to repent and baptized and then we would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This was a one-time event in the New Testament, where God had to make a special exception to prove a point. We cannot use this argument today. We are under the command of Matt. 28:18-20. We have to be baptized for the remission of our sins.
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2) Where is the proof that baptism is necessary to remove our sins? What else does baptism do?
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WHAT?
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PROOF TEXTS
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THEREFORE
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What does baptism do?
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1 Peter 3:20, 21 says that baptism saves us.
—the answer of a good conscience toward God
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SAVES US
Yes, baptism is necessary for salvation.
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John 3:5 “Unless one is born of WATER and the SPIRIT, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 2:47—“The Lord added the saved to the church.”
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ADMITS US TO THE KINGDOM
No, we cannot enter the Kingdom without baptism.
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Baptism washes away our sins:
—Acts 2:38 “for the remission of your sins”
—Acts 22:16 “wash away your sins”
—Mark 16:15,16 “he who believes and is baptized shall be saved”
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WASHES AWAY SIN
So if baptism remits sins, are you baptized if you have not been baptized?
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This is the way we put on Christ
Gal. 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
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BY WHICH WE PUT ON CHRIST
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3) How does baptism work?
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WHAT?
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PROOF TEXTS
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THEREFORE
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How is the work of baptism described in the Bible?
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Rom. 6:3-5 says
“Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.
Therefore you are buried Him through baptism.
That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should raised to walk in newness of life.”
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Therefore,
Baptism symbolizes a DEATH, BURIAL and RESURRECTION.
—vs 3,6,7: Baptized into His death (plunging into the water). Dying frees us from our sins. Our old persons are crucified with Him.
—v 5: if we die with His, we shall live with Him and will be raised to newness of life (out of the water)
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4) So, what must I do to be saved?—Summarizing salvation
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Hear
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Rom. 10:17; Matt. 7:24-27
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“So then faith comes by hearing”
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Believe
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Heb. 11:6, Mark 16:15-16, James 2:24
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“Without faith it is impossible to please Him”
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Repent
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Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3
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“Except you repent, you will all likewise perish”
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Confess Christ
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Matt. 10:32-33; Acts 8:36-37
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With the mouth confession is made to salvation.
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Be baptized
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Acts 2:38-47
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Live faithfully
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Rev. 2:10
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