Despite what the majority of denominational preachers teach, baptism is essential to being saved.  When the people asked what they had to do to be saved, Peter told them to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38).  All of the intellectual attempts to explain away the inspired teaching of Peter cannot change the truth that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.  It puts us into Christ where all spiritual blessings are found (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 1:3).  It also is where we contact the blood of Christ.  This is why both Jesus and Peter said the same thing about the blood of Christ and baptism, that is, they are both for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28).  These are a few things that baptism does.  There are, however, some things that baptism will not do.  This week I want to focus on five of them.

One thing that baptism does not do is solve all of our problems.  Too many obey the gospel thinking that all their problems will automatically go away because they are now in fellowship with God.  When they realize that such is not the case, they become disillusioned, give up on Christ, and go back to the world.  This would not have happened if they had only realized that baptism does not wash away all of our problems.  Experiencing problems is something that all mankind has in common.

Job 14:1 (ESV)
¹  “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.

Paul testified to this truth when he wrote, “For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling… ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened… (2 Corinthians 5:2, 4).  Paul was right, and the truth is, sometimes problems come our way, not despite the fact that we are Christians, but because of it.  Jesus taught this in His parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:20-21 (ESV)
²⁰  As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹  yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

Jesus taught that persecution would come “on account of the word.”  This is not surprising.  The world is offended by the Word of God.  It does not like the moral tone of the overall message, nor its insistence that there is only one way to get to heaven—through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The point is, since the world is hostile toward the gospel of Christ, it will be hostile toward the conduits of the message who carry it out into the world, that being, of course, those of us who are Christians.  So, as Christians, we suffer, not only the trials of life that everyone else experiences, but also because of our association with Jesus.  Because the world hates Him, it hates those of us who follow Him as well (John 17:14; 1 John 3:13).

The good news is that now that we have been baptized, we are in fellowship with God (1 John 1:7), and He can help us with any problem that invades our lives.  We might have financial problems, even though we have been baptized, but we also have a heavenly father who will provide for all our needs (Matthew 6:33).  We might have health problems, family problems, or problems at work, but we now have the privilege of prayer by which we can find help in times of need (Hebrews 4:16).  So, do not think that baptism itself will solve all of your problems; but, if you have been baptized, take advantage of the blessings you now have as a child of God.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.