That baptism is a part of God’s plan of salvation is vehemently denied by many, but easily proven from scripture. It was Jesus Himself Who told his apostles to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Furthermore, Jesus said that those who believe and are baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). Can we not rely on the words of Jesus Himself? Baptism is a command given by God. In order to be saved, man must comply with God’s commands. It is at best ignorance, and at worst arrogance, to suggest that man can be saved without obeying God’s word.

The problem of denying the necessity of baptism is a big problem, but it is not the only problem when it comes to God’s scheme of redemption. Another problem is that many think they have been baptized, when in truth, they have not, at least not scriptural. Just because a person has come into contact with water in some religious rite, does not mean that he or she has been baptized. So, let us take a few minutes to observe what is involved in scriptural baptism.

First, as with everything we do for God, our attitude and purpose must be right. A person must be baptized with an attitude of wanting to please God and be a part of His spiritual family. The motivation behind it, or the purpose for it, is to have our sins forgiven. That is the scriptural reason for being baptized. It is not an outward sign of an inward grace. It is not a symbol declaring that a person was saved some time in the past. Baptism is a part of the process of being born again (John 3:3-5). It is for the specific purpose of having sins forgiven. When the Jews asked the apostles what they had to do to be saved, they were told to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). The language here is clear to anyone who does not have a previously held doctrine that is proven wrong by Peter’s statement. For example, if one believes that a person is saved by faith alone, he might try to produce an interpretation of these words that fit his doctrine and miss the obvious meaning of the passage. However, a person without any preconceived ideas, will easily understand baptism as being necessary when reading Acts 2:38. If you want to become a child of God, you must repent and be baptized. There is no secret meaning to that. There is no private interpretation. Peter meant what he said. If you want your past sins forgiven, you must be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.

Second, you must qualify for baptism. Baptism is the final step in obeying the gospel, but it is not the only step. The obvious first step is believing in Jesus (Mark 16:16; John 3:16; 8:24). That means that infant baptism is not baptism at all. If you were baptized as a baby, you really were not baptized, at least not from a biblical standpoint. Infants cannot believe in Jesus. They do not have the capacity to do so. That is why there is no example of a baby ever being baptized in the bible. It is unscriptural. The truth is, babies are unable to do any of the things required to become a Christian. They cannot be taught (John 6:44-45), repent (Acts 2:38) or confess Christ (Romans 10:9-10). Then there is the fact that there is no reason for an infant to be baptized in the first place. Remember, baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, and babies have not sinned.

Another person who does not qualify to be baptized is the one who refuses to repent. I once heard a man on the radio trying to prove that baptism isn’t necessary because it does not work. His argument was that baptism does not take away sin because he had been baptized several times and kept on sinning. His argument was, not only so sad it was laughable, but demonstrated a lack of understanding of what must precede baptism, notably repentance. Without repentance a person goes into the water a dry sinner and comes out a wet sinner. That is why Jesus said, “…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Third, for a person to be baptized scripturally, the mode or action taken must be right. Baptism does not consist of a little water being poured or sprinkled on someone’s head. Baptism is a burial.

Romans 6:4 (ESV)

⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Colossians 2:12 (NKJV)

¹² Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

The very word for baptism (baptizō) means to submerge or dip (Thayer). If all you have ever experienced is having water pour on your head or sprinkled on your forehead, you really have not been baptized at all.

So, if you have not been baptized for the right reason (for the forgiveness of sins), in the right condition (having believed, repented and confessed Christ), and, baptized the right way (having been submerged in water), then you have not really been baptized. The good news is you can do something about it. Why not be baptized the Bible way before it is too late. If we can help you do that, let us know as soon as possible.