by Dorcas Kulwa | 19 May 2023 08:46 am05
REPENTANCE GOES HAND IN HAND WITH BAPTISM
Acts 2:38
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Welcome—let’s study God’s Word together and discover the deep connection between repentance and baptism, two essential steps in the believer’s journey of salvation.
Before anyone can genuinely follow Christ, they must first receive a revelation of who He is. Jesus asked His disciples in
Matthew 16:15-17,
“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you… for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’”
Without this spiritual revelation, we cannot truly understand the necessity of repentance or the purpose of baptism. Faith in Christ begins with knowing who He is and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection.
Before ascending to heaven, Jesus clearly outlined the message His followers were to preach:
Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV):
“Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’”
This was not a suggestion—it was a divine mandate. Jesus connected repentance, remission of sins, and His name as a unified message. The Apostles understood this and obeyed it precisely.
On the Day of Pentecost, after Peter preached the Gospel—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—the people were convicted in their hearts and asked:
Acts 2:37-38 (NKJV):
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’
Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
Peter didn’t separate baptism from repentance. He showed that baptism is part of the process of receiving forgiveness—just as Jesus had said.
Baptism is not merely symbolic. According to the New Testament, it is a spiritual act with profound significance:
It is a burial and resurrection with Christ
Romans 6:3-4 (NKJV):
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead… even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
It washes away sin.
Acts 22:16 (NKJV):
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
It clothes the believer with Christ.
Galatians 3:27 (NKJV):
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
The early Church never treated baptism as optional. It was always part of responding to the Gospel. That’s why every person who believed was baptized immediately (Acts 8:12, Acts 10:48, Acts 16:33).
Nowhere in Scripture do we see infants being baptized. Baptism is consistently shown as a response to faith and repentance, which requires personal awareness of sin and a decision to turn to Christ.
Mark 16:16 (NKJV):
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
An infant cannot believe, repent, or understand the Gospel. Therefore, baptizing a baby is not consistent with the New Testament model. Proper baptism should come after hearing the Gospel, believing in Jesus, repenting of sin, and confessing faith in Him.
The New Testament consistently records people being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, not merely using a Trinitarian formula. While Jesus instructed His disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), the name representing all three is Jesus—because “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
Thus, to baptize in Jesus’ name is to fully obey Matthew 28:19 as the Apostles did.
So let me ask you:
Have you repented? Have you been baptized by full immersion in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?
If you were baptized as a child or in a way that didn’t follow the biblical pattern, it is crucial to seek true, scriptural baptism. The Bible is clear—repentance and baptism go together for full remission of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
If you haven’t yet taken this step, we encourage you to do so. And if you need help finding a church near you that teaches and practices biblical baptism, feel free to contact us using the information below.
May the Lord bless you and guide you.
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