Church Of Christ
“Is the Church of Christ a good biblical church?”There is no doubt that many in the Church of Christ denomination are genuine believers in Christ who desire to truly worship, follow, and obey Him. At the same time, there are others in the Church of Christ who are borderline cult-like in their preferences, practices, and doctrines. We are by no means disparaging the entire Church of Christ denomination. The purpose of this article is to express some concerns and answer some questions about the Church of Christ that we have observed and experienced.One "minor" issue is the Church of Christ policy of not allowing musical instruments in their church services. While we entirely agree that a church is well within the freedom God gives to not use musical instruments in worship, the problem is that some within the Church of Christ are fanatically against musical instruments. Some are fanatical to the point of declaring any church that uses musical instruments as not being a true, biblical, or godly church. Such dogmatism on a clearly non-essential issue is often the mark of a cult, not the mark of a good biblical church.A second issue is the fact that some in the Church of Christ claim to be "the one true church," outside of which there is no salvation. By no means do all Church of Christ members believe this, but it is prevalent enough to warrant concern. Some go so far as to argue that since the name is "Church of Christ," that indicates that the church / denomination is the one and only true Church of the Lord Jesus. This is completely unbiblical. There is no one church or denomination that encompasses the entire Body of Christ. The "one true church of Christ" is comprised of all those who have, by grace through faith, personally received Jesus Christ as Savior. The Church is composed of true believers everywhere, no matter the local church or denominational affiliation. The claim of exclusive access to salvation is another common identification of a cult, not the behavior of a good biblical church.A third and most important issue is the Church of Christ's emphasis on baptism as being necessary for salvation. Church of Christ advocates point to Scriptures such as Acts 2:38, John 3:5, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, and Acts 22:16 as biblical evidence that baptism is required for salvation. There is no denying that baptism is very important. Baptism is intended to be an initial act of obedience to Christ, an illustration of Christ's death and resurrection, a public declaration of faith in Christ, a step of identification with Him, and a proclamation of desire to follow Him. In the minds of the apostles and early Christians, baptism was so inextricably linked with salvation that the two were viewed as inseparable. The idea that a person could receive Christ as Savior and not be baptized was completely foreign to the early church.With that said, however, baptism is not required for salvation. There are biblically plausible and contextually valid interpretations of each of the above Scriptures that do not indicate baptism as being necessary for salvation. There are many Scriptures that declare salvation to be received by faith / believing, with no mention of baptism or any other requirement (John 3:16Acts 16:31Ephesians 2:8-9). If baptism is necessary for salvation, these Scriptures are in error and the Bible is contradictory.Church of Christ advocates argue that when the Bible speaks of salvation "by faith," it is speaking of a living faith, a faith that produces works of obedience, such as baptism and confession (Romans 10:9-10). They do not claim that baptism is a work that earns salvation, or in any sense makes a person worthy of salvation. Rather, the Church of Christ teaches that baptism is a work that God requires before He grants salvation, which clearly contradicts their statement that it is not required for salvation. For the Church of Christ, baptism and confession are no different from faith and repentance-they are what God requires before He grants salvation to a person. The problem with this is that while it may seem to be a subtle difference from the biblical doctrine of salvation by faith, it is in fact a crucially important difference.A person who has genuinely received salvation will produce good fruit. Good works are the inevitable result of salvation (Ephesians 2:10). What differentiates "living faith" from "dead faith" in James 2:14-26 is the presence of good works. Church of Christ advocates are right to denounce churches that teach intellectual assent to the facts of the Gospel as sufficient for salvation. The Church of Christ is right to reject the idea that a dead faith, a faith that produces no good works, is what saves a person. Faith / trust in Christ as the Savior is what saves a person, but this faith is a living faith that always results in and produces good works. To say that good works must be present BEFORE a person is saved is to make salvation dependent on our obedience, which is works-salvation, not salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. As Titus 3:5 declares, "He saved us ├ö├ç├┤ not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit."So, is the Church of Christ denomination a good biblical church? This is a question that cannot be answered with an all-encompassing response. With an extreme over-emphasis on the absence of musical instruments, with a claim of exclusive access to salvation, and with a doctrine of salvation that is borderline (at best) works-based-no, as a whole, we cannot endorse the Church of Christ as a church that should be attended / participated in. Again, let us reiterate, there are many within the Church of Christ who have genuinely received Christ as Savior and are trusting in Him alone, not in their obedience, for salvation.
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
In Romans 16:16 Paul wrote: “All the churches of Christ salute you.” What did Paul mean by “churches of Christ”?
The word “church” is translated from the Greek word “ekklesia“. It was a common word used for any assembly or group of people which was called together. The phrase “of Christ” tells us which people they were. These churches (assemblies) belonged to Christ. Therefore when Paul said “churches of Christ” he meant “those groups of people who belong to Christ.”
Those Who Are Saved
ince those who belong to Christ are the ones who have been saved, the church of Christ is “those people who have been saved.” This is what we find in Acts 2:47 where Luke wrote, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” The Lord adds all saved persons to His church; therefore saved persons are in His church. No one has to join Christ’s church. The idea that one is saved and then afterwards joins the church of his choice is not found in the Bible. When a person is saved, the Lord adds that person to the church of God‘s choice – the church which Paul called “the church of Christ.”
Jesus Built It
Not only does the church belong to Christ, but He is the one who built it. Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) Therefore if we are today in the church of Christ, we are in the church He built, not a denomination which was built by Luther, Calvin, Shembe or some other man.
Jesus Is Lord
Since these churches were “of Christ”, the members were loyal to Him. They listened only to the words of Jesus and His apostles and prophets. Jesus asked, “Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) Jesus is only Lord when we obey Him. If we teach the commandments of men we will be rejected by Him (Matthew 15:8-9). Therefore the members of the churches of Christ listened to Him and rejected the teachings not found in His word.
His Commandments Are The New Testament
The commandments of Jesus are the New Covenant, or New Testament. Those people who followed Jesus did not follow the commandments of the Old Testament because that covenant ended when Jesus died on the cross. (Colossians 2:14-17; Galatians 3:24-25). The will of Jesus is in the New Testament (Hebrews 9:15-17). Nor did they follow the creeds which men wrote for various denominations. Everything God wants His people to follow is found in the Bible, and the New Testament contains the perfect and complete instructions for His church. (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Jude 3.)
Churches Only
When Paul wrote “churches of Christ” he indicated that there were many. In every place where there were Christians there was a church of Christ – at Jerusalem, at Corinth, at Antioch. and a thousand other places. Each group of Christians was a church of Christ, obeying Jesus, carrying out His will in that place.
Each church was separate and self-governing. In the churches where there were qualified men there were elders and deacons. (Read Acts 14:23; 20:17,28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-3.) Each church carried on the work given to it by Christ. There was no other organisation. There was no headquarters, no missionary society, no presiding bishop. The Bible says “churches”- and nothing else!
Their Mission
These churches were given three works to accomplish:
1) They were to preach the gospel to the lost – to the whole world as they had ability. 2) They were to edify (build up) the Christians by teaching, worship and discipline. 3) They were to relieve the needs of poor Christians. Other good works were to be done by government, families, individuals; but the church was to preach the gospel, edify the members and help poor Christians.
Their Worship
When Christians gathered “in the church” (1 Corinthians 14:19,23) to worship God, they were commanded to sing, preach and teach, eat the Lord’s Supper, give their money for the work the church must do, and pray. Clear instructions concerning each of these acts of worship are given in the New Testament. Those who followed Christ did not worship according to the Old Testament law with animal sacrifices, burning of incense, instrumental music and feast days. They worshiped “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) as Jesus and His apostles directed.
Churches of Christ Today?
Are there churches of Christ today? The answer is a confident “Yes!” They are found wherever saved people are listening to Jesus and carrying out His will. These churches are filled with people who refuse to follow the creeds of denominations and refuse to be called by denominational names. They gather together to worship God as Jesus has directed. They strive to live pure, humble, dedicated lives like Jesus who is their example. They therefore have the bright hope of eternity in heaven with Him.
In Eshowe, which is in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, a church of Christ meets at 76 Main Street – on Sundays at 9 a.m. for Bible classes; at 10:30 for singing, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, giving and preaching; and again at 6:00 p.m. for worship. On Wednesdays there are Bible classes at 6:00 p.m. We invite you to attend – and to ask questions.
If you want to know more about the church of Christ, read your New Testament. We will be happy to help you in your study. You can contact us by phoning 035-474-2656 or by e-mail at paulkwilliams.za@gmail.com
BAPTISM SAVES!
Yes, in spite of what you may have been told, the Bible says, “BAPTISM NOW SAVES YOU.” (1 Peter 3:21) It is this wonderful truth which we want to examine and explain in this short tract.
What Does It Mean To Be Saved?
Men are lost because of their sins-that is, men lose their right to be with God because they have rebelled against Him. Since sin cuts us off from God, we have no spiritual blessings now and are doomed to an eternity in hell when we die. We need to be saved from the consequences of our sins!
God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins. He paid the price which we cannot pay and announced the wonderful gospel that through Him we can be “saved.” To be saved from our sins means that we receive the forgiveness of sins. The result is that we are once again joined to God. He hears our prayers, He blesses us, He promises us heaven in eternity. If we continue in that saved condition by continually doing His will in faith, by repenting of our sins and praying, by loving Him with all our heart, we will die in a saved condition and will be with God forever. Salvation, then, is forgiveness of sins.
Sins Are Forgiven In Baptism
This means that when we are baptised God forgives us of our sins. “Baptism now saves you.” (1 Peter 3:21) This does not mean that we will go to heaven because we are baptised. In order to go to heaven we must continue to be saved and that requires continued faithfulness to God (Revelation 2:10). Baptism is the act in which God forgives us of our past sins and puts us into a saved condition.
Jesus Promised Salvation In Baptism
What Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:21 is the same as what Jesus told him and the other apostles in the Great Commission. Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16) Jesus makes baptism a condition of salvation–as much a condition as believing.
Mark 16:16
Believe + Be Baptized = Saved
Salvation Not By Baptism ONLY
Note that Jesus did not promise salvation to the one who is baptised but does not believe. No one can be saved without faith! No one can be saved without repentance, either. Before one can be saved in baptism he must first hear the gospel, believe the gospel, repent of his sins, and confess Christ. (Please read the tract, “What Must I Do Before I Can Be Baptised?”) Babies are not to be baptised because they have not believed or repented or confessed Christ. Unbelieving or half-hearted adults are not to be baptised because God will not save them in baptism. Baptism saves only those who turn to Jesus Christ with all their hearts.
Baptism Is For the Forgiveness of Sins
In Acts 2:38 Peter preached, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Peter here gives the purpose of baptism-it is FOR the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 2:38
Repent + Be Baptized = Forgiveness of Sins
Since baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, we conclude that sins are not forgiven before baptism. One must believe to be saved, but salvation does not come at that point. If you do not repent, you cannot be saved, but even when you repent you are not forgiven. You must also confess Christ and be baptised for the forgiveness of your sins. Then “baptism now saves you.” When you come from the water you know that God has forgiven you because He has written it in His book that “he who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved,” and “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Saul’s Sins Washed Away In Baptism
The conversion of Saul shows very clearly that salvation does not come before baptism. On the road to Damascus to arrest and imprison disciples of Christ, Saul suddenly was in the midst of a great flash of light and he heard a voice asking him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” When Saul found out that the voice was from Jesus of Nazareth, the One whom he thought was dead, he replied, “What will you have me to do, Lord?” Jesus told him to go into Damascus and there he would be told what to do. Saul, blinded by the light, was led into Damascus where for three days he prayed and fasted, waiting to be told what to do.
Then Jesus sent the preacher, Ananias, to him who told him, “And now why do you delay? Arise, and he baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” (Acts 22:16) Until Saul was baptized his sins were not washed away. Even though he had heard Jesus speak, had confessed Him as Lord, had prayed and fasted for three days, he still had his sins. They had to be washed away in baptism.
Friend, think about this. You have been told that when you “accept Jesus Christ” you will be saved. But Saul’s sins were not washed away until he was baptised! Listen to the Bible, not man!
Acts 22:16
Arise + Be Baptised = Sins Washed Away
Water Does NotWash Away Sins
Let no one suppose that baptism is a magic ordinance in which the water somehow washes away sins. Peter makes it clear that this is not the case. Let us now read the entire verse of 1 Peter 3:21: “And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
In the verses before, Peter writes about how Noah was saved “through the water.” It was the physical action of the water which washed away the wicked people, thus saving Noah at the time of the flood. But Peter tells us that with baptism it is different. He writes: “not the removal of dirt from the flesh.” The action of the water on the skin is not what saves us. “but an appeal to God for a good conscience–through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Baptism saves when it is an appeal for a good conscience. When a person so trusts in God because He raised Jesus from the dead and obeys Him in baptism in order to have a good conscience, baptism does its work. God forgives the sins. Baptism saves!
This verse shows that in order for baptism to save, the one being baptised must be seeking a good conscience, and that he must be depending upon the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus proves that His death on the cross purchased our salvation. Depending upon that fact, the one being baptised appeals to God to save him from his sins. Then baptism saves. This is another reason why babies cannot be baptised. The baby cannot appeal to God for a good conscience.
1 Peter 3:21
Appeal to God for a Good Conscience + Baptism = Saved
Through the Blood of Christ
I have been emphasizing that salvation is through the blood of Christ. Some think that if baptism saves then the blood of Christ does not. But this is not true. The blood of Christ saves us when we are baptised. Let me prove this point. In 1 Peter 3:21 Peter writes, “And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Note that the baptism which saves is “an appeal to God for a good conscience.” How does one get a good conscience?
Hebrews 9:14 tells us that the blood of Christ gives us a good conscience. “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
If a man’s conscience is going to be cleansed from the guilt of sin, it can only be done by the blood which Jesus shed on the cross. Yet Peter (in 1 Peter 3:21) tells us that it is in baptism that we appeal to God for the good conscience. The inescapable conclusion is that in baptism the blood of Christ cleanses us from our sins.
And this is what we can conclude from Hebrews 10:22. “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our body washed with pure water.” This verse shows that the reason we can draw near to God in full assurance of faith is that two things occurred to us: 1) our hearts were sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and 2) our bodies were washed with pure water. Our hearts are not sprinkled with water, but with the blood of Christ. Because we have been sprinkled with His blood, we are clean from an evil conscience. We have confidence that this took place because our bodies were washed with pure water-that is, we were immersed in water (baptised). We can have confidence to pray to God because we were baptised as an appeal to God for agood conscience and therefore our hearts were sprinkled clean from an evil conscience by the blood of Christ.
Hebrews 10:22 and 1 Peter 3:21
Heart sprinkled from evil conscience + Bodies washed with pure water = Baptism Saves (An appeal to God for a good conscience)
Other Verses
Many other passages show that baptism saves. Some of these which the one who seeks the truth will want to study are: Romans 6:3-7,17-18; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 5:25-26; Titus 3:5. In addition the stories of how people were saved found in Acts 2:36-42; 8:9-13; 8:26-40; 10:27-48; 16:11-15; 16:25-34 will help you see that the pattern in each case was the same. To get all the details of Saul’s conversion you will have to read three accounts: Acts 9:1-19; 22:6-16; 26:12-18.
Note especially that in Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27 Paul says that we are “baptized into Christ.” The act which puts us into Christ is the act in which we are saved-baptism.
CONCLUSION
Since baptism saves, you must obey Jesus in baptism. And since there is ONE baptism (Ephesians 4:4-6), make sure that your baptism is that ONE baptism. Be immersed in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of your sins. Let that act be your appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then you will know that you have been saved because “he who has believed and been baptized shall be saved.”
Do not rest until you have done what the Bible tells you to do to be saved. Do not listen to a partial gospel and just halfway obey the Lord. Believe, repent, confess Christ and be baptised for the forgiveness of your sins. Only then can you know from God’s word that you have a good conscience, cleansed from dead works.
We want to help you obey the Lord. We will be glad to study these things with you and to help you be baptised into Christ. Write or phone us without delay.
WHAT MUST I DO BEFORE I CAN BE BAPTISED?
Yes, Jesus wants you to be baptised, but not until you first do certain things. Baptism is not for everyone! It is for those who are qualified.
1. HEAR THE GOSPEL
Romans 10:14 says, “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” This is why Jesus sent His apostles to preach the gospel to the whole world. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) Men are lost because of their sins. They can be saved only if they believe and obey the gospel. They can believe only if they first hear the gospel because “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
This is an important point. Faith does not come directly from the Holy Spirit. Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ, which was given by the Holy Spirit. The power to produce faith is in that word. You must hear it before you can believe, and if you hear and consider with an honest heart you will believe.
THE GOSPEL
You must hear the gospel. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16) “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)
The gospel is the wonderful message about the death of Christ for our sins and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-3). It includes the commands we must obey (2 Thessalonians 1:8) and the promises we will receive if we are faithful. Philip preached “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 8:12) Jesus told His apostles, “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). The gospel is everything about Jesus and His commandments.
DISTORTED GOSPELS
You must be careful what you hear! Everything which calls itself “gospel” is not the true gospel. Hear Paul: “There are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:7-8)
There are many distorted gospels preached today. They misrepresent Jesus and His commands. Instead of saving, these gospels cause the teachers to be accursed, and those who listen to the false gospels to be cursed together with their teachers. (Read Matthew 15:14) “Take care what you listen to.” (Mark 4:24)
Therefore the first thing you must do in order to be saved, and before you can be baptised, is to hear the gospel.
2. BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”‘ (Mark 16:15-16) Before a person is baptised he must believe the gospel.
“But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Acts 8:12) These people in Samaria believed what Philip preached, then they were baptised.
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch illustrates this well. “And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look?. Water’. What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:35-38)
There is only one pattern in the New Testament. Before a person could be baptised, he had to believe the gospel. This means that a baby is not to be baptized. It also means that the one who is baptised must be a sincere believer.
Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24) We cannot play around with Jesus. He will accept us only if we believe Him — trust him — with our whole heart. Only those who truly believe can expect God to accept them when they are baptised.
Remember, faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). It is the word of God which we must believe, not the teachings of men nor the traditions of men. Listen to the Bible, believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and you will be ready to take the next step toward baptism.
3. REPENT
W hen the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, Peter preached to a great crowd. He concluded his powerful sermon by saying, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.” These words had an immediate effect on his audience: “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?”‘ These people were believers — the word had pierced their hearts — but they were not yet qualified to be baptised. “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let each of you he baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”‘ (Acts 2:36-38) These believers had to REPENT before they could be baptized.
There is no way a person can be saved without repentance. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all perish.” (Luke 13:3)
To repent means to change one’s mind or will. The repentance God commands is repentance concerning our sins. We must decide to stop our sins because we are sorry toward God. We must decide to change from serving sin to serving righteousness. This decision must be a thorough one made with all our heart.
This is the hardest thing one must do to be saved. It is easy to believe when you consider the abundant evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. It is easy to be baptised. But it is hard to change one’s stubborn will concerning sin. We will make every excuse to keep from doing it, but we must repent or we will be lost eternally.
God in His mercy has revealed two great things to cause us to repent. They are: 1) God’s great mercy and kindness (Romans 2:4), and 2) God’s righteous judgment which will cause all unrepentant people to be cast into an eternal hell (Romans 2:5; Matthew 25:41). If you will think of God’s love which caused Him to send His Son to die for you, you will be drawn to do His will. If you will spend 30 minutes thinking about the consequences of your sins and the hell into which you will be cast if you do not repent, you will find your stubborn will beginning to bend. Friend I plead with you to think about these things until the tears flow and you make up your mind that with all your strength and heart you will stop serving sin and will serve only Christ for the rest of your life. This you must do to be saved. This you must do in order to be baptised.
4. CONFESS CHRIST
W hen the Ethiopian eunuch wanted to be baptized Philip said, “‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”‘ (Acts 8:37)
The eunuch made the wonderful confession of loyalty to the Saviour of the world. Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)
Jesus is not seeking secret disciples. We are to confess before men that He is LORD. We must take our stand openly that we are going to follow Him, and Him only, in everything we do. Like Timothy we must make “the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
There are differences between the baptism commanded by Jesus and the baptism John commanded. John’s baptism was for Jews to prepare them for the coming Christ, and he commanded them to confess their sins when they were baptised (Matthew 3:6). But the baptism Jesus commands is for all people, not just for Jews, and in order to be baptised we must REPENT of our sins and CONFESS CHRIST. There is no command to confess SINS in order to be baptised with the baptism of Jesus.
It is interesting to note that when the Ethiopian eunuch confessed his faith in Christ, Philip baptised him. The eunuch did not have to go to catechism school, nor did he have to wait until the church voted on whether he should be admitted to membership. In one session Philip taught him all he needed to bring him to saving faith. He confessed that faith and was baptised into Christ.
5. BE BAPTISED FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
W hen a person has heard the gospel, believed the gospel with all his heart, repented of his sins and confessed Christ as Lord he is qualified to be baptised. At this point, and not before, he can be immersed in water for the forgiveness of his sins. In this act he appeals to God for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21) and his sins are washed away (Acts 22:16) by the blood of Christ. He is then raised from the waters of baptism to walk a new life (Romans 6:4), the life of the child of God redeemed from his sins. He is added to the church by the Lord (Acts 2:47), thus becoming one of Christ’s people, a member of His body.
No other qualifications are necessary. He does not have to relate an experience, attend catechism class, or even wait for Easter Sunday. He is ready to be baptised, even the same hour of the night (Acts 16:33).
TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR BAPTISM!
Does this describe your baptism? Or were you sprinkled with water as a baby, before you could hear, believe, repent and confess? Or were you baptised in order to become a member of a denomination not described in the word of God? God’s word says a great deal about what we must do before we are baptised, things which are different from what many religions teach! Make sure that you are following Christ and not men. Listen to the gospel, believe it with all your heart, repent of your sins, confess Christ and be baptised into Him.