After becoming a Christian some people choose to wait awhile before getting water baptized. Some people even wait years before obeying this command of Christ. What I want to show you though, is that waiting is not the biblical pattern. In the Bible the pattern was to be saved and then get baptized immediately or shortly afterward. For example…
- In Acts 2 three thousand of those listening to Peter preach on the Day of Pentecost get saved. In v.41 the Bible records “ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church—about three thousand in all.”
- In Acts 8 we read of an Ethiopian eunuch who gave his life to Jesus. Verses 36-38 record that as they went down the road they came upon some water and the eunuch said “Look! There’s some water. Why can’t I be baptized?” The eunuch ordered that the carriage be stopped and they went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
- In Acts 16:14-15 Lydia is saved and baptized right after.
- Also in Acts 16 we read of the Philippians jailer getting saved. In v.33 we read “…immediately he and all his household were baptized.”
We’ll let these three examples suffice to show that the biblical pattern was to be saved and then to be baptized immediately or shortly afterward. If you’ve been saved Jesus has commanded you to be water baptized. Why wait? I would challenge you to be brave and follow the command of God and the example of the New Testament church in being baptized as soon as possible. Our next water baptism at New Day is scheduled for Sunday January 18th. To sign up just click here.