Introduction
Suppose you could survey the people who live in the
hundred
homes nearest to your own house on the subject of Christian baptism. What
kind of answer would you get in response to this question: "How should a
person be baptized in order to meet the Bible requirements of salvation"
It is likely that you would get a dozen different
answers,
and possibly even a hundred. Some would say that they don't believe it is
necessary to be baptized at all to be saved. Others would answer that true
baptism is to go forward three times completely under the water. Some
would
contend that a few drops of sprinkled water on the head would constitute a
valid baptism, while others would insist on pouring the water over the
candidate. A few would strongly hold that a proper baptism consists of a
single immersion backwards into the water. Somehow, the subject of
baptism has spawned a plethora of ideas on how it should be administered,
and to whom. Yet, all believe that their method is based on the one book
of
authority-the Bible. How could this confusion of conviction result from
reading the same book
One man in Hollywood, California, insisted on being
immersed in a huge tank full of rose petals. And if you think that's
bizarre, consider the two latest incidents involving men of the cloth. One
preacher gathered his new converts in a Baltimore Street and turned the
fire
hose on them, declaring them now baptized. Another minister met a lady in
the grocery store who wanted to be baptized, and he sprinkled her right
there on the spot-with a bottle of Coca-Cola.
In spite of all claims to the contrary, it is obvious
that
all of these people had made a very shallow study of the Word of God
concerning this subject. Their radical modes of seeking salvation were
based
largely on pagan tradition or ignorance of the Scriptures. We,
however,
are not interested in such human inventions. It is in the testimony of the
Bible alone that we find the real truth about the meaning and method of
true
baptism.
2 Two Requirements for Heaven
We first turn to the teaching of the Master Himself as He
defined the terms for entrance into His Kingdom. "Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John
3:5.
This statement is probably the most definitive and assertive that Christ
ever made on any subject. His words are too clear to be misunderstood-that
there are two absolute requirements for entrance into heaven. Every one of
us must pass through these two experiences in order to be saved.
But what did Jesus mean by that statement to Nicodemus
What
does it mean to be born of the Spirit And what does it mean to be born of
the water The context of the conversation with the rich Pharisee leaves no
doubt as to what the Master meant by those words. In verse 3 He described
the spiritual birth in a very simple way: "Verily, verily, I say unto
thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." So to be
"born of the Spirit" clearly refers to conversion. Then Jesus continued in
verses 7 and 8 to describe the mysterious, silent work of the Spirit in
its
transforming mission.
Now we will show that being born of water refers to
baptism. These two things are often closely tied together in the
Scriptures.
Conversion is the powerful inward change, and baptism is the outward
physical sign that the change has taken place. Notice how Christ repeated
the two conditions for salvation on another occasion, "He that believeth
and
is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Mark
16:16.
This believing unto salvation is the equivalent of being
born of the Spirit, and it is coupled with baptism in the same way Jesus
did
it while talking to Nicodemus. It is faith in the saving merits of the
cross
that produces the miraculous change that baptism by water symbolizes.
Someone, at this point, might argue that because of the
thief on the cross, baptism could not be one of the strict requirements of
salvation laid down by our Lord. Did Jesus not promise that vile criminal
a
place in the kingdom And he was certainly not baptized!
It's true that we have no record of the thief being
baptized, for he certainly had no op****tunity to do so after accepting
Jesus
as his Lord and Saviour. He could not come down from the cross where he
was
being executed by the Roman authorities. Had he been able to descend from
that cross, he would have done many things. He would have turned from his
life of crime, made restitution for all he had stolen, and walked in full
conformity to truth he now understood. But since it was physically
impossible to do any of those things, the obedient life of Jesus was
imputed
to him. That is why God could accept him and Jesus could give him such a
glorious assurance of salvation. The baptism of Jesus was credited to
him-an
act that would have been required of the thief had he been able to fulfill
it.
By the way, the same transaction would take place today
if
the cir***stances were similar. Suppose a man should approach me this very
day, requesting baptism. His desire is so urgent and compelling that he
begs
me to do it immediately. We get in my car to drive to a nearby lake where
there is a convenient place to conduct the service. But on the way to the
lake, there is a terrible accident. My passenger is killed in that
accident.
Would he be lost because he had not yet been immersed with his Lord Of
course not. He had made the decision and was in the process of obeying the
Lord when he died. God never requires the impossible from anyone. However,
based on what we have learned from the lips of Jesus, one can confidently
conclude that if a person has the op****tunity to be baptized and refuses
to
be, that man cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
3 How Many Modes of Baptism
Are there many acceptable modes of being baptized Not
according to the apostle Paul. He wrote: "One Lord, one faith, one
baptism."
Ephesians 4:5. Even though there are numerous counterfeit faiths, gods,
and
baptisms, there is only one that is true. How can we determine the genuine
amidst all the claims of modem religionists
The answer lies in the Word of God, and in the actual
symbolism of the act. In other words, the mode of baptism is dictated by
the
meaning of baptism. Look carefully at Paul's description of the beautiful
ceremony and what it actually represents: "Therefore we are buried with
him
by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life.knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body
of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Romans
6:4-6.
Do you understand the significance of what Paul is saying
There has been a death of the old life of sin, which is identified as the
"old man." Now that body of evil must be properly disposed of, and Paul
says
baptism is the occasion for "burying" that crucified nature. By going into
the water to conduct a spiritual funeral and to celebrate the new life
which
has been begotten in the candidate through the Holy Spirit, Paul says we
are
also memorializing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Himself.
What a meaningful act on the part of newly converted believers! They are
giving public witness to the inward transformation that has taken place in
their life and are symbolically walking forth into the joys of a new life
of
obedience and victory.
Let me ask you something. How could one ideally symbolize
this entire experience of death to sin, burial with Jesus, and rising to a
new life Think about it for a moment. There is no more perfect way to
represent all those steps than to have the eyes closed, breath suspended,
hands folded, and to be lowered gently beneath the water.
Does this not also explain the reason for such a finely
detailed account of the baptism of Jesus Even though He had been filled
with
the Spirit while still in His mother's womb, Jesus urged John to baptize
Him
anyway. He said: "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to
fulfill
all righteousness." Matthew 3:15.
Notice how the ceremony was carried out there in the
Jordan
River. "And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth
of
Galilee, and was baptized of John in the Jordan. And straightway coming up
out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove
descending upon him." Mark 1:9, 10.
Contrary to the distorted depictions of the Hollywood
movie
version, the scene unfolded in the Jordan River and not nearby on the
bank.
The specific words are very im****tant here. Mark describes their "coming
up
out of the water" after the baptism. Jesus was totally immersed in the
water
in order to "fulfill all righteousness" and to set a perfect example for
His
followers ever afterward.
Did His disciples continue this heaven-appointed way of
baptizing their candidates after Jesus went back to heaven In Acts 8, we
read how the faithful Philip dealt with the Ethiopian eunuch in the
desert.
An angel commanded Philip to travel south into the Gaza desert, where the
prominent government leader was sitting in a chariot. There the Spirit
told
Philip to join the Ethiopian treasurer, who was reading from the book of
Isaiah. When the man confessed that he did not understand what he was
reading, Philip began to preach to him about Jesus, who fulfilled the
messianic prophecy of the submissive Lamb.
Then we have this interesting conversation, recorded for
us
by Luke. "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water:
and
the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized
And
Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he
answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he
commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down both into the
water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were
come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that
the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." Acts
8:36-39.
It almost seems that the Spirit of God anticipated the
uncertainty that some would feel about the manner of baptism, and
therefore
He moved upon Luke to repeat the words: "they went down both into the
water,
both Philip and the eunuch." Here we have positive evidence that the early
church practiced total immersion, just as John and Jesus had so clearly
demonstrated for them. In fact, in all the inspired accounts of apostolic
evangelism and church activities, we have no indication that this practice
ever varied from the pattern established by the two cousins at the Jordan.
Sometimes it was difficult for John the Baptist to carry
out his special ministry because of the scarcity of water in that dry
area.
We are told that "John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because
there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized." John 3:23.
Again, the Bible includes this interesting bit of inspired information to
show us that there is only one proper way to wash away sin and enter the
body of Christ. John could not take a jug of water and fulfill his
appointed
ministry by sprinkling or pouring. He was compelled to remain in cities
along the Jordan River where there was sufficient water for total
immersion.
The people had to come to him in order to have their old sinful lives
"buried" in the waters of baptism.
But now let's look at the strongest possible evidence of
Christ's position on this subject. In every instance where Jesus referred
to
baptism, He used the Greek word "baptizo" from which we derive our English
word. Scholars and language experts have traced the history of that word
through two thousand years of usage. They discovered that every possible
branch of learning and communication has used it, and never once deviated
from it's original root meaning of burial or being totally covered up.
Dr. Conant summarizes the conclusions of the researchers who did the
exhaustive study. Concerning the word "baptizo," he said: "In all, the
word
has retained its ground meaning without change. From the earliest age of
Greek literature down to its close, a period of nearly 2,000 years, not an
example has been found in which the word has any other meaning. There is
no
instance in which it signifies making a partial application of water by
affusion or sprinkling, or to cleanse or purify, apart from the literal
act
of immersion as a means of cleansing or purifying."
It is extremely significant that our Lord chose to use
that
word "baptizo" for baptize. There were other Greek words that could have
been used which signify either sprinkling or immersion, but Christ did not
ever employ such terms in describing baptism. He always used the only word
which reflected the full symbolism of that solemn ceremony-death, burial,
and resurrection.
4 Who Qualifies for Baptism
In the light of this information, can we now determine
who
is an eligible candidate for Christian baptism The Bible lays down three
pre-conditions for anyone contemplating this step. Jesus said, "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19, 20.
Since baptism is the outward witness of conversion, it is
immediately clear why Jesus commanded that all should be taught before
qualifying for that sacred rite. Without an understanding of the plan of
salvation, none could participate in its bountiful provisions. Christ
stipulated that every candidate should be instructed in His basic
doctrines
before entering the water of baptism. They would need to fully understand
the meaning of what they were doing.
He further emphasized the urgency of this preparation
work
when He said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark
16:16. No sins could be forgiven and no conversion effected without
personal
faith on the part of the candidate. Otherwise the physical act of baptism
would be an empty mechanical ritual. The inspired Peter, on the day of
Pentecost, gave sup****t to the words of Jesus by adding a third
prerequisite
for baptism. He said, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." Acts 2:38.
Now the picture is pulling into sharp focus. All the
elements of accepting Jesus and being born again must be present before
any
person is spiritually prepared for baptism. Instruction, faith,
repentance,
and true conversion will always precede the public renouncing of the old
life of sinful bondage.
Immediately we can see that infants do not qualify for
this
unique ceremony. It is impossible for a baby to meet the conditions laid
down in these Scriptures. An infant cannot be taughtand it is too young to
be aware of sin or to repent. Therefore, we must conclude that all the
ritualistic sprinkling of water on gurgling infants at christening
ceremonies has absolutely nothing to do with Bible baptism. We can
dedicate
tiny newborns to God and pray for them and for their parents, but it
should
never be a substitute for Bible baptism.
Most people do not realize that even the Catholic Church
baptized by immersion until the tenth or eleventh century. I've seen the
ancient cathedrals in the East with large baptistries to accommodate
several
people at the same time. Those facilities gradually fell into disuse as
the
****ft was made to receive every member of the family into fellow****p of
the
church. Because tiny babies could not safely be put under the water, they
were exposed first to maximum dousing, then ample pouring, then liberal
sprinkling, and finally a touch of wetness between the eyes. Like many
other
divine ordinances, this one suffered and died slowly under the relentless
pressures of cultural compromise and convenience. The pagan custom of
sprinkling not only pervaded the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, but
passed finally into the various Protestant persuasions as well.
Several years ago while living in Bangalore, India, I was
aroused from my bed early one morning by a loud and persistent knock on my
door. My caller that day was a stranger to me, but his urgent appeal
arrested my attention and sent me scurrying to get dressed. He desperately
needed a minister, and I was the only one he could locate. He was an
Indian
Christian whose next-door neighbors had lost their little baby during the
night. "Now" he told me, as we hurried to his house, "the pastor of my
neighbor's church will not have anything to do with the family or the
funeral arrangements, because for some reason they had failed to have the
baby sprinkled as an infant. I want you to visit them and offer comfort
and
encouragement."
I found the devastated family almost in a daze. The
father
was trying to construct a casket for the child from some rough boards. The
grieving mother was weeping as she clutched the dead baby in her arms. As
I
helped the father finish the handmade coffin, he explained in more detail
what his own pastor had told him about the baby. Because they had
neglected
to have an official baptism for their child, it was now supposedly doomed
to
a fiery punishment in hell, and the pastor would neither officiate at the
funeral nor grant them a consecrated place of burial in the cemetery.
After we had placed the little body in the box, I
gathered
the family in a circle and conducted the most unusual funeral service of
my
life. After sharing words of comfort, I assured them that their failure to
have a few drops of water sprinkled on their baby would have nothing to do
with its salvation. In my outrage at the actions of their pastor, I made
the
statement that the little infant had much more assurance of salvation than
the priest who had refused to be present that day.
Afterwards I took the box and the family in my van to a
spot of "unconsecrated ground" where we laid the little baby to rest. What
a
pagan concept it is that man can sanctify the very ground that God cursed
in
the beginning because of sin! Such are the extremes to which empty
traditions will carry people.
5 Is God Particular About the Mode
There are many in the world today that sincerely feel
that
it is a moot point as to whether one is sprinkled, poured, or immersed in
baptism. "What difference does it make It's only symbolic anyway," they
contend. "God is not that particular about the way we do it." But we
should
carefully consider the question of how particular God really is. There are
many dramatic stories in the Bible that prove that God is indeed very
particular about His commandments. Consider, for example, how many of the
600,000 Hebrews who left Egypt actually entered the Promised Land. Or
perhaps we should note how many did not reach their destination. The Bible
reveals that 599,998 died before they could cross the river into their
promised possession. Caleb and Joshua were the only survivors of the
wilderness trek to complete the total journey from Egypt to Canaan, and
the
Scriptures say that it was only because "they followed the Lord fully."
But let's consider for a moment whether the symbolic
nature
of the practice makes the mode of baptism irrelevant. We cannot deny that
there is a deep spiritual meaning attached to each stage of the physical
event of being gently lowered beneath the water. But is there not a
similar
foreshadowing of spiritual truth in the communion bread and wine In fact,
that service points to the very same events in the life of Jesus that
baptism commemorates. Yet how many of us would condone the blasphemy being
practiced by a contem****ary underground church of young people who have
substituted Coca-Cola and hamburger for the elements Jesus offered His
disciples on that Thursday night No matter that it all merely represented
something; we believe it is vitally im****tant to utilize the very same
symbols that our Lord used when He introduced the service. Then why should
we not feel the urgency to maintain the same symbolic form that Jesus used
when He introduced baptism at the Jordan River long, long ago
There is yet another text of the Bible which lends
powerful
sup****t to the chain of evidence already presented. Paul wrote, "Buried
with
him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of
the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:12. The
recurrence of that word "buried" is a striking common denominator among
the
descriptive phrases about baptism in the New Testament. In order to
represent the various aspects of what Jesus did for us, baptism must
include
a symbol of death, burial, and resurrection. Those are the major events
connected with the atonement, and not one mode of baptism except immersion
even approaches the required symbolic elements.
Why should anyone reject the only form of baptism that
incor****ates every feature of the plan of salvation, when Jesus Himself
gave
a practical demonstration of it as our perfect example It must be
emphasized again that there is no magical or miraculous change in the life
of a person at the moment of baptism. The death of that old man of sin
must
precede the funeral service and burial. Even the proper form of
administering the ordinance does not guarantee the slightest change in the
life of the candidate. That change must take place before the testimony of
it can be truthfully expressed. The very worst sinner could be coerced
into
the baptistry and immersed 50 times with absolutely no effect. He would go
down a dry sinner and come up a wet sinner. Unfortunately, religious
leaders
and pastors long have buried large numbers of people alive before they had
met the requirements of being dead to sin.
Sometimes people ask if being immersed in baptism will
bring them relief from satanic attack and make their daily life more
pleasant and comfortable. I wish it were possible to give assurance that
it
would remove obstacles and resolve all problems, but that is not what the
Bible ****trays. Immediately after His baptism Jesus was driven into the
wilderness where He experienced the awful encounter with Satan. It may
well
be that every newly baptized Christian will have to suffer similar
struggles
with the powers of darkness. The devil is enraged by the total commitment
of
those who choose to be baptized.
Is it intimidating to know that these harassing attacks
may
increase upon those who follow Jesus fully Indeed, it should not be a
frightening prospect to a single person, because special spiritual
resources
are bestowed upon each one who accepts the covenant of baptism. Every
candidate walks out of the water in the strength of a new relation****p
that
guarantees protection against all attacks of the enemy. The power that
existed only in promises begins to flow into the daily life experience of
these fresh young Christians. Paul wrote: "There hath no temptation taken
you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
also
make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians
10:13.
What an amazing assurance we have in that promise! No child of God will be
left to fight the battle alone. All the confederacies of Satan may be
arrayed against us, but they cannot contrive a strategy that will separate
us from the angelic legions that are assigned to defend us. God assumes
the
responsibility for creating an escape route by which we can elude the
cleverest snare that Satan can design.
6 Is Rebaptism Ever Right
There is another aspect of this subject that should be
explored, and it has to do with rebaptism. Is it a denial of the original
commitment if a person chooses to enter the water of baptism a second
time,
or perhaps even more For what reason, if any, would it be im****tant or
even
necessary to be baptized again Does the Bible provide an answer to these
questions It does indeed. The very same inquiries apparently were raised
in
the early apostolic church, and Acts 19:1-5 explains how Paul dealt with
it
in Ephesus. "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul
having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding
certain
disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
believed And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether
there
be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized
And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized
with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should
believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When
they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Observe carefully that John had already baptized these
Christians at Ephesus. Not only was it a legitimate baptism, but also they
had accepted Christ as the Messiah from John's careful instruction. But
under Paul's questioning, they confessed to a lack of knowledge regarding
the Holy Spirit. The message that Paul shared with them on this subject
was
of such a nature that they felt it necessary to be baptized again.
With
this Bible example before us, let's consider possible reasons for modern
disciples choosing to be baptized again. Obviously if one discovers that
his
first baptism was not in harmony with the example of Jesus, he should
submit
to the proper form in order to fulfill "all righteousness". Sprinkling,
for
example, although performed under the name of baptism, could never meet
the
required symbolism of death and burial. This means that babies, regardless
of the sincerity of their parents or godparents, must be considered
unbaptized until they take the step after their own spiritual awakening at
a
responsible age. Sometimes it is difficult for sprinkled adults to grasp
the
idea that they have never really been baptized at all and should arrange
for
a true immersion baptism as soon as possible.
I once asked a man if he had ever been baptized. His
reply
was, "I don't know, but I'll ask my mother and let you know." There can be
no doubt that this man needed to be baptized again, regardless of what his
mother said. Sometimes people tell me that they were baptized in
their
early years before they had really entered into the new birth experience.
Thus, it had been merely a formal ritual done to please some friend or
family member. Such persons, after entering a true conversion, should
follow
the meaningful burial-baptism to commemorate the death of sin in their
lives.
What about the Christian who slips away from the faith
and
reverts to his former life of sin It is without question that public
apostasy, marked by open disobedience to God's law, should be just as
openly
renounced by a renewal of the baptism experience. The personal witness of
a
turning around in the lifestyle is one of the im****tant aspects of being
baptized.
Another reason that some might feel the need for
rebaptism
is related to the experience of the Ephesian believers. Apparently they
believed that the greater light of truth shared with them by Paul was of
such a life-changing nature that they felt it necessary to be baptized
again. Many may feel the same today as they learn new biblical teachings
that revolutionize their way of believing and wor****ping God. Some indeed
discover that their previous Christian walk, though sincere, was actually
violating some very im****tant principles of Scripture. None should feel
that
they are denying their earlier experience by choosing to wash the past
clean
through a renewing of the baptismal experience.
With such an irrefutable array of reasons for making the
decision for baptism and church member****p, why do so many people hold
back
and procrastinate in taking the step For many years, I have listened to
excuses offered for not going all the way with Jesus, and particularly for
not yielding the life in baptism. One of the most common expressions I've
heard is this: "I'm afraid I can't hold out, and I don't want to be a
hypocrite." Surely, this cannot be a valid argument for anyone who has met
the prerequisites of faith, repentance, and conversion. Such a person is
very aware of the weakness of the flesh and the impossibility of measuring
up to God's standard in human strength. Everything depends upon prayer and
a
constant, intimate relation****p with Jesus.
Is it possible for that prayer and faith life to weaken,
plunging us into defeat Of course, we can choose to neglect those
spiritual
exercises at any or every moment of our lives. Should that possibility
discourage us from dedicating our lives in baptism Not at all. Only if we
are making plans to live for self would we be fearful of making those
solemn
baptismal vows of eternal faithfulness. But the truly con-veiled step out
by
faith in that public commitment, trusting fully in God's power to uphold
them. They recognize the possibility of stumbling as they grow stronger
day
by day, but they know the loving Jesus will be there to pick them up,
forgive, and surround them with encouragement if they make a mistake.
Those
who are too fearful and faithless to begin the Christian journey are
simply
confirming their spiritual unpreparedness for the baptism experience. Let
them wait until their faith is more firmly fixed upon Jesus than upon
self.
How then can people really be sure that they are ready
for
baptism Should they wait until they feel absolutely certain they will
never
make a mistake Definitely not. In fact, feeling has nothing to do with
their
readiness. But they must be perfectly settled in their innermost soul that
Christ has performed the new birth miracle in their lives. They must be
able
to comfortably put their own name into the beautiful messianic promise of
Isaiah 53. Each proper candidate for baptism should be able to read verse
5
like this: But he was wounded for my transgressions, he was bruised for my
iniquities: the chastisement of my peace was upon him, and with his
stripes,
I am healed.
Some may be reading these words right now who have been
lingering long over the decision to follow Jesus into the watery grave of
baptism. Have you been afraid of disappointing your Saviour by some
possible
misstep or failure Turn this very moment from such groundless,
self-centered
fears. Your walk with Jesus does not depend on your ability to overcome
temptation and human weakness. If you think in terms of what you are able
to
do, you may remain in the twilight zone of indecision forever. You must
focus every thought upon the strength and power of the One who invites you
to be His friend forever. It is the unfailing nature of His promises that
can give you perfect trust in living the Christian life.
Even the Philippian jailer was so moved by conviction and
faith in God that he insisted on being baptized in the middle of the night
with all his family. Paul, though a prisoner himself, performed the
baptism
for the eager new converts.
Ananias expressed the same urgency in his appeal to the
newly converted Saul. He said, "And now why tarriest thou Arise and be
baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts
22:16.
Is that the appeal that the Holy Spirit is pressing upon
your heart this very moment You love the Lord, and recognize that He has
died for your sins. By faith, you have accepted His atoning death in your
behalf. The transforming grace of Jesus has brought peace and assurance
into
your life for the first time. If all this is true, you need to make the
most
im****tant decision of your life. The Spirit inquires, "Why tarriest thou
Arise, and be baptized."
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