Importance Of Baptism: A Discussion Of Whether I Really Need To Be Baptized In Jesus Name

Ah, baptism. A wonderful gift from God, a requirement to see the Kingdom of Heaven… no? Let us address the elephant in the room here… once saved always saved? Just ask Jesus into your heart? Do you think a man who died for the sins of all nations deserves just a simple “Jesus forgive me!”? Hopefully, the answer is no way! Acts 2:38 tells us simply “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”. Baptism is not an option. Baptism is an important part of who we are, you cannot walk in ministry without it, and baptism in Jesus Name is vital to salvation, you cannot complete the salvation formula without it.

Baptism is an important part of who we are, and what we do. It is simply not optional! We need baptism to support our ministries, and without it we can never walk in him and fulfill His purpose in us. Mark 16:15-16 says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Sounds pretty clear, a person who believes and preaches His gospel must be baptized. So does this sound like an option? Something we can choose when to do and how to do it? Not so much. Preaching and baptism go hand in hand. Are we all not called to preach (spread the gospel) to all nations?

You do not need to be baptized in order to spread the love of God. That is radical. So, 1 Chronicles 16:23-25 tells us that we must, “Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.”… that sounds like spreading the love of God to me, and it says salvation! How can you spread something that you have not received yourself yet? Can you review a restaurant that you have never eaten at? The answer is no way! Jesus did not start his own ministry until after John baptized him! That should speak volumes! Matthew 3:14-15 tells us this a bit of this story: “And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.”. It clear states that we must fulfill what God wants us to do, and baptism is a major key.

Okay sure, maybe you need baptism for being a minister. But salvation? That is just too extreme! John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”, so really all I have to do is believe, it says right there in scripture! Hmm, great point… but you are missing a whole concept here. Many people have found loopholes and different ways of thinking to convince themselves that all they need to do, is be a good person and believe in God to see heaven. Here’s the truth: no one is good enough. No one can ever avoid sin, and no one can follow everything in the bible day in and day out. That is why Jesus died for our sins and created a path to HIS righteousness. There is more to getting into heaven than just acting on what we think is good. Luke 12:22-24 says “And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Why won’t they be able to enter? That is what we need to find out.

With the need of baptism, let us take a look at the facts. We are supposed to be Christlike and follow Jesus. We are supposed to take His word and apply it to our hearts. Two simple things, no interpretation or explanation needed. “Thy word is true from the beginning.” – Psalm 119:160. So, what does this mean for baptism and getting to heaven? John 3:5 says, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”. Not only did this come from the text in the bible. This came straight from the mouth of Jesus. Whenever the Bible says anything at all sitting similar to “unless you do this you cannot be saved”, it is in our best interest to follow these commandments.

All of that being said, the focus point and key scripture is Acts 2:38, “38 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.”. The reason behind being baptized in Jesus name? Simply because we are taking on his name, putting on His flesh! As a bride takes on the name of a groom, we take on the name of our Lord. Colossians 3:17 tells us: 'And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.'. Baptism is both a word, and a deed! The church is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). The apostles not only preached baptism in Jesus’ name, but they practiced it.

But wait! Matthew 28:19 says Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit! Not in the name of Jesus! What is the name of God? What is the name of the Son? What is the name of the Holy Spirit? Not to mention, the scripture says name, not names. There may be differentiating answers, but you cannot go to the bank and say “hello, I am the son looking to cash the check of my father.” You must have a name, there is power and authority in a name. Are you a father, a son, a brother, maybe an uncle? Surely! But what is your name? Father, son, Holy Spirit? They are all titles, the name of Jesus has all power, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess. At the name of Jesus, demons have to flee! There is no other name by which we must be saved! Jesus is the final answer, and at His name, we shall be saved. So, baptism in Jesus name only makes sense.

In conclusion, we see the necessity for baptism in order to walk in ministry, Mark 16:15-16. That baptism is not an option, John 3:5. We also see the importance of baptism in Jesus name, Acts 2:38. We are to be buried in His name, for His name, to walk in His name! It is of upmost importance to seek the truth in scripture, and fulfill His purpose in us.

Bibliography

• Baptism. (n.d.). Retrieved from New Life Pentecostal Church: https://thenewlifeupc.org/what-is-a-pentecostal/baptize-in-jesus-name/
• Baptism in Jesus Name. (n.d.). Retrieved from Bible Truth Wisdom: https://bibletruthwisdom.weebly.com/baptism-in-jesus-name.html
• Bernard, D. K. (1984). The New Birth. Pentecostal Pub House.
• Bernard, D. K. (1992). In The Name of Jesus. Word Aflame Pr.
• Loader, W. (1987). Baptism in Context - The New Testament Witness. 37-46.
• Norris, D. S. (2009). I Am: A Oneness Pentecostal Theology. Word Aflame Press.
• Norris, D. S. (2010). Big Ideas. Apostolic Teaching Resources.
• Oneness Pentecostalism is not Christian. (2007, 1 27). Retrieved from Ex-Pentecostal Thoughts: http://ex-pentecostal.blogspot.com/2007/01/oneness-pentecostalism-is-not-christian.html
• Word, D. (2018, 10 1). Why Oneness Pentecostals have Salvation Wrong and you should Avoid It. Retrieved from Spiritual Abuse Blog: https://blogs.spiritualabuse.org/2018/10/01/why-oneness-pentecostals-have-salvation-wrong-acts-238-and-you-should-avoid-it/