Christian Church of God, Grand Junction, Colorado Statement #9 page three
Proper Preparation: Before taking upon ourselves a commitment to God’s Way of life, we must be serious about what is expected of us after baptism. Let us not look to any religious organization to tell us. Let’s look at the word of God.
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. … whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26-33)
Once we have confidence without doubts (faith, in other words) in making a lifetime commitment, and once we have counted the cost as some say, the next step is the act of baptism itself.
Water Baptism: Jesus gave the example for us to follow, which is full immersion in water. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from (out of) the water …” (Mat 3:16) The Greek word baptizo is fitting for the act of immersion. Baptism symbolizes a burial of the old self, followed by a rising up from that death to a new life.
The simple meaning of baptism is found in Rom. 6:3-4 “… 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 by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Through baptism, God gives us a symbol of a new beginning because the ‘old self’ has been buried in a watery grave. With diligent, determined effort - and the help of God’s Holy Spirit - we begin the lifelong journey toward the Kingdom of God and eternal salvation.
There are many variations of Christian teachings in this world. Yet one common teaching is the need for salvation and that the means to achieving it is through the person Jesus Christ. That is the reason He came to live with us in the flesh and subsequently die as the sacrificial lamb of God. Jesus became the door [2] through which one enters into a state of grace, that is, being released from the penalty of eternal death which had been over us because of our sin. That leads us to the very definition of salvation, release from the penalty of death incurred by our personal sins.
Baptism is likened in a spiritual sense to the end of our former ‘old man’s’ way of living which was leading ultimately to eternal death.
Laying On of Hands: When we rise up out of that watery grave, a minister will prayerfully ask God that you receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. One example of this is in Acts 8:16-17 “For as yet (the spirit) had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
A New Way of Living: Twelve verses in Romans contain a concise summary of the Christian transition to godly living. [3] Rom 6:3-14 “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 by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin For he who has died has been freed from sin Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Additional Preconditions for Baptism: We have discussed repentance, now let's consider a few other prerequisites for salvation. Mark 16:16: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”
And exactly what do we believe? Speaking to the Eunuch on the road: “Then 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)
And in whose name are we baptized?
“And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Act 19:3-5)
John also told of a future baptism.
“I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8)
And beyond that, John said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Mat 3:11) Immersion into this fire (the Lake of Fire) will annihilate all unrepentant evil doers. [4]