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P ete r preached on th e death and resu rrection of Christ (Acts 2 ). His h earers were “ pricked in th e ir h e a rts” and asked "W h at shall we do?” “They th a t gladly received th e word were bap tized.” Confessing th e ir sins and be lieving on Jesus as th e ir sacrifice and sub stitu te they were baptized. There was no delay abou t baptism afte r one confessed him self a believer. It was usually done th e same day. (Acts 2 :37 -41 ). Believing is always shown in Scripture to be the indispensable qualification of baptism . No one who does no t believe on Jesu s as the Son of God and a personal Saviour has any rig h t to baptism (Acts 8:37, 38), and any m inister who know ingly baptizes one who does not believe in these fund am entals, to say the least, is perform ing a rite th a t will be given no recog nition by heaven, b u t gives p articu lar delight to th e devil. In Acts 10 th e first Gentiles were baptized (vs. 44-48). F o r fu rth e r references to Apostolic baptism see Acts 16 where Lydia and her household were baptized, also th e Philippian jailer and his house. In Acts 18:8 many of th e Corinthians were baptized. Note th a t in every case th e Holy Spirit has been careful to make it clear th a t h ear ing and believing th e Word preceded baptism . How can any person argu e th a t bap tism is un im po rtan t and unnecessary? Believing on Christ involves obedience to Him, for faith is bound to express itself in obedience. If obedience does no t begin w ith baptism , where will it begin? Baptism was p u t second to the preaching of th e gospel in the divine commission. It is connected w ith th e believing of th e gospel as a public sign of salvation. Those who tru ly believe in th e ir hearts, cannot refuse to be bap tized. H . W h at Baptism Means. 1. The believer confesses death, b u r ial and resu rrection w ith Christ (Rom. 6:3, 4 ). “We are baptized into his
d ea th ”— fo rtun ate for us it is in His death instead of our own or we should be forever le ft in th e realm of th e dead. He died in our stead. Believing on H im we are baptized into the death of Him who has been raised from th e dead. Therefore those who tak e the place of death in H im are to be made sharers in H is resurrection. This means not only th e hope of th e resu rrection body b u t signifies also th a t we have come into th e domain of H is righteousness and life (Col. 3 :1 -3 ). , i t implies an end as a sinn er in th e flesh (Gal. 2 :2 0 ). It means th a t th e believer “reckons him self dead to sin and alive unto God” (Rom. 6 :1 1 ). This is a solemn pledge. Has it been made an actual th ing in your life before th e world? 3. I t expresses th e believer’s fa ith in Christ as risen Son of God, (Rom. 10:9; Gal. 3:26, 27), and complete identifica tion w ith Him before th e world. The believer th u s confesses his b irth to a new life and condition of being. He has "p u t on Christ.” How many bap tized persons realize th a t they made such a profession? Are we acting as though Christ in rea lity was “ p u t on?” — K. L. B. The lesson of today is a p t to provoke discussion and disagreem ent. There was a tim e in the histo ry of the church when it would have been impossible for these lessons to have HEART OF been given in Sunday THE LESSON School helps designed T, C. H orton for all denom inations. We are glad, indeed, th a t the tim e h as come in the Church of God when people are able to “ag ree to disagree” concerning the form an d mode of baptism , an d ' yet continue in the closest bonds of b ro therly love. There can be no question concerning th e commission given by our Lord to th e church: “ Go ye into all th e world
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