Baptism

A quick search on "bapt" yielded 91 results.  Some of these are John the Baptist but many talk about our relation ship with Christ.

One that stands out is Gal 3:27  "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

What a picture, we put on Christ when we are baptized.  Paul also use the idea of being buried with Christ.

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.  Rom 6:3-4

This is a great picture.  But many argue that you are not saved through baptism.  It is a good argument, but then what did Peter mean when he says in 1Pe 3:21  "There is also an antitype which now saves us - baptism"?  Peter said Baptism saves us!  He is the one who also said in Acts 2:38 "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins". So one could assume then that before baptism there was still sin, and if sin then no salvation.

I think the Faith Only crowd has a problem with some of these verses because the don't want works to be used, but how do you determin faith?   "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"  Jas 2:20

There are those who would argue that baptism is the first step of obedience.  I would contend it is the final step of our believing faith. Just as the engagement does not make a married couple but the wedding ceremony does. 

Hear, Believe, Confess, Repent, and be Baptized!