And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:18-20 ESV

In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to baptize.  His command makes it clear that a disciple will be a baptized disciple.  Have you been baptized?  If not, and you are a believer, have you considered it? 

Donald S Whitney in his book Spiritual Disciplines within the Church talks about why being baptized is an important step of obedience that all believers should take. 

“Baptism is the Christ-ordained way of openly identifying yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ.”  The New Testament presents baptism as the first public expression of faith for those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  So, “why wouldn’t you identify yourself with Him in the way He asks?  Why would you be ashamed or unwilling to express your love to Him before others in this way?” 

Baptism is a significant symbol of what we believe.  It expresses our belief in the Trinity.  We baptize in the Name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which means we believe that there is only One God and God eternally exists in three persons.  You may not fully understand how that can be, (none of us do), but by being baptized you are renouncing all other concepts of God. 

Baptism also expresses the fact that because you have received Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord, your sins have been forgiven and washed away.  It is an outward visualization of the inward purification you received through faith in Jesus. 

Baptism announces that you have been united with Christ.  The Bible teaches that when you received Jesus by faith, God counts you as having been united with Him in His death, burial and resurrection.  God considers what happened to Jesus to have happened to you.  Your sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus.  He paid the penalty on your behalf.  Christ rose from the dead, and God counts you as having risen from the dead with Him, so you can now walk in newness of life. 

Baptism does not save you.  It shows the world that Jesus has saved you.  If you have never been baptized, I encourage you to take that step of obedience soon.  Come see me.  I would love to talk with you more.