At one point in my past, I had the privilege of baptizing three family members into Christ. But, although I consider this a success for the Lord, I was slightly ostracized for not waiting until Sunday morning to allow God to use me in His work.
This disturbs me greatly. Not because it's slightly critical of me, but because of the lack of importance it shows in the minds of those who think this way of what baptism really means.
In the Scripture, I see no example of waiting until the first day of the week for those accepting the Lordship of Jesus to be baptized. In fact, there are ample examples in the book of Acts that the opposite is true.
We see phrases and words such as "at that very hour" and "immediately" when it comes to the timing of baptism. Why? Because, according to the Scripture, baptism is for the remission of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; to be buried with Christ having died to sin and raised to a newness of life; to be clothed in Christ; to be saved for a good conscience toward God. And I could go on.
But, the one thing that I don't see about baptism is that it is an act that shows that you've already been saved. Not one place in God's Word tells that we are saved before baptism. Jesus said, "Those who believe and are baptized shall be saved." I don't, for the life of me, understand why there are so many who want it to say, "Those who believe and are saved shall be baptized." It seems like a dyslexic belief.
I pray that, someday, some how, we return to the true God of the Bible, turning away from the god of our minds.
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