The Kingdom and the Necessity of Baptism


Many a lesson has been brought forth about the necessity of baptism.
The Bible is replete with scriptures affirming the importance of
baptism to the salvation of man (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter
3:21). This lesson will not be repeating those particular scriptures.
This lesson will prove the necessity of baptism by showing that
salvation belongs to those who are a part of the kingdom of God.

In John 3:5 Jesus is discussing the new birth with a man named
Nicodemus. Jesus tells him that "Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Notice that
Jesus states quite clearly that a person cannot enter the kingdom
without being "born of water and of the Spirit". Clearly the water
that Jesus spoke of is baptism because in Romans 6:4 we are told that
those that are raised up out of the waters of baptism are to "walk in
newness of life", to be born anew as it were. Romans 6:3 states that
we are baptized into Christ. Ephesians 5:23 indicates that the body
of Christ and the church are the same thing. Continuing this line of
reasoning, Acts 2:47 tells us that God adds the saved to the church.
Colossians 1:13 declares that God has "delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."
So the kingdom, the church, and the body of Christ all refer to the
same thing. And finally, Ephesians 5:23 states that "Christ is the
head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." 

Baptism is essential to the salvation of man. Because Jesus is the
savior of the body and the body is the church, baptism is vital if
one hopes to be with God in heaven one day. Clearly a person who
wishes to be saved must be baptized in order to become part of the
kingdom, the church which Jesus died for and to which God adds the
saved. Baptism is not, as some might say, an outward showing of an
inward faith. Baptism is as necessary to salvation as is faith,
grace, hope and confession. 


In Christ, Steve Preston



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