What Is the Importance of Christian Baptism?
1) Direct Answer
Christian baptism is a command of the Lord and the Bible way of identifying with Jesus Christ. It is for the remission of sins, it publicly buries the old life and raises the believer to walk in newness of life, and it brings the believer under the promise of the Holy Ghost. It must be by immersion in water in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Command and salvation: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).
- The Name to use: Jesus said baptize “in the name” (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). The Scripture shows that Name to be Jesus Christ: “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38); “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16); “he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48); “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5); “arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
- Identification with His death, burial, resurrection: “As many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death… buried with him by baptism… raised… to walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3–5). “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). “Buried with him in baptism” (Colossians 2:12).
- The meaning, not mere ritual: “Baptism doth also now save us—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God” (1 Peter 3:21).
- Mode is immersion: Jesus came “up out of the water” (Mark 1:10). John baptized where there was “much water” (John 3:23). The eunuch “went down both into the water” and “came up out of the water” (Acts 8:38–39).
- Unity of the ordinance: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- Now notice, the Bible uses one Name. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are titles of the one God; the revealed Name that carries all that God is to us is the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostles understood the Lord’s command and always baptized in that Name. You see, if the Scripture never shows anyone baptized in titles, why should we?
- It’s not three Gods, and it’s not three baptisms. One God revealed Himself as Father above us, Son with us, and Holy Spirit in us—and the one saving Name that declares that revelation is Jesus Christ.
- Baptism does not work as a bare ceremony. The water itself cannot cleanse the soul. But faith obeys the Word, and obedience brings us under the Blood’s promise: “Repent, and be baptized… and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). That’s the Bible order.
- Because baptism is burial, it must be immersion. You don’t sprinkle a burial. You go under and come up, testifying that the old life is gone and the life of Jesus is your new walk.
- If someone was baptized without the revelation of the Name, the Scripture pattern shows that when truth comes, you can be baptized correctly (see Acts 19:1–6).
4) Reinforcing Statement
Do it God’s Bible way: repent, be baptized by immersion in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and expect the promise of the Holy Ghost. That’s the straight path of Scripture and the testimony of a clear conscience before God.
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Water baptism
59-0329M §84
Lord God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of everlasting life, and Giver of every good gift, send Thy mercies upon our sister here. And may she live and be an example of real Christianity, in the neighborhood where she comes from. Grant it, Father. And as Thou has commissioned us to "go into all the world and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of Father, Son, Holy Ghost," teaching them to observe whatever Thou has commanded us. Grant it, Lord, that this young girl will receive the blessings that Y...
Elijah
53-1018 §51
And there, laying hands on Doctor Reidhead, he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He's been right here in this church, I guess. Yes, sir, Doctor Reidhead, he went out and got started. Don Wells, one of the best known Baptists of the southern states here, walked down there and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He set in my den room up there and said, "Brother Branham, I believe it's real and coming from God." And here, Lee and all the rest of them come and has received the baptis...
Questions and Answers
59-0628E §35
Now, to back that up, I got a writing here of Josephus, where he claimed that the early Christians after the death of Jesus, that they were considered cannibals, because they took the body of the Lord and ate it. And they thought they had dug it up, and had took it out, and was cutting it up by pieces, and eating it. Which they were taking the communion, see. Now, watch, why this Scripture ... how Paul says here. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread,... Eat of the bread. Now, I know Jesus...
The Token
63-1128E §99
If you've never been baptized in Christian baptism, come. They will baptize you, tonight, if you want to be baptized. Be thankful to God that there is a way to live. You was thankful, today, that you lived in America. Thank God that you got a church here that believes the Word of God. You thank God because He give you food to eat, that you might live a little longer, now why not receive Him and be thankful for the Holy Spirit that gives you eternal life. Why can't you come and accept that? Is there another one that...
A trumpet gives an uncertain sound
63-0114 §98
Now you are now a candidate for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. If you haven't received Christian baptism, one of these men here will see to that, that you get Christian baptism. But now, while Peter yet spake these words, before they was baptized ... while Peter spake these words the Holy Ghost fell upon them. Why? They were all under expectation. Now you're under expectation. You want something now that'll seal you into the kingdom of God, something that'll be real to you. You want to ... don't you want to receive...