Sunday, 5/31/2026

Believer’s Baptism

You know how you end up has a lot to do with the way you begin.

While baptism does not save us, it is necessary to obedience, and obedience

is necessary to joy, growth, and fruitfulness in the Christian life.

Acts 8:26-39

Christian Standard Bible

The Conversion of the Ethiopian Official

²⁶ An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.^[a]) ²⁷ So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem ²⁸ and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.

²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”

³⁰ When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:

He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.³³ In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will describe his generation? For his life is taken from the earth.^[b]

³⁴ The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” ³⁵ Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.

³⁶ As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” ^{[c] 38} So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing.

The Biblical Method of Baptism

There are two serious mistakes people make about baptism:

Saying that since baptism does not save you, it is not important.

Saying that without baptism you cannot go to Heaven.

Both are wrong. Baptism is not necessary for salvation, but it is necessary for

obedience.

The biblical method of baptism is immersion.

Jesus was also baptized by John in the Jordan River. When He came up out of

the water, the heavens opened.

The Greek word baptizo literally means “to immerse.” Early Christians

practiced baptism by immersion.

The Meaning of Baptism

Baptism is a picture of what God did for us when He saved us.

Romans 6:3-5

Christian Standard Bible

³ Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness^[a] of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be^[b] in the likeness of his resurrection

Your Past: Baptism pictures your death to sin and burial of the old life.

Your Present: You come up out of the water, picturing your new life in Christ.

Your Future: Baptism pictures your coming resurrection.

Baptism is a graphic illustration of the Gospel: Christ died, was buried, and

rose again.

The Motive for Baptism

Why should we be baptized?

It Proclaims Your Commitment to Jesus.

It Portrays Your Conversion.

It Obeys a Clear Command.

Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:19–20 to go and make disciples,

baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Obedience is the proof that we love Jesus (John 14:15). Obedience brings joy.

Baptism is only a symbol. Salvation is not in water — you are saved by

trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.