I know this topic—baptism—is one that sparks so much emotion, controversy, even division. But I’m not here to defend a tradition or argue a denominational point. I’m here to open the Word of God with you and let it speak. I’m not asking you to take my word for anything. I’m asking you to listen with an open Bible and an open heart.
You see, when I talk about baptism, I’m not introducing some church invention. I’m pointing to what Scripture plainly teaches over and over again: baptism is essential to salvation. Not because I say so, but because the inspired writers of the New Testament say so.
Let me remind you what we’ve been building up to in this series, A Call for New Testament Christianity. I’ve already spoken with you about a concept to understand—how the gospel was always meant for all people. I’ve shared with you a Christ to follow, and I’ve asked you to reflect on a change to make, as we looked at the true nature of repentance. Now I’m calling you to consider a cleansing to enjoy. And this cleansing, this moment where sins are washed away, happens at baptism.
Think about it. When people in the New Testament asked, “What must I do?” they were told to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Not because their sins were already forgiven—but in order that they might be.
Why do I say baptism is essential? Because the text of Scripture says so. Baptism shows up in the Gospels, the book of Acts, and the Epistles—every type of New Testament literature except Revelation. And in every case, it’s shown to be vital.
Jesus Himself was baptized, not because He had sins, but to fulfill all righteousness. He traveled miles to do it. He insisted on it. He came up out of the water—He was immersed. If I’m following Jesus, I can’t ignore that. He’s not asking me to do something He didn’t first show me how to do.
Then He turned around and commanded it. Mark 16:16—He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. That’s not my church’s wording. That’s Jesus talking.
The apostles—guided by the Holy Spirit—preached the same message. On the day of Pentecost, Peter didn’t say “just believe.” He said, Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. And throughout Acts—over and over—you see this pattern repeated. The Philippian jailer, Lydia, the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Paul himself—they all believed and were baptized. Not days or weeks later—immediately.
And when I read the epistles, the letters to Christians, I see baptism connected again and again to salvation. It’s how I’m clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:27). It’s how I’m buried with Him and raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3–4). It’s how I’m washed, sanctified, and justified (Titus 3:5, Eph. 5:26, 1 Cor. 6:11). It’s how I reenact the gospel—His death, burial, and resurrection.
But then let me take you even deeper. Do you realize baptism is where I contact the blood of Christ?
The Bible makes it crystal clear: I am redeemed by His blood (Eph. 1:7). I am washed by His blood (Rev. 1:5). I am forgiven through His blood, and that blood was shed in His death (John 19:34). So how do I, two thousand years later, reach that blood? Romans 6:3 tells me: I am baptized into His death. That’s the moment. That’s when I come into contact with the saving blood of Jesus.
God is not playing games with me. He is not the author of confusion. He repeats this truth so many times, in so many ways, because He loves me and wants me to understand. It’s not belief or baptism. It’s belief and baptism. It’s not either/or—it’s both.
I know emotions can get in the way. Maybe you’re afraid. Maybe you’re not sure. Maybe you’re thinking of what others might say. But let me tell you—there is nothing more urgent, more freeing, or more beautiful than being baptized into Christ and knowing your sins are washed away.
The call is simple. God is not hiding His will. He’s pleading. He’s inviting. And I’m doing the same. If you’ve not been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, I’m begging you—don’t delay. Let’s open the Word together. Let’s talk. Let’s make sure. Because nothing matters more than your soul.
How does something, so plainly taught in the Bible, wind up as something so controversial in the religious world? For the fourth lesson in this series, Neal Pollard goes into the subject of baptism: what the Bible says about it and the important role it plays in New Testament Christianity.
