Removing the Confusion About Baptism With Answers from the Bible

Should baptism be sprinkling, pouring, or immersion? Is it for infants, children, or believers who can personally place their faith in Jesus? Is it only a symbol, or does it carry a deeper spiritual significance? Christians often disagree on the answers to these questions. That's why it's important to look at what the Bible says.

Pastor Kerry Decker of Compass Christian Church (compasslive.org) developed the Foundations course to help people better understand Christianity and God. When it comes to baptism, the goal is not to get lost in arguments or traditions. The goal is to patiently look at what God’s Word teaches and respond to Jesus in faith.

Christians have disagreed about baptism for a long time. Still, one fact is undeniable: baptism is important. Jesus was baptized. His followers were baptized. Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize others. The early church consistently connected coming to Christ with baptism.

Start With What the Bible Says About Baptism

When believers disagree about a biblical subject, the best response is not to simply pick a side based on what a church, family, or friend teaches. Take time to study the passages for yourself. Read them carefully. Pray for wisdom. Let God’s Word shape your understanding.

It is easy to focus on what Christians say about baptism. But if we focus on what the Bible says, the answer becomes much clearer.

Baptism appears at some of the most significant moments in the New Testament:

• Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey His commands Matthew 28:19-20.
• On the Day of Pentecost, when the church began, Peter told people to repent and be baptized Acts 2:38.
• When Gentiles came to faith in Christ, they were commanded to be baptized in Acts 10:48.
• Paul himself was baptized when he came to Christ Acts 22:16.
• Paul included baptism among the foundational truths that unite Christians Ephesians 4:4-6.

Baptism is not a minor or optional detail in the Christian life. Baptism mattered to Jesus, the apostles, and the first believers. No one seeking to follow Christ should casually neglect something Christ clearly commanded.

Baptism is the Normal Response to the Gospel

Read through the book of Acts and pay attention to what happened when people heard the good news about Jesus. People believed. They turned to God. They were baptized. And they were generally baptized without unnecessary delay.

In the New Testament, an unbaptized believer appears to be the exception, not the norm. Baptism was a common and expected part of conversion to Christ.

Paul’s letters make this especially clear. In Romans 6:3, he writes about “all of us” who were baptized into Christ Jesus and baptized into His death. In Galatians 3:26-27, Paul tells believers that they are children of God through faith and that those baptized into Christ have clothed themselves with Christ.

These letters were written to Christians in different places, yet baptism was understood and practiced among them all. They did not share the same city, but they shared the same faith and the same response to the gospel.

So, if baptism was so common among New Testament Christians, why would anyone who believes in Jesus want to put it off?

Approach Baptism With Faith and Repentance

The Bible presents faith as a necessary part of baptism. Mark 16:16 connects believing and being baptized: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Faith comes first because baptism is not an empty religious action. It is a response of trust in Jesus Christ.

Repentance is essential as well. In Acts 2:38, Peter called people to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

Repentance means a change of mind that results in a change of lifestyle. Before coming to Christ, we may disregard God, push Him into the background, or treat Him as less important than the other things in our lives. Repentance means changing our mind about sin and our relationship with God. We turn away from our old life and begin seeking Him with all our heart.

Baptism is meaningful because it is not just a symbol it is a faith response. It is a decisive step in which a person turns to Christ and identifies with Him.

Consider these questions before baptism:

• Do I believe Jesus is the Son of God and Savior?
• Am I willing to turn away from sin and submit my life to Him?
• Do I want to follow Jesus?

Baptism is not about having every theological question answered before coming to God. It is about trusting Christ and choosing to walk with Him.

It's God That Does the Saving Work

Some people understand that baptism is important but assume that this means salvation is earned by works. But that's not what the apostles taught.

In Colossians 2:12, Paul describes believers as being buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Him through faith in the working of God. Notice whose power is at work: God’s power.

Baptism is not a human accomplishment that makes someone deserving of salvation. No one can earn forgiveness. No one can work hard enough to erase sin. Salvation is a gift of grace received by faith.

When someone submits to baptism, the person is not claiming, “Look what I have done for God.” Instead, that person is trusting God to do what only He can do. God is the One who forgives, raises, transforms, and gives new life.

There is a world of difference between trying to earn salvation and responding obediently to the Savior who freely offers it. Faith always has a response. A person who truly trusts Christ desires to follow Him.

Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus is the Model for Baptism

The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ: He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. Jesus' death paid the full penalty for sin so that we can stand before God forgiven, without blame, and free from accusation.

Romans 6:1-9 connects baptism directly to this gospel. When we are baptized into Christ, we are united with His death. We are buried with Him, and then we rise to walk in newness of life, just as Christ rose from the dead.

Baptism is so much more than a ceremony. It points to the heart of the Christian message. The old life of sin is left behind. A new life begins in Christ.

Paul’s language in Romans 6 is powerful because it reminds us that following Jesus involves a real change. God does not simply put a religious label on our old way of living. He calls us into a new life, a life shaped by grace, truth, obedience, and hope.

The Thief on the Cross is an Exception Not the Norm

One of the most common questions about baptism is this: What about the thief on the cross? He was not baptized, yet Jesus told him that he would be with Him in paradise.

That is true. The thief was forgiven by the grace of Jesus. But we need to understand the timing and the situation. Jesus had not yet died, been buried, or risen from the dead. The thief was speaking directly to Jesus before the gospel message had been completed and before Jesus gave the Great Commission to make disciples and baptize them.

Jesus has the authority to forgive anyone however He chooses. During His earthly ministry, He even told people their sins were forgiven when they had not specifically asked for forgiveness. Think of the paralytic whose friends lowered him through a roof. He came seeking healing, but Jesus graciously addressed both his physical need and his sin.

God is gracious. That is beyond question. But the thief on the cross is not a reason to ignore what Jesus later commanded.

After His death and resurrection, Jesus instructed His followers to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything He commanded. Baptism was specifically included in that commission.

The question is not, “Can God make an exception?” Of course He can. The better question is, “What has God asked me to do?” When we have heard the gospel of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, faith calls us to respond in obedience.

Why Wait? Take the Next Faithful Step

If you have trusted Jesus but have never been baptized, do not let uncertainty, delay, or someone else’s objections rob you of this blessing. Take the same stance as Acts 8:36b, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” Don't let anything stand in the way of making the decision to be baptized. 

Study the Scriptures. Ask your questions to wise source. And make arrangements to be baptized.

Baptism is not the finish line of Christian growth. It is the beginning of a life that belongs to Jesus. From there, we continue learning, praying, resisting temptation, serving others, gathering with the church, and growing deeper in God’s Word.

Jesus calls people to Himself with grace, and He calls them to follow with obedience. Do not treat baptism as an unimportant detail. It is a beautiful, biblical step of faith that declares: “My old life is buried with Christ, and I am beginning a new life in Him.”

If you want to build a stronger understanding of Jesus, Scripture, salvation, prayer, and Christian living, the free Foundations Booklet is designed to help you work through these essential truths one lesson at a time. Blessings.