There is a process that leads individuals to the point of making a decision to be baptized. This process is described in a number of scriptures and some of these will be reviewed in this document.

It is important to bear in mind that God, our Father, initiates the process that leads a person to repentance, which is a prerequisite to being baptized,

…(you) not knowing that the goodness of God (the Father) leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4; NKJV throughout unless noted; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (through Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf), just as He (the Father) chose us in him (the Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him (the Father) in love, having predestined us to adoption (away from the Adversary) as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself (the Father), according to the pleasure of His (the Father’s) will (Eph.1:3-5; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Because God, our Father, loves all those He created, He has a plan to save them from the consequence of sin, which is death. As the first man, Adam, is responsible for introducing the consequence of sin to his descendants (1Tm. 2:14), God’s law provides a way of reversing this death penalty for each generation that has proceeded from the time of Adam, and it is God who does this in a progressive manner with the ultimate goal that none will perish (2Pet. 3:9), as far as everlasting life is concerned,

The fathers shall not be put to death for their children (sins of their children), nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers (sins of their fathers); a person shall be put to death for his own sin (Dt. 24:16; Ed. notes in parentheses).

In each generation, the Father takes the initiative to call people and lead them to see that they are living contrary to His will as expressed in His law. Only He has this prerogative because He is the Creator,

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another (temporarily) for dishonor? (Rom. 9:20-21; Ed. note in parentheses).

Therefore, any decision to become baptized is only as the result of God, our Father, determining to call an individual as Christ said in John 6:44,65;

No one can come to me (Christ) unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day (at Christ’s return cf. 1Cor. 15:51-55; 1Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 20:4-6; Ed. note in parentheses).

And he (Christ) said, “Through this, I have spoken to you that no one is able to come toward me except it has been granted to him from the Father” (Jn. 6:65; RNT; Ed. note in parentheses).

More often than not, God, our Father, calls individuals that are not regarded as being mighty in position or power,

For consider your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many well-born, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the insignificant things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen (to call), and the things which are not (valued by this world), to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His (the Father’s) presence (1Cor. 1:26-29; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Once God our Father calls someone, He begins to reveal how they have been living contrary to His will, which is expressed in His law, and as a result they are worthy of death everlasting,

For the wages of sin is death…(Rom. 6:23).

…for all (human beings) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23, Ed. note in parenthesis). 

The question will then come up, “how can a sinner be forgiven and have an opportunity to inherit everlasting life?” The answer is,

And according to the law almost all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9:22). 

…The soul (person) who sins shall die (Ezek. 18:4 cf. 18:20; Ed. notes in parentheses). 

By having such a severe penalty, God stresses the seriousness of breaking His law.

God, our Father, teaches that sin is extremely serious and its consequences affect not only the sinner, but also others who can suffer as a result of the wrong actions and deeds of someone who commits sin,

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like… (Gal. 5:19-21 cf. Rom. 1:18-32).

Once the consequences of sin are understood, the question still remains, “how can a sinner be forgiven and have an opportunity to inherit everlasting life?”

Christ (through his death on behalf of sinners) has redeemed us from the curse of the law (everlasting death), having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal. 3:13; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Because God, our Father, and Jesus Christ love mankind and want to save them from their own wrong decisions, while still stressing the seriousness of sin, they both sacrificed. The Father sacrificed His begotten son, as pre-figured in the example of Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 22:1-12), and the son agreed to become that sacrifice,

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends (Jn. 15:13).

Once the enormity and ramifications of an individual’s sins are understood, they should have a deep desire to change (repent) and start living a new life in harmony with God’s law (Rom. 6:4; 7:6). When one truly appreciates the significance of sin, the next step that needs to be taken, is mentioned in the following scripture,

“Therefore let all the house of Israel (now both Gentile and Jew – Gal. 3:28) know assuredly that God (the Father) has made this Jesus, whom you (by your sins caused to be) crucified, both Lord and Christ.” ³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart (repented), and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and (afterward) you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Ac. 2:36-38; Ed. notes in parentheses).

So repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands (Ac. 8:18; 19:6; Heb. 6:2) is the end result of a work that God, our Father, initiates by calling an individual to see the seriousness of their sinful way of life.

Return to Baptism

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