When they HEARD this, they were PRICKED IN THEIR HEARTS, and said men and brethren WHAT SHALL WE DO?
How did they hear except their ears were opened as the word of God was preached...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God?
What caused their heart to be pricked? Was it not the work of the Holy Spirit to convince them of sin?
What response should attend a genuine act of God upon the heart, mind and will of an individual? John the Baptist called the Pharisees who came for his baptism to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. What are the fruits of true salvation? Repentance and baptism. Fruits of...not seeds producing.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:15-16 KJV
v “he that is saved shall be baptized and believe “ if we believe the gospel and what it says we’ll understand baptism is for the remission of sins in Christs name if we believe that we’re going to get baptized as a reaction of faith because we want remission of sins
It’s not an afterthought though its something we’re commanded to do whether we have or haven’t received the spirit because we believe either like this
“And
he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
While Peter yet spake
these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that
on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost
( peter instantly says )
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”
Acts 10:42-45, 47-48
Or if it’s this order
Its an act of faith it only becomes relevant if we believe what Jesus says of it what the gospel teaches of it what the epistles reveal of it
Stuff like this matters that we hear and accept it So we understand baptisms significance by faith “ hearing the word about it “
“Know ye not, that
so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even
so we also should walk in newness of life.
knowing this, that
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
What then?
shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know ye not, that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but
ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for
as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”
Romans 6:3-4, 6, 11-12, 15-19 KJV
baptism is important to overcoming sin believing we died with Jesus is part of our faith getting baptized is the instruction we’re given for inclusion by faith believing what we heard
baptism becomes important when we let in the teachings surrounding it
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galatians 3:26-29
“in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by
the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you,
being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
Colossians 2:11-14 KJV
“Know ye not, brethren, how that the law hath dominion over a man ( only ) as long as he liveth?
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be
married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
For
when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are
delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and
not in the oldness of the letter.”
Romans 7:1, 4-6 KJV
When a sinner dies the law ends there’s no more it says to a dead sinner ot ends it’s authority at death , Christ died so we can have a New Testament that gives life Breathes new life into us baptism is what we’re told to do to have our sins remitted , to be born as a child of Abraham an Hier of God , to have Jesus death credited to our sins we accept it and act in faith it’s something Jesus told us to do and the Bible explains what it means it’s no more or no less it’s a matter of who will hear and believe it
1
