James L. Neal
What is the relationship between repentance and baptism in God’s plan of salvation? Let us study. In Acts 17:30, we learn that all men are commanded to repent. The reason given is the coming of the great judgment day in which Christ will be the judge. (Matt. 25:31-46).
Repentance is neither mere sorrow nor reformation of life. It stands between these two things. Godly sorrow leads one to repentance, (2 Cor. 7:20), and repentance leads to reformation of life. It is then clear that faith in God must come before repentance because one would never know of the love and goodness of God except through His word. Faith or belief in God is the first step toward repentance. When one learns of God’s love for man and man’s own sinfulness, he is then constrained to sorrow for sins and that sorrow leads him to repentance. But that knowledge of God’s love which leads to faith comes through the word of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17).
Having learned of God’s goodness, the honest soul understands he is a sinner and in need of forgiveness. This produces sorrow for sins, and that leads to repentance which is a change of the will. (Matt. 21:28-30). One wills to do God’s will when he chooses, through faith, to change from the love and practice of sin to love and serve God.
In every case of conversion recorded in the book of Acts, baptism comes after faith, repentance and the confession of Christ as the son of God. (Acts 2:38; 8:36-38; 22:16). This is the divine order of salvation. One cannot be saved without being baptized into Christ, (Rom. 6:3-4; Eph. 1:7), and he cannot be scripturally baptized without being saved. (Acts 2:38, 47; Mark 16:16).
Baptism is a burial in water for the remission of sins. (Rom. 6:3-5; Acts 2:38). The penitent sinner is buried with Christ by baptism—baptized into Christ’s death in order to reach the cleansing blood that washes away sin. (Acts 22:16).
Scriptural baptism completes the new birth. Jesus said, “Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5). One is born of water and the Spirit when he believes the gospel the Spirit revealed, repents of his sins and is baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38; John 3:5).
The penitent heart that confesses faith in Christ and is baptized is saved from the guilt of all past sins. (Mark 16:16; Rom. 10:9-10). The Lord adds all the saved to the church. (Acts 2:47). Therefore, one must be baptized in order to be saved and added to the church. Being born again and being baptized for remission of sins means the same thing. When one is born again, one enters the kingdom of God, which is the church of Christ (Matt. 16:18-19).
Repentance and baptism are inseparably linked in the salvation of the soul. They are equally ranked in importance toward the end sought, which is salvation. That can be seen in the connecting word “and” in Acts 2:38—”Repent and be baptized…for the remission of sins.” Neither baptism nor repentance alone will save. Neither can be discarded, nor can the order be changed. Neither does baptism come after salvation. The divine order is 1.) Belief, 2.) Repentance, 3.) Confession, 4.) Baptism. Won’t you do this and be saved according to God’s divine plan?
