Answer: Christian baptism is one of two ordinances that Jesus instituted for the church. Just before His ascension, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). These instructions specify that the church is responsible to teach Jesus’ word, make disciples, and baptize those disciples. These things are to be done everywhere (“all nations”) until “the very end of the age.” So, if for no other reason, baptism has importance because Jesus commanded it.



Baptism was practiced before the founding of the church. The Jews of ancient times would baptize proselytes to signify the converts’ “cleansed” nature. John the Baptist used baptism to prepare the way of the Lord, requiring everyone, not just Gentiles, to be baptized because everyone needs repentance. However, John’s baptism, signifying repentance, is not the same as Christian baptism, as seen in Acts 18:24–26 and 19:1–7. Christian baptism has a deeper significance.

Baptism is to be done in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit—this is what makes it “Christian” baptism. It is through this ordinance that a person is admitted into the fellowship of the church. When we are saved, we are “baptized” by the Spirit into the Body of Christ, which is the church. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Baptism by water is a “reenactment” of the baptism by the Spirit.

Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of faith and discipleship. In the waters of baptism, a person says, wordlessly, “I confess faith in Christ; Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin, and I now have a new life of sanctification.”

Christian baptism illustrates, in dramatic style, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. At the same time, it also illustrates our death to sin and new life in Christ. As the sinner confesses the Lord Jesus, he dies to sin (Romans 6:11) and is raised to a brand-new life (Colossians 2:12). Being submerged in the water represents death to sin, and emerging from the water represents the cleansed, holy life that follows salvation. Romans 6:4 puts it this way: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Very simply, baptism is an outward testimony of the inward change in a believer’s life. Christian baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord after salvation; although baptism is closely associated with salvation, it is not a requirement to be saved. The Bible shows in many places that the order of events is 1) a person believes in the Lord Jesus and 2) he is baptized. This sequence is seen in Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted [Peter’s] message were baptized” (see also Acts 16:14–15).

A new believer in Jesus Christ should desire to be baptized as soon as possible. In Acts 8 Philip speaks “the good news about Jesus” to the Ethiopian eunuch, and, “as they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’” (verses 35–36). Right away, they stopped the chariot, and Philip baptized the man.

Baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Everywhere the gospel is preached and people are drawn to faith in Christ, they are to be baptized.
gotquestion.org

solite3:


Answer: Christian baptism is one of two ordinances that Jesus instituted for the church. Just before His ascension, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). These instructions specify that the church is responsible to teach Jesus’ word, make disciples, and baptize those disciples. These things are to be done everywhere (“all nations”) until “the very end of the age.” So, if for no other reason, baptism has importance because Jesus commanded it.



Baptism was practiced before the founding of the church. The Jews of ancient times would baptize proselytes to signify the converts’ “cleansed” nature. John the Baptist used baptism to prepare the way of the Lord, requiring everyone, not just Gentiles, to be baptized because everyone needs repentance. However, John’s baptism, signifying repentance, is not the same as Christian baptism, as seen in Acts 18:24–26 and 19:1–7. Christian baptism has a deeper significance.

Baptism is to be done in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit—this is what makes it “Christian” baptism. It is through this ordinance that a person is admitted into the fellowship of the church. When we are saved, we are “baptized” by the Spirit into the Body of Christ, which is the church. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Baptism by water is a “reenactment” of the baptism by the Spirit.

Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of faith and discipleship. In the waters of baptism, a person says, wordlessly, “I confess faith in Christ; Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin, and I now have a new life of sanctification.”

Christian baptism illustrates, in dramatic style, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. At the same time, it also illustrates our death to sin and new life in Christ. As the sinner confesses the Lord Jesus, he dies to sin (Romans 6:11) and is raised to a brand-new life (Colossians 2:12). Being submerged in the water represents death to sin, and emerging from the water represents the cleansed, holy life that follows salvation. Romans 6:4 puts it this way: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Very simply, baptism is an outward testimony of the inward change in a believer’s life. Christian baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord after salvation; although baptism is closely associated with salvation, it is not a requirement to be saved. The Bible shows in many places that the order of events is 1) a person believes in the Lord Jesus and 2) he is baptized. This sequence is seen in Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted [Peter’s] message were baptized” (see also Acts 16:14–15).

A new believer in Jesus Christ should desire to be baptized as soon as possible. In Acts 8 Philip speaks “the good news about Jesus” to the Ethiopian eunuch, and, “as they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’” (verses 35–36). Right away, they stopped the chariot, and Philip baptized the man.

Baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Everywhere the gospel is preached and people are drawn to faith in Christ, they are to be baptized.
gotquestion.org

Hello dear friend.

I hope you don't mind my input. As you know, I don't mean it for harm. If possible, it is for edification.

I read this in the Bible:

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
(KJV) Ephesians 4:4-6

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
(KJV) Acts 1:4-5

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
(KJV) John 1:32-33

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire
(KJV) Matthew 3:11

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(KJV) Romans 8:9

Since the Scriptures cannot be broken, I think that it is not right to interpret Matthew 28:19 as water baptism. Not only is water not mentioned there at all, but the Lord Jesus is clearly the One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, and we see here that He commands the apostles to go and baptize those who believe their message into the Trinity.

Granted that the apostles did baptize some believers in water (Peter baptized Cornelius and his family in water, for example), not everything we are told in Acts is prescriptive, that is, Acts records actual history, just like Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and all the other books of the Bible that contain historical information including the Prophets. The fact that some great believers made mistakes or did things that don't quite line up with what we are authoritatively taught by the Bible to do does not mean that we should do the same. Consider David's failure with Bathsheba. Although it is an extreme example, we do know that the Bible does not record it so that we can do as he did. Jeremiah's stumbling in his words against the Lord when his ministry got quite hard for him is another example (Jeremiah 20:7). We all get to a point in our walk with the Lord where we are tempted to speak as Jeremiah did, but, of course, we ought not to. The Lord never deceives us. He never lies. It is impossible for Him to. The point is that some things we are told in the Bible are just to show us that even great believers stumble too (Isaiah 43:27). We learn from them then that we ought to be even more careful not to do worse than they did.

Consider that even Paul himself disassociated himself from water baptism:

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
(KJV) 1 Corinthians 1:14-17

From Ephesians 4, we know that there is only one baptism. From the rest of the Scriptures posted above (and many more not posted at all), we know that the Lord's Baptism is the Holy Spirit. Water was only used to prepare the Jews for the Lord. It was a symbolic ritual just like the washing in the bronze sea between the Tent of Meeting and the the Altar. It served to make sure that those who were entering the Presence of the Lord did so in purity, that is, fully recognizing their sinfulness and taking advantage of the Sacrifice made for them to be able to stand before the Lord. See Exodus 30:17-21. The Jews had John to do the same thing to them before they could enter into the Presence of the Messiah Who was coming to them. After the Cross, this baptism was continued for those who knew the ministry of John so that they could transit through it into the New Covenant, but it did not last long, because it was not part of the New Covenant in the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Our one baptism, and the baptism that the Lord Jesus commanded, is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit through Whom and by Whom we are baptised into the Body of Christ, that is, made one with other believers, and into the Trinity, that is, made partakers of the divine nature (Matthew 28:19, compare also 2 Peter 1:4).

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(KJV) 1 Corinthians 12:13

Water baptism, then, really has no place in our Faith. We do not need it to be saved, since we are saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. No works added to confidence in the Lord Jesus and His Sacrifice for us can save us. In fact, anything we add to what the Lord Jesus has done for us blasphemes the Cross of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). And we do not need it to progress spiritually, since all we need for that is the Word of Truth administered to us through the work of gifted and prepared pastor-teachers (Ephesians 4:11-13). Indulging in it, as I have just said, could even be dangerous and blasphemous, depending on what value we attach to it.

I am sure that there are questions that I have not answered in the above, and I would be happy to answer them, given the opportunity. My effort just now is to touch the most important things to know about this matter.

As I always say, please don't receive my words as an attack of any sort on what you believe. Iron sharpens iron, and brothers exist to build up one another, so I am here to help, not to give you any kind of trouble. If you do not agree with me, it is fine by me, since I am confident that as we both continue to look into the Word of Truth and diligently obey what we are taught that is actually true, we will come to the unity of the faith, that is, to a perfect and unified comprehension of the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:15).

Grace be with you.

Ihedinobi3:

Hello dear friend.

I hope you don't mind my input. As you know, I don't mean it for harm. If possible, it is for edification.

I read this in the Bible:

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
(KJV) Ephesians 4:4-6

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
(KJV) Acts 1:4-5

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
(KJV) John 1:32-33

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire
(KJV) Matthew 3:11

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(KJV) Romans 8:9

Since the Scriptures cannot be broken, I think that it is not right to interpret Matthew 28:19 as water baptism. Not only is water not mentioned there at all, but the Lord Jesus is clearly the One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, and we see here that He commands the apostles to go and baptize those who believe their message into the Trinity.

Granted that the apostles did baptize some believers in water (Peter baptized Cornelius and his family in water, for example), not everything we are told in Acts is prescriptive, that is, Acts records actual history, just like Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and all the other books of the Bible that contain historical information including the Prophets. The fact that some great believers made mistakes or did things that don't quite line up with what we are authoritatively taught by the Bible to do does not mean that we should do the same. Consider David's failure with Bathsheba. Although it is an extreme example, we do know that the Bible does not record it so that we can do as he did. Jeremiah's stumbling in his words against the Lord when his ministry got quite hard for him is another example (Jeremiah 20:7). We all get to a point in our walk with the Lord where we are tempted to speak as Jeremiah did, but, of course, we ought not to. The Lord never deceives us. He never lies. It is impossible for Him to. The point is that some things we are told in the Bible are just to show us that even great believers stumble too (Isaiah 43:27). We learn from them then that we ought to be even more careful not to do worse than they did.

Consider that even Paul himself disassociated himself from water baptism:

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
(KJV) 1 Corinthians 1:14-17

From Ephesians 4, we know that there is only one baptism. From the rest of the Scriptures posted above (and many more not posted at all), we know that the Lord's Baptism is the Holy Spirit. Water was only used to prepare the Jews for the Lord. It was a symbolic ritual just like the washing in the bronze sea between the Tent of Meeting and the the Altar. It served to make sure that those who were entering the Presence of the Lord did so in purity, that is, fully recognizing their sinfulness and taking advantage of the Sacrifice made for them to be able to stand before the Lord. See Exodus 30:17-21. The Jews had John to do the same thing to them before they could enter into the Presence of the Messiah Who was coming to them. After the Cross, this baptism was continued for those who knew the ministry of John so that they could transit through it into the New Covenant, but it did not last long, because it was not part of the New Covenant in the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Our one baptism, and the baptism that the Lord Jesus commanded, is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit through Whom and by Whom we are baptised into the Body of Christ, that is, made one with other believers, and into the Trinity, that is, made partakers of the divine nature (Matthew 28:19, compare also 2 Peter 1:4).

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(KJV) 1 Corinthians 12:13

Water baptism, then, really has no place in our Faith. We do not need it to be saved, since we are saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. No works added to confidence in the Lord Jesus and His Sacrifice for us can save us. In fact, anything we add to what the Lord Jesus has done for us blasphemes the Cross of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). And we do not need it to progress spiritually, since all we need for that is the Word of Truth administered to us through the work of gifted and prepared pastor-teachers (Ephesians 4:11-13). Indulging in it, as I have just said, could even be dangerous and blasphemous, depending on what value we attach to it.

I am sure that there are questions that I have not answered in the above, and I would be happy to answer them, given the opportunity. My effort just now is to touch the most important things to know about this matter.

As I always say, please don't receive my words as an attack of any sort on what you believe. Iron sharpens iron, and brothers exist to build up one another, so I am here to help, not to give you any kind of trouble. If you do not agree with me, it is fine by me, since I am confident that as we both continue to look into the Word of Truth and diligently obey what we are taught that is actually true, we will come to the unity of the faith, that is, to a perfect and unified comprehension of the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:15).

Grace be with you.

thanks for your contribution.
Baptism was not a mistake like you erroneously stated. The Apostles of Jesus were explicitly commanded by Jesus to preach and to be baptised
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

The apostles were commanded to baptise people in the name of the trinity which was physically done by water but the spiritual baptism was done by God himself through the holy Spirit. Matthew 28vv19 refers to the physical baptism because it was to be done by the apostles.
As for paul, his ministry didnt included baptism since there were others to do it, though he baptised a few people.
Baptism is a sign for followership and new birth and part of church traditions.
For example, holy communion or last supper is another tradition of the church which is done to remember the sacrifice of christ for the church. Although, these traditions are not need for salvation but the serve to outwardly demonstrate the gospel.

solite3:
thanks for your contribution.
Baptism was not a mistake like you erroneously stated. The Apostles of Jesus were explicitly commanded by Jesus to preach and to be baptised
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

The apostles were commanded to baptise people in the name of the trinity which was physically done by water but the spiritual baptism was done by God himself through the holy Spirit. Matthew 28vv19 refers to the physical baptism because it was to be done by the apostles.
As for paul, his ministry didnt included baptism since there were others to do it, though he baptised a few people.
Baptism is a sign for followership and new birth and part of church traditions.
For example, holy communion or last supper is another tradition of the church which is done to remember the sacrifice of christ for the church. Although, these traditions are not need for salvation but the serve to outwardly demonstrate the gospel.

I'm quite sure that I'm not in error on this matter, but I understand that you disagree with me here. That is just as well. As I said, we will almost certainly disagree on some things even if we are both mature in the Truth. That is a given, because we are still in mortal flesh. My interest in discussions with you is for mutual encouragement. That is possible even if we do not agree on some of the things that we discuss.

About Matthew 28:19, there are a few points I would make:

1. Baptism means "dipping into" especially in the sense of becoming one with something. So, for example, when the Lord Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, He entered the water to become one with sinners by taking onto Himself all the sins symbolically washed into the water. That was what His Own Baptism by John meant. So, in Matthew 28:19, as I said in my post, the Lord Jesus was saying that we should be "dipped into" something to be made one with that thing.

2. The word "in" in translations like the KJV and NIV1984 is only one alternative for translating the Greek there. "Into" is another (you can check the footnotes for proof). That latter is actually the better translation because it agrees with the rest of Scripture.

3. The word "name" in ancient usage (and even to some degree in modern usage too), both in Hebrew and in Greek, meant more than just a label that we use to refer to someone or something. It referred to the whole person.

So, the Lord Jesus actually said, "go into the world and proclaim the Gospel, dipping into the Person of the Father, the Person of the Son, and the Person of the Holy Spirit all who believe your message."

This is exactly the same thing as what Peter says later about our becoming partakers of the divine nature upon "escaping the corruption that is in the world," that is, our acceptance of the Gospel through faith is how we are delivered from the corruption of this world and made partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:1-4).

So, the Baptism that we do is our proclaiming of the Gospel. When we teach the Gospel to anyone and they believe, they are baptized with the Holy Spirit through their faith and the Holy Spirit makes them one with the Trinity and with the Body of Christ. That is the "one baptism" that Paul taught us about, and this is how we participate in it.

The command in Matthew 28:19 was given to the whole Church, not just to some, so when you say that Paul's ministry was not to baptize, since there were others to do it, there is the question how the Scriptures teach this. In fact, if anyone ought to baptize in water at all, if Matthew 28:19 was about water baptism, it was supposed to be the Apostles to whom our Lord was speaking directly (see Matthew 28:16) and Paul was specially selected by the Lord to join them and complete the college of twelve again. So, if it really was water baptism that the Lord spoke of, then Paul was certainly supposed to be baptizing people. But, in fact, it wasn't, and this was why he made a point of saying that he wasn't called to baptize but to proclaim the Gospel, just like all believers are.

You are right that the Church was given traditions to continue to observe until the Lord returns including the Communion and the place of women in the assembly among other things. But, water baptism is not one of them, in my own reading of the Scripture.

About Water Baptism,

Matthew 28: 19 gives a brief summary of the post - What is water baptism and who can be baptized. It says, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

Water baptism is one of the many teachings of Christ among others which every child of God should observe. The things that Christ taught his followers and in turn his church today are very important and sacred that none can be overlooked because these are what mark believers as true children in God's kingdom and also proves their  identification with him. From the text above, Christ mentioned that water baptism should be taught to all nation.

In today's post, I want to state what water baptism is according to Scripture, and how it should be done using Christ as the example. Also who can be baptized and who can't.

Christ submission for water baptism

Matthew 3:13
"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him."

Christ always made himself the perfect example and model every true child of his should follow. He submitted himself to be baptized by John the baptist even though John wished to be baptized by Him, but Christ knowing the importance of the scriptures and that it should be fulfilled, allowed it before he started his ministry. He practiced what he commands us to so we can have a clear understanding of his precept and how it must be done.

Who should be baptized?

From the account of Mark gospel, Jesus said,

"...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" - Mark 16:15a

Those that should partake in water baptism according to the text above are those that have believed the gospel. This was Christ's charge to his disciples before his ascension into heaven "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved". So we must first believe in Jesus and his sacrifice for our sins before we can be baptized. We also saw that clearly while John the baptist baptized the people at Jordan when they came to him confessing their sins. Repentance from sin comes first before water baptism because it signifies being dead to sin, buried with Christ and resurrection to a new life. We cannot be baptized with our sins present neither can baptism take sins away.

This then mean that, if for any reason someone was baptized before repentance, then it must be repeated when that person come to the knowledge of his or her sin at any point in life because the first was not according to Christ's command. We must be fully aware of ourselves and have gotten to the age where we can acknowledge our sins, knowing right from wrong and can sincerely and penitently ask Jesus to forgive us our sins.
Therefore, water baptism is not for new born, infants, toddlers, sinners, etc. It is for boys and girls, men and women who can and have acknowledged their sins and have come to God in genuine repentance.

How water baptism should be done

From the account of Matthew 28:19 Christ said,
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

Water baptism should be done in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Godhead plays an all important role in the life of every believer because the salvation they received came by the mercy of the Father through the death of the Son and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. These Three are united in One. After this is spoken, the body goes down into the water. It is important to note that the whole body is completely immersed in water and brought out ONCE. The nostrils and mouth of the person is properly closed so that water don't pass through.

The wrong way of water baptism

× Baptism by sprinkling of water
× Baptism by pouring a handful or a measure of water on the forehead, or any part of the body
× Baptism by dipping thrice in water — in the name of the Father (one), and of the Son (two), and of the Holy Ghost (three)
× Baptism by dipping in water once before saying, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"

In summary

Water baptism is a public declaration to the world of your decision to walk with God in newness of life and everyone who has turned a new live can be baptized in water. It symbolizes being dead to sin and being raised again to a new life of righteousness in Christ. It also symbolizes been dead with Christ in his burial and alive with him in his resurrection. Without it, a believer can't truly and completely identify with Christ. That is the reason for its importance and more so, to be done as commanded by Christ who showed us the pattern.

Key point:

√ Christ thought repentance before baptism
This repentance can come when a man or woman, boy or girl become aware of his/her sin and genuinely ask God for forgiveness with an intention of not going back to it.

Have you been baptized? "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:16

If you have not believed in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and turn from your sins, you cannot fulfill this mandate of Christ except you want to do it the wrong way. But if you have turn from your sins already and still not baptized, you can meet your teacher or leaders in the church and tell them of your readiness to be baptized in water. This shows your obedience to God your Father who has commanded those who believe to get baptized.

Daw