The Seven B’s of Baptism
- Ray Reynolds
- Aug 3
- 5 min read
Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance, yet endless confusion surrounds the topic of baptism. Satan has deceived millions into believing that baptism is merely an optional outward sign, an unnecessary work, or that sprinkling and pouring are valid substitutes for God's clear command. There is no time to waste today on human opinions. Eternity is too long and our souls are too precious to rely on anything less than the pure truth. We must turn immediately to the New Testament—the final law by which every one of us will be judged on the Last Day. What does God's Word urgently demand of us concerning baptism? Its teaching is uncompromising, crystal clear, and essential for our salvation today.
1. Baptism is for BELIEVERS
Scriptural baptism is exclusively for those capable of hearing, understanding, and professing faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Infants do not possess sin (Ezekiel 18:20) and are incapable of personal belief; therefore, Bible baptism is for accountable men and women, not babies.
· Mark 16:16 – "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
· Acts 8:12 – "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized."
· Acts 18:8 – "Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized."
2. Baptism comes BEFORE Forgiveness
The world preaches that one is saved before baptism and baptized merely as a symbol. The Bible utterly rejects this idea. Scriptural baptism is the threshold upon which God's pardon is granted; it precedes salvation, remission, and cleansing.
· Acts 2:38 – "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
· Acts 22:16 – "'And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'"
· I Peter 3:21 – "There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ..."
3. Baptism is a BURIAL
Bible baptism demands complete immersion, not a mere sprinkling or pouring of water. The original language of the New Testament defines baptism (baptizo) as dipping, plunging, or submerging. To bury a life in Christ requires covering it completely in water.
· Acts 8:38–39 – "So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away..."
· Romans 6:3–4 – "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
· Colossians 2:12 – "Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."
4. Baptism is the BIRTH of the Christian
Baptism is the exact moment spiritual life begins—the spiritual birth into the family of God. By acting in obedience to the Holy Spirit’s teaching in the Word, a person is born anew of water and the Spirit and added to Christ's one body, the church.
· John 3:5 – "Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'"
· I Corinthians 12:13 – "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."
· Galatians 3:26–27 – "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
5. Baptism reaches the BLOOD of Christ
No soul can be saved without the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus shed His blood in His death (John 19:34). Scriptural baptism buries us into His death, making it the precise location where Christ's cleansing blood is applied to wash away sin.
· Ephesians 1:7 – "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace..."
· Hebrews 10:22 – "...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
· Revelation 1:5 – "...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood..."
6. Baptism serves as a BOUNDARY for Salvation
Baptism serves as God’s defined line of demarcation. On one side of baptism is spiritual darkness, condemnation, and death; on the other side is salvation, the body of Christ, and eternal life. God has set this boundary, and no human authority can alter it.
· Mark 16:15–16 – "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.'"
· Colossians 1:13–14 – "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
· II Thessalonians 1:7–8 – "...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
7. Baptism places us into the BODY of Christ
Baptism is the single scriptural entry point into the body of Christ, which is His church (Ephesians 1:22–23). A person cannot join the Lord’s body through human vote, tradition, or simple desire; God adds the saved to His body the moment they obey Him in the waters of baptism.
· I Corinthians 12:13 – "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."
· Galatians 3:27 – "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
· Ephesians 4:4–5 – "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism..."
You now know the urgent truth about God's plan. The Bible leaves no room for hesitation: meant only for BELIEVERS, coming BEFORE forgiveness, Bible baptism is a BURIAL, serving as the BIRTH of the Christian, granting access to the BLOOD of Christ, is a BOUNDARY for salvation, and it is how you are added to the BODY of Christ. Life is a vapor (James 4:14), and tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Why are you waiting? If you have only been sprinkled, if you were baptized before you truly believed, or if you have postponed obeying the Gospel, your soul remains in extreme peril. Arise, submit to God's holy mandate, and be baptized to wash away your sins today before it is eternally too late! Please reach out to me if you need help getting baptized. I’ll be happy to help.
You are loved.
Ray Reynolds
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