“Core Essentials: Repentance, Baptism, & Commitment to Christ Lesson by Wes Woodell 12/12/2010 Lake Merced Church of Christ San Francisco, CA www.lakemercedchurch.com

How does a person become a Christian?

Acts 2:38-39 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Acts 26:20b 20b … I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

Baptism Commanded by Jesus Matthew 28:19 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit … Mark 16:15-16 15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Part of the Good News of Jesus Acts 8:12 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Part of the Good News of Jesus Acts 8:35-38 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Part of the Good News of Jesus Acts 16:13 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

Part of the Good News of Jesus Acts 16:14-15a 14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15a When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home.

Part of the Good News of Jesus Acts 16:30-31 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-- you and your household."

Part of the Good News of Jesus Acts 16:32-33 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.

Linked to Forgiveness/Gift of the HS Acts 2:38 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Linked to Forgiveness/Gift of the HS Acts 19:1-2 1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

Linked to Forgiveness/Gift of the HS Acts 19:3-5 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment Romans 6:3-4 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment Romans 6:5-6 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment Romans 6:7-8 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment Romans 6:9-10 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment Romans 6:11 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment Colossians 2:11-12 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment 1 Peter 3:20 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,

Baptism = Lifelong Commitment 1 Peter 3:21 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ …

Acts 22:16 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'