2. Why Were You Baptized? Prepared by Chris Reeves * Centralia church of Christ Gospel Meeting * October 26, 2015

3.  Have you been scripturally baptized?  Many will answer “Yes” without giving careful consideration to what the Bible teaches about baptism  Others will give a candid response concerning their conversion and then try to change it after hearing the truth

4.  More and more Churches of Christ are accepting members with denominational baptism in order to build their attendance  Some brethren are teaching that it is not necessary for one to understand the purpose of baptism in order for his baptism to be valid

5.  The purpose and intent of something does make a difference; it is important; purpose matters!  We give consideration to purpose and intent with regard to killing: murder (1 st and 2 nd degree), manslaughter (accidental), and justifiable homicide (self-defense)

6.  Killing animals: for worship or for food (Deut. 12:13-15)  Sexual relations: for marriage (Mt. 19:4-6) or for gratification (1 Cor. 6:18)  Circumcision: for influence (Acts 16:3) or for salvation (Gal. 2:5; Acts 15:1,5)

7.  Meats: for food (Rom. 14:2) or for idol worship (1 Cor. 8:10; 10:27-28)  Days: for conscience (Rom. 14:5) or for salvation (Col. 2:16-23)  Lord’s supper: for a memorial or for hunger (1 Cor. 11:19-24)

8.  Abstinance: for personal preference (1 Cor. 7:7-8) or for man-made religion (1 Tim. 4:3)  Baptism: for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) or for

9.  Purpose matters! Purpose makes a difference!  When the purpose of an act changes, the consequence of that act changes  Is purpose important in baptism? For what purpose were you baptized?

10.  Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, baptize infants for original sin  Baptists, etc., baptize for church membership  Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., baptize for an outward sign of an inward grace

11.  J.W.s baptize for dedication of service  Mormons baptize for the dead

12.  John’s baptism had one purpose: to prepare Israel (Acts 13:34; 19:4)  The baptism of Jesus had another purpose: to fulfill all righteousness (Mt. 3:15)  The baptism of the great commission has another purpose: saves (Mk. 16:16)

13.  Baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)  Baptism washes away sins (Acts 22:16)  Baptism puts one “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:26-27; “into one body”, 1 Cor. 12:13)

14.  Baptism separates (cutting off, putting off) one from sin (Col. 2:11-13)  Baptism saves (1 Pet. 3:21)

15. The BibleDenominations  Remission-sins  Washed away  Into Christ  Separation  To be saved  Already remitted  Already washed  Already in Christ  Already separate  Already saved

16.  If one does not have to understand the purpose of baptism, why is the purpose even stated in Scripture? (Acts 2:28)  If being baptized to “obey God” is sufficient, why was the baptism of the Ephesians invalid? (Acts 19:1-5)

17.  If understanding the purpose of baptism is not important, what other things, like the L.S., does a person not need to understand? (1 Cor. 11:29)  If one does not need to know the purpose of baptism, what else does he not need to know, period? (1 Tim. 2:4)