We do not put the cart before the horse and nor should we place baptism before repentance. My ESV commentary states the following about the verse I am studying this morning: “Repentance had to precede baptism, and thus baptism was not the means by which sins were forgiven but rather was a sign indicating that one had truly repented.”
“4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” — Mark 1:4 (ESV)
As I review this verse and the passage, I am reminded that baptism is not that which saves. It is the repentance of and the forgiveness of sin from God and our acceptance of His salvation that does it. Baptism is just an outward sign to all that the other has taken place.
Baptism is a very personal and public thing and it should be taken seriously. It is personal in that it is a representation of the new relationship with Christ and it is public in that it shows the world that relationship exists. Before baptism, the repentance must take place and that is why I am very much a proponent of a discussion with a brother or sister in Christ before the act of baptism. This is not to find a reason to stop baptism, but more to confirm that the order of things are correct for the individual. They need to be fully aware that there are no powers in the water and that the act of baptism is not what gets it done. It is a demonstration of the repentance that has occurred and the relationship that has been cultivated.
What reasons are you aware of for baptism? Are/did you get baptized in hopes that something in you would change? What if you worked to be repentant and developed a relationship with Christ and simply allowed your baptism to show it?
Trevor's Thoughts 