The necessity for baptism was plainly taught by our Saviour and the
Apostles. Comparatively speaking, it stood in the same light to the
kingdom or church of God that the oath of allegiance does to any
temporal government. Jesus stated to Nicodemus that a man could not
enter the kingdom of God without having first obeyed this ordinance.
To become a citizen of an earthly government where a person is not born
so, a man is required to subscribed to a certain prescribed oath. To
become a citizen of the government of God requires that a person must
be baptized in water, in obedience to the command of the Great Head of
the government, and the laws of the kingdom as they are found in the
Bible, the book of commandments for the Church of Christ.
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is _baptized_, shall be saved:" (_Mark xvi._,
15, 16). "Verily, I say unto thee, except a man be _born of water_
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (_John,
iii._, 5). "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, _baptizing_
them in the name {288} of the Father, and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost" (_Matt. xxviii._, 19). "Repent, and be _baptized, every
one_ of you" (_Acts ii._, 38).
Its form _should be by immersion_. "Buried with Him in baptism,
wherein also ye are risen with Him through faith" (_Col. ii._, 12.)
"Were all baptized of Him in the River of Jordan" (_Matt. iii._, 6;
_Mark i._, 5-9). "Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway
out of the water" (_Matt. iii._, 16; _Mark i._, 10). "John also
was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water
there" (_John iii._, 23). "And as they went on their way, they came
unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what
doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest
with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the
chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water,
both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were
come up out of the water" (_Acts viii._, 36-39).
ITS OBJECT.-"John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the
baptism of repentance for the _remission of sins_" (_Mark i._, 4).
"And he came into the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism
of repentance for the _remission of sins_" (_Luke iii._, 3 ). "Then
Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the _remission of sins_" (_Acts
ii._, 38). "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins" (_Acts
xxii._, 16).