REPENTANCE
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved"
(Mark 16:16)
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you
in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost."
(Acts 2:38)
Repentance is the first act of faith, and it includes several important elements: recognition of sin, confession of sin,
contrition for sin, and a decision to forsake sin.
In this sense, repentance is a radical transfermation of mind, attitude,
conviction and direction. It is a volutary act of man in response to the call of God. It denotes an active turn, not just
a feeling of regret or an apology. It is more than a moral resolution or reformation; it is a spirtual decision and a spiritual change.
BAPTISM
"3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." ( Romans 6:3-6)
The birth of water occurs when God remits sins at water baptism. Therefore, baptism must be part of the new birth,
for how could
there be a new, spiritual life until the old life of sinis erased? Until sin and its punishment are
washed away there can be no
eternal life in God's kingdom.
Christian baptism is to be administered "in the name of Jesus." This means to invoke the name
Jesus orally at water baptism.
The Book of Acts contains five
examples of baptism in the
name of Jesus, while no biblical account mentions any other name or formula in connection with an actual
baptism. Baptism is
a burial with Christ, an identification with His death and burial
(Romans 6:4;
Colossians 2:12). Only Jesus died and was buried
on our behalf, so baptism is administered in the name of Jesus.