Baptism

C. Taking Baptism is not obeying God
The often heard phrase from those who take a second baptism is that they are
obeying Jesus. However look at the verse that we quote for that:
Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..
The command to baptize was given to the disciples who were to go and
preach the gospel to all creation. It was never given to the believer. The
command was not to be baptized, but to baptize. The evangelist or the pastor
who baptize people are obeying God. But those who receive baptism is not
obeying God. At best they are giving the pastor a chance to obey God. The
reason for this will be apparent only when we understand what baptism means
viz. a process of making disciples. The command simply was to initiate the
teaching process so that they may be taught. The phrase is “baptizing and
making them disciples” or “make disciples,….. baptizing them”. Otherwise
we will be taking the teaching out of its context and making it into a ritual. It
is this process of ritualizing that makes the rituals meaningless. Nay it ends
up as a deterent to real realization of Christ. Thus baptism can becomes an
idol that we serve rather than a means of christian growth.
82