It was Sunday afternoon. The phone rang. The voice on the line was that of a man who
had been a member of this church in times past. He now lives in another city, but had returned to
Little Rock for a visit.
"I want to talk to you about my baptism," he said. (I assumed that through the years he
had learned more about baptism and thus was beginning to question whether his knowledge had
been sufficient at the time he was immersed into Christ). "I suppose you are questioning your
baptism because you now know more about the subject than you did when you were baptized?"
"'No. I'm questioning my repentance. For some time now, I have been making a study of the
kingdom of God, and I see that repentance is always linked to entering the kingdom. I don't think
I ever repented. When I was baptized, I didn't change my life. I kept on doing all of the things I
had done before."
I wonder how many people think that there is something magical in baptism. In truth,
baptism—done by rote —is meaningless. Repentance and baptism go together like love and
marriage, or a horse and carriage. One without the other isn't sufficient.
It is the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Peter is addressing those who have crucified the
Lord and Christ. What will he tell them? In answer to their cry, "Brethren, what shall we do?"
Peter says, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you ... " (Acts 2:38). Repentance and baptism!
They go together and must not be separated.
John the Baptist knew that mere washing without repentance would avail nothing. In fact,
he even refused baptism to a group of religious leaders who requested it (a rather bold thing for
any preacher to do). Instead of baptizing them, he said, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to
flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit that befits repentance ... " (Matthew 3:7, 8).
In the words of John Stott, "The faith which receives Christ must be accompanied by the
repentance which rejects sins."
What is baptism but a mere washing away of the filth of the flesh unless it is
accompanied by repentance? I will tell you. It is nothing.

John Gipson
Windsong church of Christ, Little Rock, AR
via Preacher Stuff, Harding University