Who may be Baptized in water?

There are people in the Christian circle, who got baptized in water, without repentance, without understanding the Gospel, and you will not find any fruit of repentance in their life. This kind of Baptism, is not according to the scripture. When a person is ready for water baptism?  Who can be Baptized in water?

There are people who believed in gospel massage and they are convicted in their heart for their sinful life, they repented from their sins and turned to God, they can be baptized in water. Person who has not repented cannot be water baptized.

To enter into God’s kingdom one needs to be born again. New life with Jesus Christ starts with born again experience. Water baptism is a part of born again experience (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:4, Mark 16:16  I Peter 3:21, Acts 22:16). For born again experience one needs to hear the gospel, the Holy Spirit brings the conviction of sin in his heart. The person needs to repent for his sins, he needs to turn away from sin, and turn to God. And then he needs to be baptized and also he needs to be filled with Holy Spirit.

Jesus told his disciples:

Mark 16:15-16 “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned”.

Jesus made it clear he who believes in Gospel message can only be baptized.

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

 Water baptism is an expression of faith in Jesus Christ.  The water baptism follows repentance.

Here we can see people are convicted of Gospel massage and they wanted to turn to God. Peter told them to repent from their sins and then only they can be baptized in water. That day 3000 people repented and baptized in water.

Water Baptism follows only after believe and repentance. Any Baptism, which does not follow this scriptural order, originated due to the tradition of men and these are false water baptism.

Bible describes water baptism as a burial event.

 Romans 6:3-6   do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 

Colossians 2:12-13  buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 

Jesus Christ died for our sins. When a person is convicted in his heart and repents from his sins, the old sinful person in him is crucified – means old sinful person dies. When someone dies we do not keep the body around; we bury it. Water baptism is a burial of old sinful person.

So unless a person dies we cannot bury the person. Unless a person is convicted in his heart and repent from his sins, he cannot be baptized in water.