--
Answer: About the midnight
hour --
Acts 16:25-34 shows that it was
around midnight when the Philippian
jailer obeyed the command to be baptized.
Have you ever wondered why he just
didn't wait until the morning? or
some more convenient time? Was not his immediate response to be
baptized -- and at such an inconvenient hour -- simply because he
understood that if he wanted to be saved, baptism was part of that
plan? (and, therefore, a must!)
Yes, Jesus had said that "He that
believeth and is baptized shall be
saved...." (Mk. 16:16); thus, coupling faith and baptism for salvation.
As we read about baptism in the
New Testament, never do we read of
anyone--who truly wanted to be forgiven--postponing his baptism until
some more convenient time. Have you ever wondered about this? I
imagine many were probably baptized during the colder months, too.
We don't read of any of these even
taking the time to eat or sleep
before his or her baptism. Doesn't that in itself tell us something
about the importance of it?
All these people understood that
their sins would not be forgiven until
they met the conditions God Himself had stipulated to become a
Christian; and that is that one hears the word (Rom. 10:17), believes
in the deity of Jesus (Jn. 8:24), repents of sin (Acts 2:38), confesses
faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38), and is baptized in water
for sins to be forgiven (Acts 22:16; Mk. 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).
