“You saved others, but you can’t save yourself?!” The crowd gathered, violently shaking their fists at the cross, shouting, “If you’re really the Messiah of God, the Chosen One, the King of the Jews, then prove it!” 

Blood trickling down his wilted head, Jesus of Nazareth, from the deepest part of his soul, interceded, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” 

On either side of him hung two criminals. From one came a guttural laugh, laced with bitter sarcasm, “C’mon, Mr. Christ! You heard ‘em. Save yourself! And while you’re at it, save us too!”

But the other, recognizing his sin, spoke up against him, “Do you have any fear of God? We deserve this death, but this man has done nothing wrong!” 

Then, turning his attention to Jesus, eyes filled with tears, he pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Summoning the last of his strength, Jesus turned his head and replied, “I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

(My Dramatization of Luke 23:32-43).

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Last week was Pentecost Sunday, and many people around the world, including two young men at our house church in Oceanside, chose to be baptized and commit their lives to following Jesus. Often, baptism is taught simply as “an outward sign of an inward change.” However, I believe it is much more than just a sign and actually plays a transformative and integral part in our salvation. When I teach about baptism, I like to reference the story of the thief on the cross because many people use this scripture to argue that baptism is not essential for salvation, as I’ve frequently heard the question, “What about the thief on the cross? He wasn’t baptized and still went to heaven.”

But have you ever considered that what happened to the thief on the cross is a perfect picture of what happens to us in water baptism? Let’s take a closer look.

First, consider Jesus’s heart. Romans 5:8 tells us that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus’s intercessory prayer on the cross—a plea to the Father to forgive those who crucified Him—extends to us as well. His Spirit now convicts us, enabling us to “know what we’ve done,” and that our sin… MY SIN…  is why Jesus died.

Second, I want you to see the response of the repentant thief. He is essentially shocked, declaring, ‘This man is innocent; I am guilty! We deserve death, but he does not!’ His words reflect Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians 5:21: ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ The thief repents for his sinful past and places his faith in Jesus, astonishingly saying to a man dying alongside him on a cross, ‘I know that you are about to enter your kingdom; please remember me when you get there.’ What incredible faith, leading to an even greater promise: paradise with Jesus. 

If you’re struggling to see how this relates to water baptism, let’s take a quick look at Romans 6:3-11:

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died, he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

The promise of paradise and new life, the Kingdom of God, is not only a concept for the afterlife; it is also deeply experienced after baptism. In the water, our ‘old self’—our sinful nature—is crucified with Jesus and is meant to stay submerged and ‘buried.’ The sin that once held us captive loses its grip entirely. When we rise from the water, we emerge as new creations with our consciences cleansed (1 Peter 3:21), liberated from the power of sin that leads to death.

Am I suggesting you’ll never sin after baptism? I can’t claim that, but I do believe, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you will be given every grace to be set free from sin’s controlling power. Therefore, baptism is more than a mere symbol; something truly transformative happens! Like the repentant thief, we die with Jesus and rise into a paradise marked by an eternally restored relationship with God. This transformation is sealed by covenantal love and the declaration of the Father: “You are my son; you are my daughter, whom I love, and with whom I am well pleased.”

For those who have been running away from Christ after being baptized or who find themselves trapped in habitual sin that feels inescapable, it’s important to remember that you are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. You need to take action based on what the Holy Spirit is convicting you of in order to break free from these patterns of sin. This might mean getting rid of certain possessions, distancing yourself from particular friends, or confessing your sins to a trusted brother or sister in Christ. Having someone pray with you for healing and deliverance can be powerful (James 5:16). Remember, you’ve been baptized into a family; you don’t have to face these struggles alone. Come back home, brother! Come back home, sister!

My encouragement to those who have been baptized is to live out your baptism every single day. Be baptized (submerged, immersed) in the Holy Spirit every day. For those who have been procrastinating, please, don’t wait until you’re on your deathbed! I know some might ask, “Okay, Mitch, what about the man on his deathbed who gives his life to Christ at the last moment but cannot be water baptized? Is that man saved?”

Who am I to say no? That man will be dealt with by Jesus Christ himself. However, I urge YOU to get baptized! If you’re reading this, you have the time! Stop merely “dating” Jesus and commit to Him fully! Go get baptized! That’s faith in action! 

In case you’re interested in more about what the Bible says about Baptism:

• Baptism is both Jesus-modeled (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and John 1:32-34) and Jesus-commanded (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20). 
• It is seen throughout the Book of Acts, consistently appearing as an immediate response to hearing and believing the Gospel (Acts 2:37-41, 8:35-38, 9:17-18, 10:44-48, 16:14-15, 16:30-34, 19:1-5). 
• Peter commanded the 3,000 who believed the Gospel: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you” (Acts 2:38). 
• Scripture consistently points to full immersion as the mode (Matthew 3:16, John 3:23, Acts 8:38-39, Romans 6:3-4, and Colossians 2:12). 
• The Greek word for “baptize” is βαπτίζω (baptizo). It means “to dip,” “to immerse,” or “to submerge”. 
• Theologically, it is the replacement of the old covenant of circumcision, applying not to physical babies anymore, but now to spiritual babies who are born again through repentance and faith, who are circumcised in heart (Colossians 2:11-13). 
• There is no mention of a required six-month course on the meaning of baptism!