BAPTISM FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS
The remission of sins is what every sinner desires when he truly believes in God and has repented of every transgression. Faith and repentence do not bring remission, but they must be had before it can be obtained, for they prepare the sinner for this ordinance. But baptism brings remission, or, in other words, it is through baptism that sins are remitted. To prove this, we may turn to the word of God.
John the Baptist was a servant of God, acting under divine revelation, and we read(Mark i. 4, and Luke iii. 3) that he preached "the baptism of repentence for the remission of sins," in the wilderness and all the country about Jordan. While he was preaching this doctrine, Jesus considering it necessary to fulfil all righteousness, came to him and was baptized, thus acknowledging that John was preaching a correct doctrine and baptizing for the right purpose. Now this has been a matter of sacred history for some eighteen hundred years and who is so blind to truth and lost to reason as to assert that baptism is for anything else than for the remission of sins? The passages quoted are a standing rebuke to all such persons.
Jesus called and ordained men to preach His gospel, but just before He left them He commanded them to tarry at Jerusalem till they were endowed with power from on high. They did so, and when they received this power, they convinced a large multitude that Jesus was the Christ, and when their hearers inquired of them what they should do, Peter replied: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts ii. 38). According to this, the inspired apostles taught that baptism was for the remission of sins, after Christ's ascension into heaven.
Paul saw a vision in which he was told to go to a certain place where it should be told him what to do. He went, and there fasted and prayed three days. Then the Lord sent Ananias to him, who said, "Arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins" (Acts xxii. 16).
Why did not the Lord remit Paul's sins through his fasting and prayer? Because He had established baptism for that purpose, and both small and great must comply if they desire the blessing.
"But," says one, "you astonish me; I was always taught that baptism was an outward sign of an inward grace." That may be, but a true servant of God never taught you so, neither did you learn it from the Bible. You must be baptized and have your sins washed away before you are even prepared for the reception of an "inward grace."
"But," continues the objector, "Peter tells us that baptism 'is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God.'"
Very good! Ananias did not tell Paul to be baptized and wash away the "filth of the flesh," but to "be baptized and wash away his sins." Peter and John, with the rest of God's servants, did not preach baptism for the "putting away of the filth of the flesh," but for the "remission of sins." When a man is baptized according to the Lord's will, he receives a remission of sins and his conscience is void of offense towards God.
Some object to baptism for the remission of sins because infants are "born in sin" and that would include infant baptism. True, the sin of Adam passed upon all mankind; but Christ took away the sin of the world by taking it upon Himself and atoning for the same upon the cross. Therefore, infants are without sin, and "of such are the kingdom of heaven" (Mark x. 14).