Doctor Luke wrote a brief history of the early church, covering about 35 years and detailing some of the acts of some of the apostles.

In his book, Luke tells of the first Pentecost holiday after the ascension of Jesus Christ when the Comforter arrived and enabled Peter and the eleven to speak in unstudied languages to the diverse company assembled in Jerusalem for the feast. He severely convicted them of the crime committed the previous time Jerusalem was so filled—the Passover celebration—and punctuated his remarks by saying, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (2:36).

His audience was cut to its collective heart by these sharp two-edged words and asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (37).

“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’” (38).

The answer was not to do nothing, or that they had already done enough simply by believing what they formerly rejected. The two-fold answer was to repent and be baptized that the fault and consequence of that former rejection might be forgiven.

And more than that, for when Peter wrote on the subject later, he claimed, “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21, NASV).

The believer’s penitent baptism, mixing tears of remorse in sin’s watery grave, is unto the initial forgiveness of sins. He or she is immersed not only in common creek, river or tap water, but more importantly, into the body of Christ itself (Galatians 3:27).

“Or 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” (Romans 6:3-4).

Baptism, however, does not need to be reapplied each time the Christian transgresses. Like Simon the converted sorcerer (Acts 8:13-24), the disciple knows that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9).

Baptism is more than a mere symbol or optional ritual; it is an act of submission and acceptance that brings the believer into and under grace (Romans 6:17). Still, baptism is not a work of merit by which one claims to have earned his salvation. No work or body of achievement is suited to that end, save for the baptism Christ endured upon the cross (Luke 12:50).