Why Do You Delay?

The commands of Jesus point to it. The sermons the apostles preached include it. The letters they wrote affirm it. The conversions in the book of Acts demonstrate it. The one time “faith alone” appears in Scripture, it says “not by faith alone.” The one time an apostle directly addresses whether baptism saves, he says, “Baptism now saves you.”

Is baptism really necessary?

Scripture says it is.

And Ananias, when he came to a man who had already seen the risen Lord, who had already believed, who had already fasted and prayed for three days, Ananias did not say, “You are already saved.” He said:

“Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”

Acts 22:16

The question is not whether baptism is necessary. The question is the one Ananias asked two thousand years ago:

Why do you delay?