And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water, and the eunuch said, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? Acts 8:36
A good many years ago, as two preachers were making their way to a conference, they stopped at a convenient service station to fill their gas tank. While the attendant (I told you this was a long time ago!) was filling the tank, the two preachers were watching a young man beside the garage who was washing a car. The man was spraying the vehicle and the water was running around his feet, getting his shoes wet. One of the preachers remarked to the young man that he must not mind getting his feet wet. To which the man replied, ‘A good Baptist isn’t afraid of a little water!’ Well, maybe good Baptists aren’t afraid of water, but it seems to me that there are a good many who attend our Assembly meetings who are.
We all know them, don’t we? The folks who profess to be saved, and who attend meetings fairly regularly, who attend conferences and seem to be comfortable around Assembly Christians. But they’ve never obeyed the Lord in baptism. They bear no resemblance to the Ethiopian eunuch to whom Philip the Evangelist was speaking. As soon as this man trusted Christ, he was ready for the first step of obedience. Why does it take months, or even years, for some folks today to get around to this vital step in their Christian testimony and pathway? May I suggest a few possibilities?
Perhaps the unbaptized is still unconverted. After all, someone who appreciates all that the Saviour has done for them would surely want to do something to show appreciation. Maybe these folks need more Gospel. Another possibility is the lack of teaching and emphasis in the Assembly on the importance and need for baptism. If a person doesn’t hear from the Word that baptism is crucial to a Christian’s progress in the things of God, that person might never understand the urgency. Another possibility is that children who are saved are discouraged from taking the step of baptism until they are older and ‘understand more’ about baptism. I personally feel this is very wrong. If a child who shows clear evidence of being saved expresses an interest in baptism, we should not hold that child back. Otherwise, that child will drift on into their teens being comfortable with the status quo. Another possibility is the lack of a good testimony on the part of those who are baptized. Poor testimonies can put a great damper on the zeal of others.
So whose fault is it that there are too many unbaptized believers among us? What doth hinder them? I think we all need to share the blame, and share the responsibility for the remedy. -Jim MacIntosh