The Jailer At Midnight

"Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." 
Acts 2:41 (NIV)

It’s midnight, and Paul and Silas are in prison when an earthquake rocks the foundation. The jailer, thinking his prisoners escaped, prepares to kill himself. But Paul stops him: "Don't harm yourself! We're all here!"

Trembling, the jailer falls before them and asks the question that echoes through eternity: "What must I do to be saved?" Their answer is simple: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." And the moment he believes, he gets baptized. That same hour. At midnight.

The pattern you'll find everywhere in the New Testament is belief first, then baptism. Always in that order. Never the other way around. There's only one kind of baptism found in Scripture, and that’s the believer's baptism. You'll never find one infant being baptized in the entire New Testament. Not one example of baptism before belief.

Think about it: how can you declare your faith in Jesus if you don't have faith in Jesus yet? Baptism is the way you publicly express to other believers, non-believers, and the watching world that you've become a follower of Christ.

When you believe, your next step isn't waiting or wondering, it's getting baptized. If you've been putting this off, stop making excuses. The jailer didn't wait for morning, and you don't need to wait for the 'perfect time' either. Just like that jailer at midnight, belief and baptism go together.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your Word, teaching, correcting, and training me in righteousness. I have put my trust in You, Lord. Give me the boldness to publicly declare my faith through baptism. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.