1. Should baptism be delayed?

Mt 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus commanded that people be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that they be taught to obey everything He commanded. Through these words, we can see that there is a clear order in the life of faith. First, we receive baptism. Second, we learn the will of God. Third, we practice what we have learned in our daily lives.

This is like a person who is drowning and someone throws them a rope. In such a desperate moment, there is no time to question whether the rope is strong enough, who threw it, or when it was thrown. The only thing that matters is to grab the rope in order to survive. In the same way, baptism, which is connected to our salvation and life, is not something to delay or condition, but a grace we must hold onto first.

However, many people today think that baptism should be received only after studying the Bible for several months or even years. Yet God emphasized baptism first, and it is the very first step of salvation that must come before anything else.

Baptism can be called the first step toward salvation for the children of God who hope for the Kingdom of Heaven. This is because humans cannot even foresee what will happen tomorrow.

Prov 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

Proverbs 27:1 teaches us not to boast about tomorrow. As we live such uncertain lives, is it really wise to postpone baptism, the sign of salvation, until later?

2. What path should believers follow today?

What should a true believer who follows God do? To follow God means to live in obedience to the will of God. God clearly taught that we should not delay baptism but receive it as soon as we come to understand the truth.

The church that baptizes in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit according to the words of the Bible, and keeps the truth of God’s new covenant as it is, is only the World Mission Society Church of God. Therefore, a true believer should discern where the will of God is found and follow it, rather than following human ideas or traditions.