IF YOU BELIEVE
Acts 8:35-40 NKJV
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"
37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may."
And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
The Book of Acts is an action-packed account of the early church. The book is titled The Acts of the Apostles. A more accurate title would be The Acts of the Holy Spirit. Our verses for today are about Philip, who was not an apostle but one of the original food distribution guys from Acts chapter six. God used Philip in a mighty way.
Philip had gone to Samaria and was leading a full-fledged revival. Multitudes of people were receiving Christ as Savior and being baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then, an angel spoke to Philip, telling him to go to a certain desert road that led to Gaza. On that road, Philip met up with a high-ranking official from Ethiopia and was able to connect with him over the scriptures. It's a wild story. So, Philip is able to speak to this Ethiopian official who had a real hunger for God. The man from Ethiopia was a Jewish proselyte and also the treasurer of the nation.
Philip preached Jesus to this man. By the way, Philip is later called Philip the Evangelist. An evangelist is a ministry office similar to a pastor or prophet. The evangelist ministry is usually very effective in reaching people for Christ. Billy Graham was a great example of a modern evangelist. After Philip proclaimed Jesus and explained the scriptures in light of the risen Christ, the Ethiopian, upon finding water, asked what hindered him from being baptized. Philip's answer is helpful for people wanting to be baptized.
"If you believe with all your heart, you may." And here is my main point. Baptism follows salvation. Baptism is not salvation but an outward response to an inward change. Too often, people have made baptism the key event in a believer's life. No doubt baptism is important, but baptism reflects the salvation that has already taken place. When Philip was questioned about baptism, his answer showed that believing in Jesus as the Son of God who gave His life for the world is the most important action. After the Ethiopian professed his faith in Christ, Philip baptized him.
After Philip baptized the official, the Holy Spirit caught Philip away. Not only did he disappear, but he was taken to a town called Azotus. This was supernatural transporting that occurred way before 'Beam Me Up Scotty' was ever conceived. And this really happened.
APPLICATION
Never fret about the friends and loved ones who receive Christ and die before being baptized. Baptism is a great witness to the world that a person has identified with Christ. But believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior is where a person is made a new creation. Baptism is important. Baptism is an act of obedience and a marker in your life that you'll never forget. If you have believed in Jesus as your Savior but have never been baptized, by all means, do so. If you believe, then nothing hinders you from being baptized.