Those who are baptized are responding to the gospel. God has provided all we need for forgiveness, restored relationship, and hope of eternity with Him in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth. Out of His desire for a loving relationship with us, God extends an invitation through the Gospel to respond to His provision in Christ. The biblical responses to the Gospel are:
Faith is belief or trust in Jesus and what he did on the cross to rescue us and in his resurrection, which opened heaven for us. (Romans 10:11-13; Philippians 2:11)
Repentance is acknowledging our personal sin and rebellion and our need to turn to God’s provision. (Romans 3:23; Titus 3:3-7)(repenting – Luke 24:45-47; Acts 3:19; 17:30
Confession is calling on the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior and is often done at our baptism. (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9, 10)
Baptism is being immersed in water. We are baptized into Jesus. We are united with Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection. We are baptized in the name of Jesus and so come under his reign, rule, and ownership. In baptism we die with Jesus, are buried with Jesus, and rise to a new life with Jesus. (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-4)
In the Bible, these four responses to the Gospel were usually done on the same day even the same hour. Faith, repentance, confession, and baptism all converge as our response to the good news of God’s grace in Christ.