Can you be baptized without repentance?
I've been asked recently, should we baptize "fill in the blank" if they are "fill in the blank." To put it another way, if they don't see the stain of their sin, will the washing machine of baptism get it out?
You hope, but stains usually need instant attention before they set. If you don't apply a stain remover or apply some hot water immediately, it is possible the washing machine will make the stain permanent! Just assuming a wash will take care of problems, can be counter productive. To keep the stain of sin out of our lives, we need to be proactive. How do we apply the "stain stick" to our lives? That is what repentance is for!
Acts 2:38“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repentance comes first. This means if you are living a lie, you must put that lie down before you enter the waters of Baptism. If you holding grudges, you must let them go. If you are stealing, you need to renounce thievery. If you take your sins with you into baptism, you will carry them out!
1 Peter 3:21Baptism, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Repentance is the vital precursor to baptism. It's prepares us for the cleansing power of baptism. Without repentance, baptism lacks the ability to grant us forgiveness of sins and a clear conscience. Repentance and baptism work hand in hand to offer us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let us apply the "stain stick" of repentance before we immerse ourselves in the waters of baptism.