“Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.’ But Naaman was furious and went away and said, ‘Behold, I thought, “He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.” Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage” (2 Kings 5:10-12). Afterward, Naaman’s servants convinced him to do what the prophet told him to do (2 Kings 5:13). When he did it, he was healed (2 Kings 5:14). Unfortunately, many today are like Naaman. Though they are afflicted with a fatal disease – sin (Romans 3:23; 6:23) – they reject God’s remedy because it is not what they thought. How do we become cleansed of our sins? Consider the example of the Jews on the day of Pentecost. They did not presume to know the answer. Instead they asked, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Many today presume that they can be cleansed of their sin and become a Christian by faith alone, by praying a “sinner’s prayer,” by just being a good person, etc. But the Jews on Pentecost did not make such assumptions. So what were they told to do? “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Though many in the denominational word either ignore or minimize the importance of baptism, the Scriptures teach that baptism precedes forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), provides us with salvation (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21), and puts us into Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). Rather than presuming to know what to do to be saved, we should simply do what the Scriptures teach. –Andy Sochor
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