"(19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
1. Baptism is a command from the Lord Jesus Christ. The command is to make disciples ("...and teach all nations..."). And one cannot be a true disciple without submitting to the ordinance of baptism. But for the fact that Christ commanded baptism, we would have no reason to observe baptism. Our Lord taught and exemplified this Himself (see Matt. 3:16). Ultimately, we who name the name of Christ (Christians) ought to be baptized. We want to be obedient to His commands. He desires it for us, and we, as His followers, obey.
2. Baptism presupposes obedience which is key to discipleship. The Lord commanded us to go and make disciples, within that command are two sets of directives. The first, starts with baptism, the second is further instruction in observing all things that the Lord Jesus has commanded us to do ("...teaching them to observe all things..."). The key ingredient in discipleship is obedience. One cannot disciple a disobedient person.
3. Baptism declares faith and identification with the Triune God. We align ourselves with a Biblical doctrine that we readily confess is mysterious and genuinely incomprehensible by carnal reasoning. In Baptism, we acknowledge that God is God, and we are merely flesh. God is who He reveals Himself in the Bible. He is Triune. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons, yet one essence (i.e. Divine). Our baptism is a confession of Trinitarian doctrine. What's more, we recognize Him to be infinitely higher than us, and worthy of praise. God deserves our obedience.
