耶稣基督的教会是在耶稣复活以后的第五十天建立的。教会被建立的第一天就有三千多人成为基督徒。基督教会的建立和开始，被一位耶稣的门徒，名叫路加，记载在〈使徒行传〉里。〈使徒行传〉是《圣经》里的一卷书。路加在“使徒行传”第二章记载教会的建立。当天的过程包括众人聆听诸位使徒讲论耶稣基督的福音，尤其是使徒彼得的教训和劝勉。
彼得的口才很好，让听众明白，五十天之前，他们钉十字架的那位就是上帝的儿子，就是他们多年所期待的弥赛亚。耶稣既是无罪的行善者，他又是人类救世主。彼得不但说服听众耶稣从坟墓里复活了，他还使得他们承认自己犯了罪。
因此，听众问彼得说，“我们怎么办呢？”（普通话本）。彼得回答说：“你们个人要悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦，就必领受所赐的圣灵”（使徒行传2:38）。
朋友，对基督教来说，彼得所讲的这句话，非常重要。今天不跟您讲别的，只要解释一下这句话所告诉我们有关“洗礼”的意义。彼得告诉听众他们要“奉耶稣基督的名受洗。”彼得清楚地告诉听众说，悔改是洗礼的先决条件。彼得又说，洗礼所产生的结果有两个：
第一， 洗礼“叫你们的罪得赦，”
第二， 受洗时“就必领受所赐的圣灵。”
张三的罪得到赦免完全依靠神的恩典和耶稣的宝血。人不能拯救人；只有神才能拯救人。
但是在这里彼得说明张三怎么样让神的恩典透过耶稣的宝血拯救张三。彼得说，一，“你们个人要悔改，”二，要“受洗。”当受洗的时候，一，“罪得赦，”二，“领受所赐的圣灵。”（两取两得。）
朋友，现在您知道为什么基督徒那样重视洗礼。虔诚的基督徒回想他受洗的日子，就知道那是神赦免他的罪的日子，也是他领受圣灵的日子。基督徒因此而感到很快乐。
我请您参与他们的快乐，好吗？我请您信仰耶稣基督，而接受使徒彼得的话，“悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦，就必领受所赐的圣灵。”
【洗礼】六：两举两得
“Baptism” 06: Two Actions, Two Results
作者：谢德华 ©By Edward Short
Two Actions, Two Results
Acts 2:38
The church of Jesus Christ was established fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus. On the very first day of the existence of the church, more than 3,000 people became Christians. The establishment of the church of Christ was recorded by Luke, a disciple of Jesus. This history is written in the second chapter of the book of Acts, one of the books of the New Testament portion of the Bible. As events unfolded that day, the crowd heard the apostles discuss the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the speakers was the apostle Peter who taught and encouraged.
Peter was an excellent speaker, and he enabled those present to understand that the person they had nailed to a cross some fifty days earlier was the Son of God and the Messiah. The Jews had longed for this Messiah for many years. Jesus not only was a sinless man who went from place to place doing good things, he was also the Savior of mankind. Peter not only convinced the crowd that Jesus was raised from the grave, he also persuaded them that they had committed sin.
In reaction to Peter’s message, the audience responded with the question, “What shall we do?” Peter replied, “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” [Acts 2:38, NIV].
As far as Christianity is concerned, these words spoken by Peter are very important. My purpose in this brief study is simply to explain what Peter said regarding the meaning of baptism. Peter told his audience that they should “be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ.” Peter indicated that baptism must be preceded by repentance, and that baptism produces two results:
1) Baptism is “for the forgiveness of your sins” and
2) When a person is baptized he “will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
A person cannot receive forgiveness of sins except by God’s grace and through the blood of Jesus. Man cannot save himself; only God can save man.
In this Scripture, however, Peter explains clearly how God’s grace is extended through the blood of Jesus to save us. Peter says, 1) “Repent . . . every one of you,” and 2) “be baptized, every one of you.” When someone is baptized, 1) it is “for the forgiveness of your sins,” and 2) “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Now you understand why Christians place so much emphasis on baptism. Whenever a sincere Christian thinks back to the day he was baptized, he happily remembers that that was the day when God forgave his sins and he received the Holy Spirit.
I invite you to join in that same joy! I urge you to place your faith in Jesus Christ and accept Peter’s admonition, “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.”