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The story of the healing of Naaman is a very remarkable one in scripture. Naaman was the top commander of the Syrian army, a traditional enemy of Israel, and the scriptures say that he had gained his post and prestige by leading the Syrians to many defeats of the Israelites in battle. But despite his power and wealth, Naaman had contracted the dreaded disease of leprosy which in Bible times was an almost guaranteed death sentence. In Israel, if someone contracted leprosy, they became outcasts from society and were forced to live alone well away from the people, lest the infectious disease spread. But in Syria, there were no such laws, and so Naaman continued to live in all of his finery and yet everyday grew worse with a condition that his great wealth could not cure. This story is remarkable in that it ends with this Syrian's healing by the prophet of Israel, Elisha. That God would even turn His ear to hear such a man who had become mighty through the oppression of God's people is a mighty lesson in God's mercy and providence.

The story is also remarkable in how that Naaman found out about the man of God in the first place. His wife had as a slave a young Hebrew girl who had been taken captive on one of Naaman's many raids into Israel. She had every right to be resentful and unhelpful with the information, but despite being kidnapped away from her family and country, and despite being a slave in a foreign land, the little girl willingly volunteered that "oh, I wish that my master was in Israel, because there a prophet of Jehovah God could heal him." Despite all of the injustices that have been done to her, she forgives them and wishes the best for her new master and has not allowed the circumstances to steal her faith in God's power! The fact that the little Hebrew girl would speak up at all is a powerful lesson in forgiveness and faith that we would all do well to file away, because many people in much less circumstances do worse!

The story of Naaman is also remarkable, though, because of how close he came to missing out on his cleansing. We read in our text of how Naaman showed up outside of the prophet's door in his finest chariot and mightiest horses and servants. I don't know what the army commander was expecting: maybe a flaming appearance of a magician or a thunderclap or two. But to his surprise, the man of God didn't even come outside to greet him personally but sent out his servant to give him instructions to obey. The instructions were very simple: "go to the nearby Jordon river and wash in the water seven times and the leprosy would be healed." It didn't cost anything but a little effort and after he had come all of this way, what could be more simple?

But in the face of something so easy, the Syrian general flew into a rage that almost cost him his healing. He said this:

He was saying in effect "I thought that he would at least come and see me personally." "Or come and wave his hand over the spots and call out some incantation or something." "I expected him to assign some elaborate ritual or feat and I was prepared to do it, but just go wash in the muddy, yucky waters of the Jordon?" Wouldn't it be easier and better and make more sense to go wash in the rivers of Damascus?" And he got into his chariot and was about to drive away, turned off that God would ask for obedience in something so simple to understand. But thank God for the servants that, in the rage, dared to speak reason to the Syrian captain! Because the scriptures say:

"Oh master, if the prophet would have commanded you to scale the highest mountain or race the fastest steed or clear the densest forest for your healing would you not have done it?" "If he had prescribed some great formula with hard-to-get or expensive ingredients and elaborate preparation, would you not have unquestionably done it?" "So how much more should you just obey the very simple thing that he has commanded?" And somehow through the rage, the words hit home and the Syrian commander made his way to the Jordon river and submersing himself seven times and upon the seventh time was astonished to find that the leprosy had been washed away and that his skin was as good as new!

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I'm not here today to preach to you about the washing away of natural leprosy, because chances are there is no one here that even knows anyone with such a disease. Modern medicine has found the antidote for such a condition and we no longer live in fear of it. But Bible scholars have long noted that leprosy is presented in such a way in the scriptures as to be a type and representation of sin. Like leprosy, sin works by destroying all sensitivity and feeling in the extremities. Just as leprosy did, sin causes a person to injure themselves unknowingly with their own actions. Like leprosy, sin starts small and gradually becomes the very instrument of death, but in this case sin is the cause of eternal death: separation from God and His presence for forever. And like leprosy, sin is contagious and effects everyone with whom you come in contact.

I'm glad to tell you today that even though medical science cannot wash the soul clean, there is an antidote that God has given! The blood of Jesus Christ can wash away the darkest stains of sin and can make you a new creature today! And like the mercy extended to the evil Naaman, even those who had been enemies of God Almighty can receive forgiveness and this washing away of their sins! God has even given us His Word to instruct us in the simple things that we must do to receive that washing. He even went as far as living the example for us because we are saved from our sins by obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ and according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, that Gospel is the good news of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. We must not only believe the gospel, but according to 1 Thessalonians 1:8, we must obey the Gospel to avoid the death penalty of sin.

It's easy to believe in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, but how do you obey Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection? It's not as hard as you might think and it's presented very simply in scripture. In fact Peter summed it up quite nicely in the second chapter of Acts, verse 38. When the people on the Day of Pentecost asked what they should do about their sins, Peter responded with a three-fold command:

That Peter would command for them to do three simple things is no accident because those three things perfectly correspond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We obey His death, by dying out to our sins in repentance. Repentance is not repeating a sinner's prayer, but is asking God to help you die out to an old way of living and telling God that you want Him to forgive you and create you into a new person in His image. For you to become a new person, the old man must die and that process is called "repentance." You can say "I'm sorry" but until you are willing to let the old self die and embrace all that God has for you in a new life, the "sorrys" haven't done any good. True, genuine repentance is a death process.

And then we find Paul wrote this:

We are buried with Christ, how? In baptism! If our old man has truly died, then we must bury it, but not in a cemetery plot, but in a watery grave of baptism! When you go under the waters of baptism, you are obeying the good news of the burial of Jesus Christ by having a burial of your own.

And don't stop there: Because a death of the old man and the burial do you no good unless you also obey the resurrection into a new creature that Jesus Christ typified. That resurrection is found in receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit just as they did in the book of Acts! The Holy Spirit comes to reprove us of sin and to get us ready to one day fly away and obey Christ's ascension with one of our own! A very simple process. But a very powerful result, because when you just simply obey God's plan, you will find that you stand a new creature and the leprosy of your sinful life is gone!

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Yet many people miss out on their spiritual healing and the washing away of their sins because they neglect the simple commands of scripture. And nowhere is this neglect greater than in the area of water baptism. Repentance, most people obey. Today it seems as if everybody is starting to realize the truth of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that water baptism thing, well -- like Naaman, they balk at such a simple command to get into the water.

We live in a time where 9 out of 10 churches do not teach water baptism an necessary for salvation. Like Naaman, they can think of a hundred different excuses as to why they don't need to be baptized, and yet all of those excuses neglect simple obedience to the Word of God. And so, many people hear the commandment of God that they need for the washing away of their sins, but don't get their spiritual healing because they go off in a huff and refuse to simply obey. Like Naaman, the simple commandment of the Word of God delivered by the servant offends what their traditions has caused them to expect. Let me try to bring you back to what the scriptures say about such a matter.

First of all, it doesn't matter what other churches or the mainstream Christianity says about anything, because the last time I checked you will not be judged according to your obedience to the mainstream but rather against the Word of God. God's not going to one day say "okay, let's see how you did in relation to whatever everyone else believed." No, He will judge you according to whatever His Word has commanded. It doesn't matter if everybody else is saying or doing it, if it goes against the Word of God, then it won't fly in eternity! And the Word of God says that Water Baptism is necessary for salvation.

That's Jesus speaking. Don't water down the commandment of scripture. Don't try to explain it away. Jesus said that those who had believed and been baptized would be the ones saved. Peter joined Him in His message, not only in Acts 2:38, but in the house of Cornelius:

Why would he "order" them to do something that wasn't absolutely necessary? It obviously was necessary and Peter later wrote in his epistle that:

Go back and read the few verses before that and you will find that he was talking about how God used water to wash away the evil from the earth and yet save Noah and his family in the ark at the same time. Literal water was used then and he's talking about literal water here when he says "corresponding to that, baptism now saves you!" Both Peter and Jesus agreed that water baptism is necessary for salvation.

And the Apostle Paul joined in. After his experience on the road to Damascus, God sent Ananias to Paul and we read Ananias' words in our other text:

There are no "ifs, ands, or buts" in that statement. It is a command. It is to the point. There are no "well, it's not really necessary but you might ought to do it." It's emphatic. It's -- dare I say it? -- urgent: "why are you waiting? Get up and be baptized washing away your sins in the name of the Lord." Had Saul/Paul repented? Yes. Had he received the revelation of who Jesus Christ is? Yes. But it was still imperative for him to be baptized in order to "wash away thy sins."

Today, some preachers have started this hogwash about "water baptism being a public showing of your faith after you believe." There are whole congregations and denominations of people that think that you are saved and then you get baptized in water to profess to the public and the church that you have truly been saved. Sounds good doesn't it, except there is the rather big issue that there is no scriptural proof of such a doctrine and, in fact, scripture contradicts it. Water Baptism is not a sign of joining a particular church, nor is it a public confession of your faith. If it's sole purpose was to announce to others that you have really believed, then why do we find Philip in Acts chapter 8, baptizing a Eunuch alone in the middle of the desert with nobody else attending? If the water baptism was just to announce to the church that he had truly believed, then why didn't they go back to Jerusalem? How could being baptized by yourself be valid? If being baptized is for the purpose of a public showing of your salvation, then why did Paul and Silas baptize the jailer and all of his house in the wee hours of the morning with nobody else around, and if it weren't really necessary, then why bother placing their wounded bodies into the water at all to baptize them?

The reason is that water baptism is more than just a public showing of your faith. Peter said in the scripture we read in Acts 2:38 that they were "to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins." The KJV has "remission" there but in the Greek it is the same word that everywhere else is translated forgiveness. Getting true forgiveness involves both repentance and water baptism and our text in Acts 22:16 shows why:

When you are baptized, you are "washing away your sins." It didn't say that it was to show outwardly something that had already happened at repentance, but that it was for the "washing away of sins." If water baptism is what brings the washing away of sins, then without water baptism, are your sins truly washed away? There is more at stake here than just a public showing of something that has already taken place because the Bible teaches over and over that only the blood of the precious Lamb of God can take away sins. Therefore, if water baptism is the simple act of obedience that brings the washing away of your sins, then you should be aware it is the simple act of obedience that applies the blood of Jesus Christ to your life. Without that blood applied, there is no hope for you because your sins linger on. There's more at stake here than just public confessions!

I've heard people go to 1 John and quote this scripture as a proof that they don't need to be baptized in water:

This is a good scripture but it is not written to people coming to God for the first time, but is being written to people already in the Apostolic church and who have already been baptized. If you go to the second chapter verse 7, you will find that John says that he is not writing them anything that they have not heard preached many times before. He is writing to mature Christians who had been living for God for awhile. They had already been baptized, so to get cleansed for sins that they had committed since, they repented and Jesus Christ was faithful, but this is to people who had already had their past sins forgiven and washed away through water baptism. 1 John was written almost seventy years after Pentecost. There were older saints now who had lived for God all of their life. You can't skip ahead to the church and neglect the very process by which they entered the church!

The issue, Naaman, is why you can't just obey the simple commandment to go to the water. Why can't you just obey the simple instructions from the Word of the Lord? Why do you have to construct elaborate schemes and loopholes to avoid what is set forth simply in scripture? He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Baptism doth now save us. Here the words of Ananias today: "why are you waiting around, get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away!"

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Be wary of doctrines of men that explain away the necessity to obey the scriptures literally. Such was the error of the Pharisees and such was why Jesus ripped them and called them hypocrites and "children of hell." Jesus told them in one account:

In other words, He was saying "you set aside and avoid the simple commandments of God to hold on to your tradition, thus invalidating the Word of God." Like Naaman, they would rather hold on to what they think should be required, instead of simply heading to the water like the Word of the Lord has commanded. Jesus repeatedly warned the disciples against the logic and teachings of the Pharisees, and so I repeat to you: beware of people who use great examples and reasoning to reason themselves out of simple obedience to the Word of God.

One such reasoning that people use is "well we are saved by grace and not of works." You are exactly right, but you would do well to return to that scripture and be reminded of what it exactly says:

"By grace you have been saved through faith." People forget that "through faith" part. Noah "found grace in the sight of God" but if he hadn't have obeyed what God had told him to do, and built the ark, he wouldn't have been saved. And so Hebrews 11:7 says that Noah was saved "by faith."

Hear this preacher: we are not saved by works. That means that we do not do a set of things that we think is right to earn our way to heaven. There are some religions that teach by quoting things a certain way each time or participating in this ceremony or doing that, that they will be saved, but if things are the inventions of men, then they are worthless. But water baptism is not a work because water baptism is not an invention of man for his salvation, but is rather a commandment of God. It was a God idea, therefore it is a decision between either obedience or disobedience. If Naaman had gone to the man of God and said "I'm going to wash myself in the Jordon and then you will heal my leprosy, then it would have been a work of man to try to heal himself. But it was not Naaman's idea, but God's: therefore it is not a work but an act of obedience!

I've heard people who have said "water baptism is a work because it is an action that someone is doing, and we are not saved by works." To which I immediately always ask "what must I do, then to be saved." And the answer is usually "confess the Lord Jesus Christ with your mouth" or "repent." Hypocrite! Is not confessing the Lord Jesus Christ an action? Is not repentance an action? What you are saying then is that you, not the Bible, has the right to define what is obedience and what is not. But Water Baptism is not a work because man did not originate it: it was a God breathed plan of salvation. It was God commanded. When I am baptized I am simply obeying what the Word of God has said that I need to do for the washing away of my sins.

How many people who denounce water baptism as unnecessary for salvation lead people in a "sinners' prayer" for their salvation? Where is that in the Bible? I've read the scriptures through five going on six times in four going on five different versions and have never come across it. The concept of leading people in a sinner's prayer is a man idea for salvation, therefore it is a work. Water Baptism was taught by a man who was more than a man: Jesus Christ. Which one is just simple obedience to God's word?

And since I'm here don't give me some long drawn out story about God making exceptions for people on their deathbeds. Even if there were exceptions, you are not it because you are here in health enough to come to church. You got up this morning and turned the faucet on and got wet for cleanness sake, so if you reject the truth of the Word of God, you have no excuse. The scriptures say in Titus 3:5 that "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men" so if someone is on a deathbed unable to be baptized in their weakened state then understand that somewhere in their lifetime, they had the opportunity to obey it and rejected it. Let God deal with the extreme cases and understand that you are not in such a case. What's to stop you from simply obeying the simple command of the Word of the Lord!

And while we are here, don't give me the other foolishness about the thief on the cross not being baptized. Hebrews 9:8 says that the new covenant was not in effect until the death of Jesus Christ and that a new covenant can only be made by someone living. Therefore until Jesus died and rose again, the Laws of Moses was still in effect. Under Law, the thief needed a high priest and a sacrificial, spotless lamb to be offered for his sin to be saved and the Bible says that Jesus Christ was both our High Priest, and the spotless Lamb of God! The thief was saved under Law. But you are not under Law. The day of Grace has dawned and God has reached out and saved you. The commandment to be baptized is in your ear from His Word and there is nothing delaying you but your neglect. It's a simple commandment, Naaman, just get in the water!

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Acts 4:12 says that there is no other name given among men that we are saved by except the name of Jesus. Paul wrote the church in Colossians 3:17, that "whatsoever you do in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." People often quote Matthew 28:19 and miss the point of Matthew 28:19. Jesus told His disciples:

Baptism must have been important, for Him to command His disciples to teach it and perform it! Most people who do baptize miss the point of what Jesus was saying. They quote the words here and when they baptize "in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." The word "name" is singular. There is only one name just as Acts 4:12 said. "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" are titles not names and therefore we must ask ourselves "what is the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit?" All you have to do is read on to find the disciples baptizing somebody and you will find out that they knew that name. In Acts 2:38, Peter commanded the crowd to be "baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." In Acts 8:16, Philip baptized the Samaritans "in the name of Jesus." We've already read of how Peter ordered Cornelius' house to be "baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" in Acts 10:48. What we haven't had time to cover is the Apostle Paul meeting with the disciples of John in the first six verses of Acts chapter 19 and they had been baptized but not in the name of Jesus and so Paul rebaptized them in the "name of the Lord Jesus Christ." It was that important. We read in our text how that Paul, Himself was baptized in the name of the Lord. In fact, in all of the New Testament and in Church History until three hundred years after the time of Christ, you find people ONLY being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Either the disciples understood what the one name of Matthew 28:19 is or else nobody in the New Testament church was saved because they NEVER baptized using a "titles formula."

Furthermore, until the Catholic church invented half a millennia after the time of Christ, infants were never baptized. Because you must "believe and be baptized" you must be old enough to believe for yourself or you baptism had no effect. Furthermore, until the Catholic church invented infant baptism, nobody was ever sprinkled and the Greek word for baptism in the New Testament is baptizo which means to fully immerse. If you want to follow man's ideas and works that men have invented, then there are many to choose from, but if you just want to obey the simple commandment found in scripture, there is only way to go: get baptized by full immersion in the name of Jesus Christ after you have believed. When you do the blood of Jesus Christ washes your sins away. It's simple, but oh, how it is neglected!

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In Matthew 22, Jesus tells the parable of a king who threw a wedding feast for his son. As the king walked through the festival, the scriptures say:

In those days, the wedding garment was provided with the invitation. The man was invited, and had the wedding garment available to just put on. It was very simple, but the man had neglected to put on his wedding garment! And so he was forever removed from the wedding feast.

Jesus said that parable was "like the kingdom of heaven." You cannot study scripture and not notice the haunting similarities between that parable and the celebration in heaven that the saved will attend called the "Marriage supper of Lamb." In Revelation 7:14, John saw those who made it to that celebration and they wore "white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb." If water baptism is what washes away our sins, then understand that it is the putting on of a wedding garment in the spirit! It has been provided to all of us and it's very simple to put on, by simply obeying the Word of God.

The parable is "haunting" though because the scriptures tell us that it is the Spirit of God that we receive that is our ticket out of this world and to the feast! Romans 8:11, tells us that if we have the same Spirit within us that raised Christ from the dead, then it will be that Spirit that brings to life our mortal bodies and enables us to go with Him to heaven. If that is true, then does this parable of the man at the feast indicate that someone could have the Holy Ghost, get to the marriage supper, and yet if they were not baptized in the name of Jesus and had neglected to put on the wedding garment yet be cast from God's presence. If it doesn't mean that, then what else could it mean?

I am reminded of the scripture in the book of Hebrews:

Why take the chance? If God had asked for you to do something great and complex, would you not have run willingly to do it? Then why not just obey the simple washing in the water that His Word has commanded you to do!? If you will simply obey, you will find the leprosy of your past sin washed away in the crimson flow of Calvary. But whatever you do, don't neglect something so simple. The words of Ananais ring loud and clear even today: "Why are you waiting around? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord!"