It is a fundamental Scriptural principle that God regards obedience to His commands and ordinances as more important than any other manifestation of love or respect for Him. He says through the prophet Samuel, in rebuke of Saul who sought to please the Lord other than how He had commanded: "...Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (1 Sam. 15:22)

And through Jeremiah regarding Israel, God said (Jer. 7:23): "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

And in the words of Jesus: "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46); "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)

John declares (1 John 2:4): He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

And finally Solomon: "... Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc. 12:13)

Obviously then our course is clear. We must humbly learn what God desires and requires, and we must earnestly try to obey. The first point, then, has been Scripturally substantiated. It is difficult to conceive how anyone who professes to be a Christian would feel secure in ignoring any of God's commands, particularly one so clear and unmistakable and so fraught with significance as we shall see baptism to be.

Yet the whole "Christian" world, almost without exception regards Scriptural baptism with amused contempt, and has substituted for it the unscriptural and meaningless manmade ritual of sprinkling unconscious babes. How can they hope to please God with such a flagrant disregard for the sanctity of His ordinances?