According to Acts 2:38, the next step after repentance is baptism in the name of Jesus. In this chapter, Peter preached, “Be saved from this preserve generation” and three thousand souls gladly received his word and were baptized. By faith, repentance, and baptism, then, the Lord adds to the church those who are being saved (v. 47).
Peter wasn’t the first to speak of baptism, of course. Jesus taught that believers should be baptized. Just before His ascension to heaven, He told the apostles:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and and of the San and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19,20)
The New Testament describes baptism as a burial (Colossians 2:12), an immersion in water to symbolize the inner cleansing that believers receive by faith in the blood of Christ. Baptism publicly identifies the new believer with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Roman 6:3,4).
We must believe in Jesus as Savior and Son of God, then turn from our sins to Christ and obey God’s word. But until we are baptized in water in the name of Jesus, our response to God’s offer of eternal life is not yet complete according to the Scriptures.