The rite of water baptism served to "make ready a people prepared for the Lord " so that they "might serve Him...in holiness and righteousness " (Lk.1:17,74,75).

The children of Israel could not serve The Lord Jesus in righteousness and holiness as long as they remained living a life that defiled them. Therefore,they were to "repent" (have a change of mind) in regard to the way that they were living.

The baptism of repentance was not for salvation but instead it was for "a people already in the covenant of Abraham and covered by blood sacrifice, e.g. Passover Lamb, etc." (The New Scofield Study Bible," note at Exodus 19:1).

In the Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society David R. Anderson writes: "We are suggesting that John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter had dual ministries. One was to call the nation of Israel back into fellowship with Yahweh. The covenant relationship had long since been established. The nation of Israel did not need a new relationship with God. But they were sorely lacking in fellowship...John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter were all trying to persuade Israel to repentance and turning that would bring them back to a refreshing fellowship with God...Now as a nation they needed to repent and turn (Acts 3:19) in order to have fellowship with God" [emphasis added] (Anderson, "The National Repentance of Israel", Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, Autumn 1998, Volume 11:21).

Being in "fellowship" with the Lord is the same things as "abiding" in Him. The Lord Jesus said that a believer cannot "bear fruit" or effectively serve Him unless one abides in Him:

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (Jn.15:4-5).

In order to be a "people prepared for the Lord" so that they might serve Him the children of Israel were to submit to the rite of water baptism.

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