Equip

Baptism

When someone makes a decision to follow Jesus, they get baptized as an outward expression of their decision of faith.

Baptism is a step of obedience for a Christian. Baptism should be preceded by repentance, which simply means “change”. It is turning from our sin and selfishness to serve the Lord. It means placing our pride, our past and all of our possessions before the Lord. It is giving control of our lives over to Him.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

Baptism identifies and unites a Christian with Christ. The Bible is clear that baptism is more than just a symbolic gesture, rather we are united with Jesus in His death and resurrection through baptism. You are, by faith, counting Christ’s death as your own. You are depending upon the fact that Jesus’ blood was shed for your own sins.

Baptism is a picture or a symbol representing profound spiritual truths. The water represents a cleansing of our sin as a result of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The immersion under the water represents our own death to our old self, and our rising up from the water represents our becoming a new person with a new life given by Jesus.

“When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised”, but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure – the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were  baptized. And with Him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-12

Water baptism is a public proclamation. Baptism is an outward confession of an inward experience. In baptism, we stand before friends and family confessing our identification with Jesus. A person getting baptized is encouraged to invite their friends and family to come watch them make this proclamation.

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ Acts 22:16

FAQs about Baptism:

Q: “At what age can someone be baptized?”

A: Adults and older children who understand separation from God because of sin are at the age when acceptance of Christ is possible. What age is that? It varies for each child, but perhaps age 7 is a good guess. If we look in the Bible, we see that young children are never seen to “accept Christ.” A child is safe in the arms of God until they can understand how to be saved by accepting Jesus as their Savior (2 Samuel 12:22-23; Matthew 18:10).

Q: “Who is going to baptize me?”

A: If you want someone specific to baptize you (i.e. father, mentor, another pastor, etc.) just let us know! We encourage parents to baptize their children.

Q: “What should I wear to be baptized?”

A: Please dress modestly. Ladies, please wear a dark T-shirt and shorts over your bathing suit. Please bring a towel and a change of clothes if you’ll want to change.

Q: “Will I gain salvation through baptism?”

A: We don’t put our trust in baptism to save us, but in the transformative work of Jesus Christ. People are saved and get to go to heaven by life changing belief that Jesus is the son of God and putting their faith in Him. Baptism alone does not save. However, the decision to walk out your faith in Jesus and baptism are always tied together in the Bible.