Baptism

What is Baptism?

What is Baptism?

Baptism is an outward act of obedience and a symbol that signifies that a person has, in fact, received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. We believe that baptism is a church’s act of affirming and portraying a believer’s union with Christ by immersing him or her in water, and a believer’s act of publicly committing him or herself to Christ and his people, thereby uniting a believer to the church and marking off him or her from the world. Acts 2:37-40 provides an example: When the people heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, they were impacted at a heart level. As a result, they were instructed to repent of their sins and then be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus himself modeled submission to water baptism at the hands of John at the beginning of his public ministry (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34). In the Scriptures, baptism always follows a person’s conversion experience. Though baptism does not “save” a person, it signifies that they have been “saved” and shows their desire to be identified with Christ and affiliated with a local expression of his church.

Why be Baptized?  

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Believers should be baptized because Jesus commanded it, the apostles and the early church practiced it, and it shows that they are a Christ follower. It communicates the Christian’s new association with and commitment to the body of Christ, the Church.

Who should be baptized?  

Baptism is for disciples of Jesus Christ to publicly declare their embrace of the gospel. It is the means by which those who have repented and come to faith express their union with Christ in his death and resurrection by being fully immersed in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is a sign of identification and belonging with Christ, signifying death to the old life of unbelief, purification, and newness of life in Christ.

How should baptism be done?  

Baptism should be performed in the presence of Christian witnesses as a formal entrance into the community of faith. Elders and pastors will often be the ones performing the baptism. We recognize and celebrate the ways God uses people to reach others. We encourage participation by individuals who have played an instrumental role in a new believer coming to faith. We invite these disciples of Jesus to be present at the tank. Baptisms are performed on Sunday mornings in front of our church family. Worship is given in joyous praise of the One who saves. Confessions of sin and professions of faith are publicly proclaimed. God is celebrated as the One who redeems. Jesus is praised as the One who paid the penalty for our sins. The Holy Spirit is exalted as the One who seals and protects us from evil.

Frequently Asked Questions

By God’s grace, we get to celebrate with families that take seriously the call to raise children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). However, Scripture makes it clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Therefore, every person begins life separated from our Holy God by sin, and it is not until God makes them alive together with Christ that they are saved by grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:1-10). While it may be true that you have known about Jesus for as long as you can remember, you don’t truly know Jesus in a saving way through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit until you can receive the gospel and repent and believe (Mark 1:15), and by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, you receive life in his name (John 20:31). Baptism demonstrates that you’ve been changed by God, you identify with the message of Jesus’ atoning sacrificial death and resurrection, and that you get to walk in newness of life because you are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus because of the glorious assurance of future hope we have in eternity with God our prize (Rom. 6:1-11).

We believe the order of belief followed by baptism matters (Mark 16:15-18; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:35-40; Acts 16:31). Therefore, if you were baptized (as an infant or an adult) before you received the gospel and came to faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you should be baptized now that you are a believer.

No. Baptism doesn’t make you a better Christian, wash you clean of your sins, or make you closer to God. Baptism is an outward expression of what is already true in your heart. If you are in Christ, you have already become the righteousness of God because Jesus has paid for your sin and given you his righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). If you are in Christ, you have already been cleansed because only Jesus can make the unclean clean (Matt. 8:3) and by faith the cleanliness you now have is not your own (Acts 15:8-10). Baptism does not make you closer to God. Since the corruption of creation in the garden, people can never do anything to get closer to God because of sin, but rather he moves close to them: the Word became flesh (John 1:14) and he is Immanuel, which means God with us (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). In the New Covenant—established and paid for with the blood of the perfect spotless lamb, Jesus Christ—when you receive faith, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your heart and literally indwells you, and you are his temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17). If you are in Christ, you cannot get any closer to God, but by his grace you will grow in becoming more like Christ as you walk with God (Rom. 6:22).

Interested in being baptized? 

If you are interested in publicly professing your faith in Jesus, click I'm Interested below and we will connect with you about your next step.

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