Baptism
Why get baptized?
Identity
Baptism is an immersion in water that identifies a believer with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3 8). This new person then, by the power of the Spirit, seeks to have the new life of Christ reproduced in his/her life. “All of you who are baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). Baptism brings us into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), not just one local church. We are baptized into Christ, not into a particular church.
Unity
We seek to keep the unity the early church experienced, expressed in Ephesians 4:4, “There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Baptism is a unifying experience, which is experienced in our trusting obedience.
Promises
When combined with faith and repentance, we have promises directly connected to the covenant sign of baptism: forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), washing away of sin (Acts 22:16; Ephesians 5:26), salvation and a clean conscience (1 Peter 3:21).
Assurance
Baptism, when combined with faith and repentance, is a sign of the assurance of our salvation. We can know for certain that we have responded by faith to God’s desires. Jesus offered us a new covenant or “commitment” and we enjoy the blessings of the new covenant made through Christ. “Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).
Obedience
Jesus commanded it as a part of the discipling of everyone: “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). In John 3:3-5, Jesus said that we must have a new birth into God’s family. One cannot enter God’s kingdom “unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” Baptism is not the giver of life, any more than birth gives life. In baptism, one is translated from one kingdom to another. It is a beautiful privilege that every believer ought to welcome.
FAQs
What comes next?
Baptism is the event of our covenantal union with Christ, where we recognize our need for Christ as Savior, and proclaim our commitment to Christ as Lord – so the most important part of baptism is how you plan to reorient your life to follow him. This is both a personal, and communal, activity and we have created Pathways to help determine what your next step could be to know God, grow in God, and go with God.
Interested in being baptized?
Fill out the form below and one of our ministers will connect with you shortly.
"*" indicates required fields