Because various church denominations handle baptism differently, many people are left with more questions than answers when it comes to the practice of baptism.
Rather than teaching what a specific denomination believes, let’s let the Bible speak for itself as we ask four common questions about baptism and look at how several passages recorded by the early Church address these questions.
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1. What is baptism?
Baptism is going public about your faith in Jesus and showing the world your heartfelt commitment to following Him. It’s an important act of obedience that God’s Spirit rewards in a very special and personal way. We think it’s something worth celebrating! (Acts 16:31-34)
2. Why should I be baptized?
When we obey Jesus, it shows that we truly know and love him (1 John 2:3). One of his last commands on Earth was for his followers to make disciples of all people groups and baptize them, and this call includes us (Matthew 28:18-19).
Baptism is something Jesus did (Luke 3:21-22), it’s a command in Scripture (Acts 2:38-41, Acts 10:47-48), and we see lots of examples of people doing it as a response to faith (Acts 8:12, Acts 18:8).
Baptism is not key for salvation, but it always comes as a response to believing in Jesus (Mark 16:15-16). It is a physical symbol to represent spiritual cleansing. When we go under the water and come back out, we are imitating the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
3. When should I be baptized?
If you confess Jesus as Lord or your life (Romans 10:9), baptism is the next step. It’s not something that you should wait around for; it should be a first act of obedience for the follower of Jesus (Acts 22:16). Let us know that you want to experience baptism if you have made the commitment to follow Jesus and have not yet been baptized!
4. Should I be baptized again?
If you have been baptized before, it is not necessary for you to do so again. At the same time, sometimes people who were baptized before they understood the meaning of baptism or before they had faith choose to get baptized again. We leave these decisions, and the age of when someone should get baptized, to individuals and families to determine. If you need help deciding if baptism is right for you, we’d love to talk with you about it. If you are a parent and want to know how we celebrate newborn children, check out information on our Parent & Child Dedication.
