Why Baptism?
20 Jun 2022, by in SpiritualQandA
Discover the Reasons for this Act of Faith and Obedience
After his resurrection and right before the Lord Jesus returned to heaven, he commanded his disciples to, “Go therefore 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) Ever since that time, baptism has been practiced as an act of obedience by all who have first trusted Christ as Savior and Lord. By being baptized, we are saying, “I believe that Jesus has saved me, and my life now belongs to Him as His disciple.”
Why Should I Be Baptized?
…because I have decided to follow Jesus. I am his disciple. (Matthew 28:18-20)
… because Jesus was baptized, and I want to follow His example. (Mark 1:9)
… because Jesus commanded it. (Matthew 28:19-20)
… because it shows I am a believer in Jesus. (Acts 18:8)
… because obeying what Jesus says, shows that I know and love him. (1 John 2:3)
Who should be baptized?
Everyone who has made the decision to believe and follow Jesus should be baptized.
What is baptism?
Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward change in our lives. It is a picture of what God has done to save us on the inside by cleansing us from our sin. It is a public proclamation that we have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Baptism:
…is a symbol of Jesus’ burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Colossians 2:12)
…is a symbol of your new life as a Christian. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:4)
…does not save you. Only your faith in Christ by His grace does that. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
When should I be baptized?
As soon as a person decides to believe in Christ, they can and should be baptized.
(Acts 2:41, Acts 8:36-39)
How am I to be baptized?
…like Jesus was baptized – by being immersed in water. (Matthew 3:16)
…every baptism in the Bible was by immersion under water. (Acts 8:38-39)
…the word “baptize” literally means to “dunk” under water.
Why should I be baptized as a believer? What if I was baptized as an infant?
The Bible says that a person should be able to understand and express what putting their faith in Jesus means as they are baptized. Baptism as a believer allows you to make this public profession of faith, which is not a part of infant baptism.
At what age should my child be baptized?
As a parent one of the greatest joys that you can have is that your children would one day trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. You want them to know the joy and the assurance of their salvation and to grow as a fully devoted follower of Jesus.
The Bible does not give a precise age; therefore, we do not have an age requirement. However, the Bible does say that a person should be able to understand and express what putting their faith in Jesus means. This does not mean rattling off all the “right” answers, but it does mean that your child should show that they have genuine faith based on a right understanding of sin and faith in Jesus alone for their salvation. If you have any questions, please ask one of the pastors!
