This resource unpacks the meaning, history, and importance of baptism, calling believers to take the next step in their faith through public declaration and obedience to Christ.
You may have been around church for all your life, or maybe not at all, or somewhere in between. You may have already decided to believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord & Savior, you may have just believed unto Him today, or maybe you are still seeking and searching. Chances are, whether you’re a Christ follower or not, you may have heard of the word “Baptism”. But what does this word mean actually?
If you are confused on the ancient practice, why Christians make an important emphasis on it, and whether or not you should be baptized and what it implies moving forward in your journey, don’t worry, others are as well. This is important to understand and acknowledge so let’s see what we can learn from this topic.
Baptism is an important practice in Christianity that symbolizes the believer’s faith in Christ, the repentance of their sins from their past life moving on forward, and having a supportive group of believers within a local church celebrating their decision. The roots of this practice come from Jewish purification rituals and from the ministry of John the Baptist.
The word Baptism comes from the greek word "baptizo", which means “to immerse or dip”. This reflects the ancient early church tradition of fulling immersing an individual into water.
As mentioned previously, the practice of baptism has it’s roots from Jewish purification laws and rituals for the purpose of purification, both literally and spiritually (see Leviticus 11-15).
John the Baptist's baptism was a call to repentance for the people of Israel, preparing the way for Jesus, the who was coming to save His people with the salvation He offered (Matthew 3:1-12). Jesus Himself was baptized by John, marking the beginning of His public ministry (Matthew 3:13-17).
Quick note: Jesus did not get baptized Himself to repent of sins, since He was the promised Messiah to come and save all of those who place their faith and trust in Him, but to fulfill the law. “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change in the being of the Christ follower. Here are key reasons why we as believers should be baptized:
Romans 6:3-4 states - 'Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.’
Acts 2:38 states - 'Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’
This verse emphasizes repentance, a turning away from sin and your old ways before coming to Christ, followed up with baptism, not as a requirement of salvation, but from the result of salvation that had happened prior to being baptized.
Another important concept to understand in being cleansed or forgiven in your sins is the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’. This is the immersion of God’s power and presence.
1 Corinthians 12:13 states - ‘'For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.’
Through baptism, the individual is united into the body of Christ, the Church.
The individual now strives to live a life aligned to the Church’s mission and purpose.
Baptism symbolizes several important aspects of the Christian faith:
Now, you may understand what Baptism is, the history & origins, why Christians do it, & the symbolism behind the act of Baptism, but could be wondering as to why the act is done in water, being completely immersed in the process. Here are a few principles as to why we do this:
You may be wondering at this point whether or not you should decide to be baptized or not. For the believer, it not only is encouraged, it is expected from Jesus Himself that you take a part in this act of obedience to Him.
The person who has believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior and has repented from all of their sins should be baptized.
If you want to get baptized, you must be of an older age to understand the decision you are taking to know that you are a sinner and need the forgiveness of sins through Christ. Of course, the age where you are conscious of these fundamental truths will vary amongst individuals.
If you have believed in and received Christ through repentance, but have not been baptized in water, you will want to obey this important command of Christ.
So, what are you waiting for? Christ died for you in public, don’t live for Him in private.
If you want to decide to get baptized today at Encounter Church here is more information on becoming a member of EC & baptism sign ups below.
Baptism Signup Link: Click Here