Over the past few months at our church, we’ve had the privilege of seeing several individuals go public with their faith through baptism! However, without prior understanding of baptism, the sight of a baptism can be a bit confusing, especially because there are different opinions about it. That being said, I wanted to give some context to how our church understands baptism biblically, and the importance that we place on it.
Baptism expresses your faith in Christ for salvation.
We are saved by grace, through faith. Not through baptism. If you have not placed your faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, that is what you need to consider before doing anything else.
However, baptism is a way to demonstrate that faith. It is an outward expression of an inward reality. While baptism is not a condition of salvation, it is evidence of salvation.
I’ve heard several people compare baptism to a wedding ring. Just as a ring symbolizes the covenant you’ve made with your spouse, baptism demonstrates the covenant you’ve made with God by believing in Christ through faith.
Baptism is to be done by immersion after you’ve believed.
The Greek word for “baptism” means to plunge, soak, or dip. The New Testament pattern is that believers are baptized underwater after they have made a personal decision to repent and follow Jesus, and this marks the beginning of their spiritual journey with Christ.
If you were baptized or christened as a baby, for example, then believers’ baptism is a way you can affirm your parent’s faith by going public with your own faith after you have believed in Christ for yourself. The repeated call of Christ and others in the New Testament is to “repent and be baptized.”
Baptism expresses your repentance from sin and desire to follow Christ.
The walk of a Christian is one of continual self-denial. This self-denial is seen visibly in the act of baptism. You are literally dunked backwards into the water to symbolize that you have died to yourself—to your will and desires. Then you are raised out of the water, symbolizing that you now walk in newness of life and live for God’s Kingdom—not your own.
Baptism expresses your commitment to community.
Baptism is not necessarily about joining a church, but it has most often taken place in the context of a church community, because the church serves as a witness to what God has done and is doing in your life, and holds you accountable to walking with God for life.
When we are baptized, we are literally following in Jesus’ footsteps and answering his call to profess our faith in him publicly. If you have any further questions on the significance of baptism, or are interested in being baptized yourself, just email me at john@churchatchannelside.com.
I’ll leave you with these words from Paul, that sum this all up very poetically:
“Therefore, we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4 CSB