Faith in Jesus is something that is not meant to be hidden. Before Jesus left the earth, he told his apostles to “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). Upon coming to faith, many in Scripture are immediately baptized. But what’s the importance of baptism and why should you participate?
Simply put, baptism is an outward expression of what has taken place in your heart. When you decided to say "Yes" to Jesus, that was a private moment. However, baptism is when you go public with the news of your faith. This act takes place in front of our church as a means to announce that you are following Jesus–and we are here to support you every step of the way!
Following Jesus’ instructions in the Bible, you will be baptized in water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to signify the power of God in your life. As you are lowered into the water, it is a symbol of dying to your old self. You’re saying goodbye to your old way of life–your sins are dead and past regrets are no more (Romans 6:11). As you are lifted out of the water, it signifies resurrection and new life (Colossians 2:12).
Ephesians 2:4-5 states, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (ESV). This is exactly what baptism is all about!
By performing this act, you’re publicly saying that you confess Christ to be Lord over your life and that you have faith in him. He has forgiven you of your sins and you are a new creation! Though this act is closely associated with salvation, we know that we are saved by faith alone! Baptism is a step of obedience to the Lord but in no way saves you– Jesus does that!
If you have said "Yes" to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and are ready to go public with that faith in baptism, then you can sign up for our next Baptism Sunday right now! Our next Baptism Sunday is August 21, 2022 and we encourage you to take this step in following Jesus and allow us to celebrate with you! We’re cheering for you!
