What is baptism?
Baptism is a powerful declaration of your faith in Jesus and your commitment to him and his church. Maybe you want to make this declaration now, or maybe you have a friend you want to explain the meaning of baptism to. Let’s dig into what the Bible teaches about baptism and what it means for you.
Why get baptized?
What happens during baptism?
The word “baptism” comes from the Greek word baptizo, which means to immerse or dip. The word was used for pickling vegetables, or for dyeing fabric. Both of these result in a permanent change. When we are baptized, we are baptized into Jesus. The water symbolizes that he cleanses us from our sin and raises us to a new life in him.
At LifeChurch we normally use a baptism tub for baptisms, but we have also baptized people in swimming pools, rivers or even the sea. Standing waist deep in the water, we first ask the brother or sister to confirm their commitment to follow Jesus. After this, they are fully submerged under the water for a brief moment as they are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Baptism at LifeChurch is a joyous event, a celebration of what Jesus is doing in a person’s life!
When we are baptized…
- We are baptized into Jesus Christ. (Rom 6:3)
- We bury our old life (with its sin, bad habits, demonic bondage, depression, old religion etc) and are resurrected to a new life with Jesus. (Rom 6:4)
- We die to sin and are set free. (Rom 6:2, 7)
- We get a new identity. (Rom 6:11)
- We offer our bodies to be used as God’s instruments of righteousness. (Rom 6:13)
- We are not under judgment anymore but live in the freedom of God’s grace. (Rom 6:14)
- We are presented to God with a clear conscience. (1 Pet 3:21)
- We follow Jesus’ example. (Luke 3:21)
- We are clothed with Christ. (Gal 3:27)
- We publicly identify with God’s family. (Gal 3:26–28, 1 Cor 12:13)
Who can be baptized?
Everyone who believes! (Acts 2:38)
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. (Mark 16:16)
If you have repented from your sins, believe in Jesus Christ and have confessed him as your Lord, you can be baptized.
You can be baptized right now. We see in the Bible that people who were saved in the middle of the night were baptized before morning. The apostle Paul seems to be the person that waited the longest. He waited three days…
So don’t hesitate, don’t wait!
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. (Acts 22:16)
We at LifeChurch are ready to help you with any questions you may have. Please speak with your LifeGroup leader or any of our leaders at church, or email info@lifechurch.asia.
If you would like to read more about baptism in the Bible, here are some good places to start:
Matthew 28:18–21 / Acts 16:25–34 / Acts 10:44–48 / Acts 8:34–38 / Rom 6:1–14 / Galatians 3:26–28
Let’s start by looking at a story from Acts chapter 2. As we dive into this exciting Bible passage, thousands of people have just heard the apostle Peter share the good news about Jesus. How do they respond?
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (v. 37–39 NIV)
You too have heard and received the good news that God loves you and sent his son Jesus to save you from sin and eternal destruction. But the message of God’s sacrificial love for you is more than just a beautiful love story. It is also deeply practical. How do we respond to his love?
First, we have faith.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Eph 2:8 NIV)
Our faith leads us to ask the same question that the people in Acts 2 asked:
What shall we do?
The answer is simple:
- Repent
- Be baptized
That’s it! Our FAITH and trust in God leads us to REPENT and be BAPTIZED.
Repentance means to turn around. It is an inner change of heart that affects our whole life. We leave our disobedience and pride, surrendering everything to God. Baptism is a visible, tangible confirmation and declaration of that faith.