BAPTISM

Baptism is an expression of one’s trust in Jesus Christ and is always accompanied by faith. Baptism is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Romans 6 tells us that in baptism we are united with Christ. We bury our sinful lives in the water. We are entirely forgiven and sin’s power over us is defeated. We rise to a new beginning, a new life to be lived with Jesus in obedience to God as we are given the gift and indwelling of the Holy Spirit who personally takes up residence in our hearts.

All those who are willing to repent of their sins and confess their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior should be baptized (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38-39).

A person should be baptized to follow the example of Christ (Matt. 3:13‐17), to obey Christ’s command (Matt. 28:18), to accept forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16), to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), to express trust in Christ and to express our union with Christ (Rom. 6:3-5, Gal. 3:27). Baptism also serves to cleanse a guilty conscience (1 Pet. 3:21). The Holy Spirit prompts individuals to recognize their sin and guilt. The only method by which the human soul can be wiped clean of sin is through the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:27‐10:7). This “washing away” of sin is most clearly demonstrated in the act of baptism (Acts 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

You only need to realize that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, paid the punishment for your sins by allowing himself to be crucified on a cross.

Receiving Christ necessitates a response on our part; one that includes belief, repentance, confession and baptism. Each part is equally important in expressing our trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. None of these individual actions save us, but each action is mentioned in Scripture as part of becoming a Christian. Every step taken is a response to salvation offered, not an effort at salvation earned.

The word for “baptism” in the New Testament is the Greek word “baptizo”, which means “to dip or plunge” in water. Baptism by immersion was the undisputed church practice for the first 1300 years of church history. In fact, no early church leaders argued that point. The New Testament says baptism signifies the burial of the old self and the resurrection to a new life in Christ. We baptize people by immersing them in water, following the practice of the Early Church and New Testament teachings.

The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8), but in the New Testament church a person’s baptism always occurred immediately upon the proclamation of their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior and not separate from it. Baptism was not just a symbol or memorial of faith but was intended to offer a means of union with Christ and a benchmark of transformation, marking the place and time when a person made a commitment to Christ.

You are committing to follow the teachings of Jesus and strive to live a life that demonstrates a maturing faith that enables others to see Jesus reflected in you.

We believe that God does not hold us accountable for sin until we are old enough to understand when we are in rebellion against Him. When someone is old enough to recognize his or her sinful nature, believes that Jesus is God’s Son, and understands that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for sin, we encourage him or her to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, repent of sin, and be baptized into Christ. We realize many parents have had their newborn child baptized or christened, making a public declaration of their intent to raise the child to know God. We are grateful for the desire of those parents to set their child apart for God. Adult baptism is not a sign of disrespect but can be viewed as a fulfillment of their prayers. The Bible makes it clear that every person is responsible for making their own personal decision and pledge of faith to God through baptism. Given this Biblical perspective of baptism, we do not baptize infants but encourage parents to participate in a “Baby Dedication” service to publicly express their intent to raise their children to know and follow Christ.

Re-baptism is encouraged only for those who lack confidence in their initial baptism experience because they don’t remember it, they were coerced, their previous method of baptism was not by immersion, or their heart was not right with God at the time. Anyone who has fallen into sin after having been baptized should repent and seek forgiveness, but rebaptism is not necessary.