Baptism may seem like a strange concept, being immersed in water for God. But as believers it is something that God calls us to. It is not only important but it is essential to the life of the Christian believer.
What is baptism?
Romans 6:3-5: “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.”
Baptism is the act of being immersed in water. Water Baptism is a symbol of the new life a believer has in Jesus and being publicly identified as part of God’s family. Going under water symbolises that the person you were, before you met Jesus, is now dead. When you come out of the water, it is a symbol of the new person you are, living a new life in Christ.
Why do we get baptised?
Well simply put, Jesus told us to. He said “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). The amazing thing is Jesus himself was also baptised so we follow his example. It is a step of faith and obedience to the commands of Jesus.
When do we get baptised?
Acts 2:36-38: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”38 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.”
You are saved through faith in Jesus not through water baptism. Water baptism is the next step after salvation in your relationship with God. Most examples in the Bible show that people got baptised soon after they got saved. Baptism is an outward declaration of an inward reality.
Who must be baptised?
Acts 8:12 “But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”
When you belong to Christ, you are part of His body and that qualifies you to be baptised. You must have made a conscious decision to accept Jesus in your life. So if you are saved, we invite you to get baptised and celebrate this great event with God’s family.
How does one get baptised?
Matthew 3:16 “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.”
Water baptism is pretty straightforward. We dip you fully into the water and bring you straight back up again. The reason we do this is because the Greek meaning of the word “baptise” is: “to – dip under, dip in, sink, immerse, plunge, cover in liquid”. This is called full immersion baptism. People get baptised in rivers, pools, baptism fonts; any place where there is enough water.
Where do you get baptised?
If you want to be baptised you can sign up to be baptised on Baptism Sunday.
We believe that as a church, baptism is an outward declaration of an inward reality. It is a response to being saved in Christ and a public declaration saying, “Lord, I have chosen you”.