Baptism

Baptism symbolizes a Christian's total trust in and total reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as a commitment to live obediently to Him. Baptism is for believers. Before you are baptized, you must come to believe that you are a sinner in need of salvation (Romans 3:23). You must also believe that Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins, that He was buried, and that He was resurrected to assure your place in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). When you turn to Jesus, asking Him to forgive your sins and be your Savior, you are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Your eternal salvation is guaranteed, and you begin to die to yourselves and live for Christ (1 Peter 1:3–5). At that time you are scripturally qualified to be baptized.

Baptism is a beautiful picture of what the Lord has done for the Christian. When you are completely immersed in the water, it symbolizes burial with our Lord; you are baptized into His death on the cross and are no longer slaves to self or sin (Romans 6:3–7). When you are raised out of the water, you are symbolically resurrected—raised to new life in Christ to be with Him forever, born into the family of your loving God (Romans 8:16). Baptism also illustrates the spiritual cleansing you experience when you are saved; just as water cleanses the flesh, so the Holy Spirit cleanses your hearts when you trust Christ.

Christians should be baptized out of obedience to and love for our Lord Jesus (John 14:15). Baptism by immersion is the biblical method of baptism because of its symbolic representation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.