Baptism is a public identification with Christ.

We practice believer’s baptism.  A person gets baptized because they want to publicly identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  Romans 6 describes a person’s death to sin and new life in Christ.  Baptism by immersion best demonstrates our identification with Christ.  Jesus died, was buried, and then was raised to life.  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has secured our death to sin and new life in Him.

Baptism is a public identification with other believers.

Baptism predated John the Baptist.  However, the practice by John and throughout the New Testament was directed by God. Prior to John it was a way of identifying with the Jewish community.  There would be a circumcision of the male followed by 7 days of purification, which ended in a public baptism used to identify the convert as a part of the Jewish community. In a similar way, we use baptism as a way to identify with the community of believers.

It is a commanded by God.

“Because I said so” is a typical response from an adult to a child, who thinks they need to know all the reasons before they obey. God doesn’t do that to us. He usually tells us the reasons. But His words should be enough. Why get baptized? Because God said so.  In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gave His followers their mission to make disciples by baptizing and teaching them. One of the first acts of obedience by a Christian is to be baptism.  It is something God told us to do.

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We will have our next baptism on Sunday, July 18th at 2:30pm. There will be a baptism class on Sunday, July 11th at 9:30am.  If interested, contact Pastor Scott or the church office.