What is Water Baptism?
Jesus introduced water baptism in connection with His Great Commission (Mat 28:19). He said that new disciples were to be baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe Jesus meant this to be a permanent practice in the church and we encourage all believers to be baptized in water!
Baptism is the public profession of your faith.
Baptism is done before a group of people who witness your confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism is not the only way we profess to be a Christian, but it is an important way.
Baptism symbolizes your cleaning from sin.
Baptism throughout the New Testament indicated that a person had “repented” or turned away from sin. The apostles often referred to the fact that believers were washed from sin. Peter stated that the water in baptism symbolized not the cleansing of the body from dirt, but the cleansing of the conscience. (1 Peter 3:21)
Baptism symbolizes your union with Christ in His death, burial, & resurrection.
When you become a Christian, you die to sin and your old way of life and you begin a whole new life. Romans 6:8 states, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” The very act of baptism (being immersed in the water and coming up out of the water) is a picture of what happens to you spiritually.
