Baptism is more than a tradition. It is an act of obedience, identification, and public declaration that you belong to Jesus. Jesus began His public ministry by being baptized, and He concluded His public ministry by commanding His church to baptize others.
In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus says:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Jesus emphasized baptism, so we should not minimize what God has emphasized.
Who Should Be Baptized?
The biblical pattern is simple: believe and be baptized.
Baptism is for believers, for disciples and followers of Jesus. Faith comes before baptism. Some people were baptized as babies. That may have been meaningful to their parents and family, but if you were too young to make a personal decision to follow Jesus, it was not your decision. If you were baptized as a baby and now you have personally placed your faith in Christ, being baptized as a believer is not dishonoring your parents. You are honoring their decision and answering the prayer they had for you.
You don’t clean yourself up and then follow Jesus. You follow Jesus, and He cleans you up.
1. Baptism Is by Immersion
Mark 1:9–10 tells us that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and that He came up from the water. The word baptize means to dip, immerse, or submerge. The picture we see throughout Scripture is someone going down into the water and coming back up. John 3:23 says John was baptizing at Aenon because there was “much water” there. Why did they need much water? Because baptism is a picture of something much bigger than getting a little water on you. It is a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. When you go down into the water, you are identifying with the death and burial of Jesus. When you come up out of the water, you are identifying with His resurrection and the new life He gives.
Even historical writings from Christian traditions that practice sprinkling acknowledge that immersion was the ancient biblical practice. Baptism is meant to tell a story. Jesus died. Jesus was buried. Jesus rose again. And because I belong to Him, I have died to my old life and am walking in new life.
2. Baptism Is for Identification
Romans 6:3–4 says:
“As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death… just as Christ was raised from the dead… even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Jesus did not need to be forgiven. He was sinless. So why was Jesus baptized? Jesus was baptized to identify with us. And you should be baptized to identify with Jesus. When you get into that water, you are saying without even having to say a word:
“I am not ashamed to be a follower of Jesus.”
You are identifying yourself with Jesus and His church. If I had one word to describe baptism, it would be identification.
Baptism is a picture of three things:
- Faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior.
- Your death to sin and the burial of your old life.
- Your hope in the final resurrection of the dead.
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. I like to compare it to putting on a jersey. When you put on a jersey, you’re letting everyone know what team you’re on. Baptism is also like a wedding ring. The ring doesn’t make me married. It doesn’t make me love my wife. But it tells everyone that I belong to her. In the same way, baptism doesn’t make you a Christian.
Jesus saves you.
But baptism publicly declares:
“Devil, you can’t have this. I belong to Jesus!”
3. Baptism Is Always Immediate
One of the things you see over and over in the New Testament is that when people believed in Jesus, they were baptized. They didn’t wait six months to see if they were serious. They didn’t need to take a confirmation class first. They didn’t need to write out their testimony and come back next month. They believed, and they were baptized.
Acts 2 tells us that about 3,000 people were baptized that day after receiving Peter’s message.
That day.
Not next month.
Not after they went home and talked to their family about it.
That day.
And I want you to hear this:
“This day is that day for you!”
Acts 8 tells the story of the Ethiopian eunuch who heard the gospel from Philip. When they came to some water, he asked, “What hinders me from being baptized?” Philip told him that if he believed with all his heart, he could be baptized. The man said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So they stopped the chariot, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. It was immediate. There is a reason the water was there.
Baptism Doesn’t Save You.
Salvation is in Jesus alone. The thief on the cross is a great example. He was saved because he placed his faith in Jesus, but he didn’t have an opportunity to be baptized.
But here’s the other side of that truth:
“Baptism does not make you a Christian, but every saved person should be baptized.”
The Ethiopian eunuch wasn’t joining Philip’s church. Baptism doesn’t make you a member of a local church. It makes you known as a member of Christ.
Baptism Is a Public Declaration
Jesus said in Matthew 10:32:
“Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”
There comes a moment when we have to go public with our faith. You can believe privately, but Jesus calls us to follow Him publicly. Being saved is personal, but it is not private. Baptism is your opportunity to go on public record and say:
“I belong to Jesus.”
I’ve seen people from all kinds of backgrounds take that step. I’ve seen husbands and wives baptized together. I’ve seen people who walked away from the Lord for years return to Christ and get baptized because they wanted the people who knew their old life to see that Jesus had changed them. I’ve seen people of all ages make this declaration. I’ve even seen the power of baptism passed through generations, with a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and child all connected through their faith in Christ.
If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, then that’s where you need to start.
If you’re ready to take your next step, whether that’s baptism, or something else, fill out a Connection Card or visit one of our campus locations. We would love to pray with you, baptize you, or help you get connected.