Baptism

The first time we find the word “baptism” in the Bible is in Matthew 3, where John the Baptist is preaching about the kingdom of heaven and baptizing people who respond to his message. The book of Acts records the beginning of the church and includes many instances of people being baptized after hearing and believing the Word of God about salvation.

Acts 2:41, Acts 8:12, & Acts 18:8

Baptism isn’t something we do in order to be saved, nor is it something we do to stay saved. According to the Bible, baptism is something that people who have been saved do in order to let others know they have trusted Jesus as their Savior. That’s why it’s often referred to as “believer’s baptism.” If baptism were required in order to be saved, that would be a “work,” and the Scriptures are clear that we’re saved by grace through faith, not by our works. The Bible teaches that baptism occurs after someone has believed the Gospel and trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Baptism lets others know that we belong to Christ and that we have entered into a relationship with Him through faith.

Acts 8:35-38, Acts 16:30-34, & Ephesians 2:8-9

John the Baptist preached a message of repentance from sin. Even though Jesus never sinned, He was baptized by John in the Jordan River in order to identify with sinners, and in order to give us an example of obedience. When we willingly go through the waters of baptism, we are identifying ourselves with Jesus and letting it be known that He is our Savior, that He has forgiven us, and that we now belong to Him. When we choose to be baptized, we are following the example of Jesus.

Matthew 3:13-17

The very meaning of the word baptize suggests someone being put under water, rather than having water sprinkled on them or poured over them. In its description of various baptisms, the Bible speaks of people going down into the water and coming up out of the water. Baptism by immersion pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It also pictures the change in a believer’s life as a result of being saved.

Matthew 3:16, John 3:23, Acts 8:38, & Romans 6:3-5

Matt. 28:19-20 is often referred to as “The Great Commission,” where Jesus gives the command to “Go … therefore, and teach [make disciples of] all nations, baptizing them …” Churches are thereby instructed to baptize those who have become followers of Jesus. This is also a command to every individual who has believed in Jesus to be baptized.

Being baptized often propels people forward in their walk with the Lord Jesus. Once you have been baptized as a believer, you don’t need to repeat it. It’s not an ongoing ritual, but a one-time step of obedience by which you publicly make it known that you have been saved, that you belong to Jesus, and that, by God’s grace, you want to live your life for Him.