Baptism

Baptism is not a means of salvation nor is it required for salvation. However, baptism is the first step of faith for every follower of Jesus.

Baptism is an outward sign of your decision to follow Jesus. It is a public declaration of your faith in Him and illustrating Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It symbolizes our new life as a follower of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As a symbol, baptism illustrates a number of significant realities:

1. Christ’s death and resurrection

2. The disciple’s union with Christ in His death and resurrection

3. The new life in which a disciple walks

4. Cleansing and washing away of sin

Baptism is only intended for the individual who has received the saving benefits of Christ’s atoning work and become His disciple. Therefore, in obedience to Christ’s command and as a testimony to God, the church, oneself and the world, a believer should be immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

At Freedom, we baptize by immersion. That’s the example we see throughout Scripture, and is the basis for the meaning of the word “baptize,” which means to immerse (or dip under) in water.

Baptism is a step of obedience that Jesus requires of His followers, as it displays the gospel and gives us an opportunity to publicly profess our faith in Jesus. In the act of baptism, we unite by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus our Lord.

The Biblical reasons to be baptized are:

1. To obey the commands of Christ – Matthew 28:19-20

2. To follow the example of Christ – Matthew 3:13-17

3. To evidence that a person is a disciple of Christ – Acts 2:38-40

Baptism is for anyone who wants to profess Jesus as Lord. The Bible teaches that new Christians are baptized into a local community, so baptism is also connected to church partnership.