Baptism is a wholehearted “yes” to Jesus—where God wipes your slate clean, unites you with Christ, fills you with His Spirit, and welcomes you into His family (Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3-4).
“Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away.” – Acts 22:16
In baptism, our sins are washed away by declaring our need for forgiveness and accepting the gift of forgiveness offered through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. God designed baptism to be a physical experience of a spiritual reality that we can’t achieve on our own.
[Acts 2:38, 22:16]
“We were buried with Him through baptism… that we too may live a new life.” – Romans 6:3-4
In baptism, we share in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection by putting to death our old selves and rising into new life that can only occur by the power of Christ. Here we take on our new identity as disciples of Jesus that are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a resurrected life modeled after Jesus
[Romans 6:4; Galatians 3:27]
“Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – Acts 2:38
We are promised to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence indwelling in us, through baptism. His Spirit seals us as children of God, gives us assurance of our salvation, and marks us now with a guarantee of the full redemption awaiting us in eternity
[Acts 2:38; John 15:16, 16:7]
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. – Galatians 3:26-27
In baptism, we get a new family, the Church of Christ! It isn’t a way to earn our place in God’s family; it's a gift that we gladly receive from Jesus, who saves, and the Church, who welcomes us. It is similar to an adoption ceremony, where we are given a new name and receive a priceless inheritance.
[1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 John 3:1]
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” - Romans 6:6-8
Baptism isn’t something we do to earn salvation. It’s our way of submitting and surrendering to Jesus Christ as Lord in all things. Just as the person being baptized must surrender and trust the one who lowers them into the water, so too we surrender and trust Jesus Christ to do the real work of raising us up into a new life freeing us from sin’s penalty and power.
[Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:1-14; 1 Peter 3:21]
Once you understand your sin and the incredible grace that Jesus offers, you can put your trust in Him. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection provide the path to salvation and reconciliation with God.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.
Repentance involves recognizing your sins and turning away from them. It's a deep acknowledgment of your need for forgiveness and a sincere desire to change your ways.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19.
Baptism follows repentance and trust in Jesus. Go all-in, say “Yes” to Jesus, be immersed (baptized) into Christ, raised to a brand-new life.
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. Acts 22:16.
We practice believer’s baptism by immersion. Parents are invited to dedicate infants; children are baptized when they’re able to make the decision to trust Jesus for themselves.
In the New Testament church, baptism is seen as the normative entry point into life with Jesus and His church. Stepping into the water of baptism is a clear act of obedience that welcomes all the grace and love Jesus Christ offers. While the Bible is silent on how He will judge someone who misinterprets or hesitates over baptism, it does speak plainly about intentional disobedience (Luke 12:47-38; Hebrews 10:26-27; Numbers 15:30-31; James 4:17). If embarrassment or fear of being seen keeps us from this step, it may reveal a heart not yet ready to confess Christ when doing so is inconvenient or unpopular.
The New Testament picture and practice (and the Greek word baptizo) point to full immersion.
Every follower of Jesus is commissioned to make more disciples by baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). You don’t need a special title or ordination, there’s nothing special about the water, the words, or the person doing the baptizing. The only thing that matters is God's power at work in the life of the one being baptized.
Baptism is a beautiful “yes” to Jesus. Tap below to download our Baptism Bible Study Card and to let us know you're ready.