Thank you for taking your Salvation commitment to the next level, which is offering yourself as a candidate for baptism. Baptism is going public about your faith in Jesus Christ and communicating to your friends and family a commitment to follow Jesus’ teachings. Baptism is the Christian's next step after salvation.
1. What is Christian Baptism?
Christian Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It’s a public announcement about how Jesus changed your life. Being baptized shows others you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and allows other Christians to celebrate with you (Acts 16:31-34).
Christian Baptism doesn’t have any saving power; it’s a symbol and a celebration of what has already happened in your life, what the Bible calls salvation (1 Peter 3:21). The power of Heaven which was used to bring Jesus back to life is the same power which is used to change you from a Sinner doomed to Hell into a Christian going to Heaven.
2. Why should I be baptized?
Jesus instructs you to be baptized and He set the example by being baptized Himself, (Matthew 28:19-20,Mark 1:9).
Obedience to Jesus command to be baptized shows you take serious what He said and desire to be obedient to Him, (1 John 2:3). Because Jesus went public about His love for you, you desire to go public about your love for Him. Being baptized shows you have/are turning away from the way you use to live and live the way Jesus wants you to live. The only one who can change the way you live is Jesus, (Acts 2:38-41).
3. When’s the best time to be baptized?
For everyone who decides to follow Jesus, baptism is the next step. Anyone who commits his or her life to following Jesus is ready to be baptized (Acts 8:12).
4. Do you baptize children?
Parents can help point their children to Jesus, but the children are the ones who must decide to follow Him. They are not required to be baptized until they realize what it means to commit their life to Jesus Christ in service & love, (Romans 10:9).
All instances of Christian Baptism following a person’s decision to trust Jesus as Savior for his or her salvation and commitment to follow Him is by immersion, (Acts 10:47-48). At Antioch, we wait until children are old enough to express their own decision to follow Jesus and understand the meaning of Christian Baptism.
5. What’s the difference between immersing, sprinkling and other ways of baptizing?
Christian Baptism in the Bible was only by immersion. The original Greek word for baptism refers to being immersed or submerged in water. Jesus was baptized by being immersed in the water and He was raised out of it (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10).
Submersion in the water symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Being submersed underwater represents your death to sin, death to the old way of life, and being raised out of the water. Christian Baptism is a picture of how Jesus raised you into the new life and gave you a new life (Romans 6:3-5).
