Baptism
Why is Baptism necessary?
Baptism is important to God. Jesus considered it so important, he recieved it, as well (and he didn't need to!). The Bible says that anyone who believes in His Son should participate in it as a family to commemorate their faith. Jesus emphasized its importance before ascending and promised his return:
- "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Clearly, baptism is important to Christ for his disciples. Baptism is not some optional ritual, to be delayed or postponed. It signifies your inclusion in God's family. It publicly announces to the world, "I am not ashamed to be a part of God's family." Jesus commanded this beautiful act for all in his family. Look at what he said in Mark 8:34-38
- Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
That's sounds pretty serious, doesn't it? But he wasn't ashamed to be publicly executed on a Roman cross for us - the least we can do is identify with him publicly in this new and beautiful way.
How do I know if I'm ready for Baptism?
There are two things that should be present in your life:
-
That you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life.
-
You have decided to live a life of repentance and faith; we believe that if we're going to be serious about following Jesus, rituals or emotionally driven decisions should be avoided. Practically-speaking, this means:
- You are ready to commit to taking your place in the local Church - specifically at Grace - prioritizing weekly worship, daily fellowship with God in prayer, and fellowship with other Believers (eg: small group).
- You have made clean breaks with sin that affect your public witness, including illegal or unbiblical behavior. What's that? Things like unrepentant intoxication (repentant behavior is to get help, like getting a sponsor, and going to recovery), or if you are presently "living with someone" or involved in a sexual relationship relationship with someone who you're not married to.
Now let's get real: we're not saying you have to be sinless or perfect - otherwise NONE of us could be baptized! But we're saying that when one says "I'm serious about following Jesus", right actions should follow.
These are simple ways to follow a life of repentance. If you have concerns or questions, please contact Sean.
Next Stop: Baptism Class! We want to make sure that you understand more about the symbolism and substance of this great gift and opportunity of obedience that God gave to us.
