Water Baptism
In our Statement of Faith, it states, “We believe that water baptism by full immersion is a declaration of a person’s faith in Jesus Christ and symbolizes His death and resurrection in a believer’s life. We see it as an outward sign of an inward work that the Lord is doing within the hearts of those who believe. It follows the commandment given by Jesus to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 3:16: 28:19; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12)
Water baptism is a vital first step in the Christian journey. We observe that Jesus Himself was baptized by John the Baptist, and then He established water baptism as an ordinance for the church in what we know as the Great Commission.
The unfortunate part is that the church tends to take God’s commandments a little too lightly. Chuck Colson, founder of “Prison Fellowship,” said, “Most Westerners take baptism for granted, but for many in the world, the act requires immense courage. In countries like Nepal, it once meant imprisonment. For Soviet or Chinese or Eastern bloc believers, it was like signing their own death warrant.” And if I may add, this is the reality in many Muslim countries.
In a nutshell, water baptism is a person’s declaration that they have become a Christian, that their old way of life is now behind them, and that they are a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Just as a wedding ring is an outward sign that a person is married, water baptism is the same. It is an outward sign of an inward reality. It signifies what a person believes in their heart: that Jesus is their Savior and Lord.
However, I believe it is important to understand that water baptism does not save; instead, it is a believer’s declaration that he or she is born again.
What Water Baptism Means
Water baptism is an outward sign to others of what God has already done in a person’s heart when they accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We see this clearly in the early life of the church.
After the Apostle Peter’s first sermon, he said, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then it continues to say, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” (Acts 2:40b-50 NKJV)
Later, when the Apostle Paul went to the house of Crispus, the leader of the synagogue in Corinth, it says, “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8 NKJV)
From these and other verses, belief always comes before baptism. Therefore, baptism doesn’t make someone a believer; it simply shows that a person is a believer.
Only personal faith in Jesus saves.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV)
No work we can do has the power to bring salvation. And water baptism, no matter how you slice it, is a work.
To the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NKJV)
If water baptism were necessary for salvation, then Paul’s words would be illogical. Therefore, a person does not need to be water baptized to be saved.
The best example is seen in Jesus’s interaction and result with one of the thieves next to Him on the cross. He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43 NKJV)
The thief was never baptized before he died, yet he was still saved by his faith.
Why Baptize
Again, water baptism acts as a public declaration of faith, saying, “Hey, everyone, I’ve decided to follow Jesus, and I wanted you to know.”
But beyond that, there are three basic reasons why we are to be baptized.
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.” (Matthew 3:13 NKJV)
But why did Jesus get baptized? John’s baptism was one of repentance (Acts 19:4), but Jesus was without sin and had nothing to repent of. Even John said to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” And Jesus replied, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:14-15 NKJV)
What does that mean? Jesus was indeed righteous; in fact, He is the only one who is righteous. Since water baptism is an outward sign of what has happened inwardly, it represents us. We are made righteous in Christ.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV)
We are not righteous on our own, as the Bible states that no one is righteous. (Romans 3:10) And so, when we come to Jesus, making Him our personal Savior and Lord, we are made righteous through faith and become alive in Him.
Furthermore, since Jesus is the head of the church and we are to follow Him, we should also be baptized as He was to fulfill all righteousness.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19 NKJV)
Now, while we have said this is more of a symbolic act, the Bible states it is more than a suggestion; it is written as a command.
Jesus also said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Matthew 16:16 NKJV)
And so, in these two passages, Jesus is calling for people to believe and be baptized. And while baptism doesn’t save, only faith in Jesus saves, baptism is a sign of obedience, which leads me to the third point.
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3 NKJV)
John is saying that if we claim to believe and say we know Jesus—not just who He is, but intimately as Savior and Lord—then we will follow His commands. Jesus commanded that all who believe should be baptized.
But Jesus also said something else concerning our relationship with Him, which is revealed in our obedience. He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV)
And so, while water baptism doesn’t save, it is an outward sign of an inward work. The reason we submit ourselves to water baptism is because we’re following Jesus’s example and commandment, and through this act of obedience, we are showing the world that we not only know Jesus but also love Him.
And so, water baptism is a symbolic act. But what does water baptism symbolize? I see three things.
“(You are) buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12 NKJV)
In essence, water baptism symbolizes Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. It is an act of faith in which we testify that our former self is dead and buried, and that we have been raised as a new creation in Christ. This then leads us to the second thing water baptism represents.
We see this beautifully illustrated in Paul’s letter to the Roman church.
“Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4 NKJV)
As we enter the water, it symbolizes the death and burial of our old life, meaning our life before salvation. When we come up, it symbolizes our new life in Christ.
Water baptism is a powerful reminder of God’s wonderful grace. The person we were before is gone, and we are raised with Jesus as a completely new creation, just as the Scriptures teach.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)
This is one of the great benefits of water baptism, which symbolizes a clear break from the past. So, when the devil brings temptations and accusations about our old life, we can reply, “That person is dead and buried. I am a new person in Christ.”
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16 NKJV)
Think about it. Going into water doesn’t wash away sins. It might remove some dirt, but the dirt inside is cleansed only by the power of God.
The Apostle Paul highlights to Titus that our salvation depends on God’s mercy, not on any work, no matter how righteous that work might be.
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:4-5 NKJV)
The washing that removes our sin isn’t physical; instead, it is spiritual through the regenerating and renewing power of the Holy Spirit.
Now, what are some of the practical aspects of water baptism?
How Do We Baptize at Living Waters Fellowship
We baptize by fully immersing the person in water, or more simply, we dunk them. We follow this practice not only based on how baptism was performed during biblical times but also based on the meaning of the word “baptize.”
The word originates from the Greek word, “baptizo,” which means to fully immerse. In commerce, this term was used in dyeing fabrics. To change the color, a garment was completely submerged in the dye.
But is this the only way to be baptized? No. Different denominations do it differently, and some people may be afraid of water or have physical limitations that prevent them from getting into water. So, in these cases, we pour water over them. Remember, it is a symbolic act representing the reality of accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Who Should Be Baptized
People who have decided to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should be baptized. Just look at what it says right after the very first sermon.
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized.” (Acts 2:41a NKJV)
We observe the same thing with the Samaritans when they came to faith.
“But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.” (Acts 8:12 NKJV)
Regarding children, we like to dedicate them to the Lord because they are too young to understand what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross. It also aligns with what Hannah did with Samuel (1 Samuel 1:21-28).
But we do baptize some young children who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and that’s because of what Jesus said to His disciples in not forbidding the little ones to come unto Him.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14 NKJV)
What if someone has been baptized before but wants to do it again? That’s okay. Remember, it’s a symbolic act, and if God is speaking to a person’s heart to be baptized again, they should obey His prompting. We shouldn’t hinder a work God is doing.
Conclusion
To conclude this study, water baptism is a simple yet profoundly meaningful act of obedience that everyone who has been baptized will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
