Water Baptism
It is a symbol of your new life as a Christian. We bury the ‘old life,’ and we rise to walk in a ‘new life’. Baptism is like a wedding ring; it is the outward symbol of the commitment you made in your heart, a commitment that has to be followed through and lived out on a daily basis. We continue the practice of water baptism today as a symbol of our personal and public identification and union with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.In Christianity, water baptism is a public declaration of faith and a symbolic act of dying to the old life and rising to new life in Christ. It signifies a believer's union with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, marking a spiritual cleansing and identification with God's plan. While closely associated with salvation, it's not a requirement for salvation itself.Here's a more detailed explanation:Symbolism and Meaning:
- Identification with Christ:
Water baptism symbolizes a believer's identification with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. When someone is immersed in water, it represents dying to the old life, while being raised out of the water symbolizes rising to new life in Christ.- Spiritual Cleansing:
The act of being cleansed by water mirrors the spiritual cleansing that occurs when a person trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation.- Public Declaration:
Water baptism is a public declaration of one's faith in Jesus Christ and a commitment to following Him.- Obedience to Christ:
Christians are encouraged to be baptized as an act of obedience to Jesus' command and as a demonstration of their love for Him.Not a Requirement for Salvation:
- While water baptism is a significant step in the Christian faith, it is not a requirement for salvation. The Bible teaches that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
- The example of the thief on the cross, who was saved without water baptism, demonstrates that belief in Jesus is the key to salvation.
In Summary:Water baptism is a powerful act that symbolizes a believer's union with Christ,
their spiritual cleansing, and their public declaration of faith. It's a step of faith that is encouraged but not required for salvation______Infant baptismBaptism is an act of “appealing” to God for forgiveness, salvation, and a clean conscience (see 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). An infant is incapable of making this appeal and since he has not inherited any sin, he has no sins from which to repent or seek forgiveness.Infants cannot repent or believe: Baptism in Scripture always has the prerequisite of repentance and faith, which are impossible for an infant.Churches that don't baptize infants object for two reasons. The first is that neither the baptism of infants nor the reasoning for it can be seen in Scripture. But the second is that baptizing an infant -- or anyone else -- who doesn't trust in Jesus is declaring things about them that aren't true.Protestants definition and understanding of Baptism is different than Catholics as we reject a baby's baptism as that is a personal sacred thing that can only be done after that person has consciously repented and accepted salvation through professing Jesus Christ and repenting of sin; which children cannot do.________Gotquestionsdotorg ;Water baptism symbolizes the believer’s total trust in and total reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as a commitment to live obediently to Him. It also expresses unity with all the saints (Ephesians 2:19), that is, with every person in every nation on earth who is a member of the Body of Christ (Galatians 3:27–28). Water baptism conveys this and more, but it is not what saves us. Instead, we are saved by grace through faith, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8–9). We are baptized because our Lord commanded it: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).Water baptism is for believers. Before we are baptized, we must come to believe that we are sinners in need of salvation (Romans 3:23). We must also believe that Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins, that He was buried, and that He was resurrected to assure our place in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:1–4). When we turn to Jesus, asking Him to forgive our sins and be our Savior, we are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our eternal salvation is guaranteed, and we begin to die to ourselves and live for Christ (1 Peter 1:3–5). At that time we are scripturally qualified to be baptized.Water baptism is a beautiful picture of what our Lord has done for us. As we are completely immersed in the water, we symbolize burial with our Lord; we are baptized into His death on the cross and are no longer slaves to self or sin (Romans 6:3–7). When we are raised out of the water, we are symbolically resurrected—raised to new life in Christ to be with Him forever, born into the family of our loving God (Romans 8:16). Water baptism also illustrates the spiritual cleansing we experience when we are saved; just as water cleanses the flesh, so the Holy Spirit cleanses our hearts when we trust Christ.The fact that water baptism is not a prerequisite for salvation is best seen in the example of a saved man who was not baptized in water—the criminal on the cross (Luke 23:39–43). This self-confessed sinner acknowledged Jesus as his Lord while dying on a cross next to Him. The thief asked for salvation and was forgiven of his sins. Although he never experienced water baptism, at that moment he was spiritually baptized into Christ’s death, and he then was raised to eternal life by the power of Christ’s word (Hebrews 1:3).Christians should be baptized out of obedience to and love for our Lord Jesus (John 14:15). Water baptism by immersion is the biblical method of baptism because of its symbolic representation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ__________Infant BaptismGotquestionsdotorg ;The Bible is silent on infant baptism, or paedobaptism (also spelled pedobaptism). There is no record of a baby being baptized in the New Testament. Nevertheless, infant baptism has been practiced by many Christian churches throughout history and as early as the second century.By Augustine’s time (AD 354—430), infant baptism was accepted as a standard procedure in Christianity. Today, Roman Catholics, most Orthodox churches, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Reformed traditions, and Methodists practice infant baptism.However, during the Protestant Reformation, infant baptism came under examination. Many Protestant groups, particularly the Anabaptists, challenged the idea of infant baptism, believing that baptism should be reserved for those who first make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. This view is known as believer’s baptism, or “credobaptism.”Jesus was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13–17; Luke 3:21) and taught His disciples to baptize those who repented of their sins, believed in Him, and received salvation in His name (Acts 2:4, 38; 9:17–18; Matthew 28:19). Those who hold to believer’s baptism see it as an important initial act of obedience that a person makes after accepting Jesus as Lord—baptism is a public testimony of faith. And baptism by immersion clearly shows one’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (see Acts 2:38–41; 16:29–34; and Romans 6:3–4). Pouring or sprinkling, the method used in infant baptism, fails to illustrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.Those who oppose infant baptism stand on the New Testament’s repeated emphasis on repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. An infant cannot repent and place his or her faith in Christ. A newborn cannot understand the gospel and consciously decide to obey and submit to Jesus. Babies are oblivious to the spiritual significance of water baptism. Credobaptists insist that baptism, being an act that follows salvation, should only be performed on those who have chosen to believe in and follow Christ.Since the original word translated as “baptize” means “to dip or immerse in water,” believer’s baptism is usually done by total immersion. Infant baptism typically involves sprinkling with water or pouring water over the forehead. Thus, it’s a stretch to say the definition of baptism covers the methodology employed in infant baptism
Many Christian traditions that support infant baptism do so because they understand baptism to be the New Covenant equivalent of circumcision. Just as circumcision joined Old Testament Hebrews to the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, baptism is believed to join a person to the New Covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ. This view is based on the apostle Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:11–12: “When you came to Christ, you were ‘circumcised,’ but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead” (NLT).GotQuestion’s view of this passage is that Paul is notreplacing the Old Testament rite of circumcision with the New Testament ordinance of baptism; rather, he uses both circumcision and baptism as analogies of spiritual truth. The fact that circumcision does not equate with baptism is shown in Paul’s teaching that Christians have been both circumcised and baptized. The circumcision is, of course, spiritual, “made without hands” (Colossians 2:11, ESV). And, again, being joined to the New Covenant requires a volitional act of faith—something infants are incapable of doing. Faith in Jesus Christ, and not works such as baptism (or circumcision), enables one to enjoy the blessings of the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 9:15).Churches that practice infant baptism often hold that baptism is how a person receives the Holy Spirit. They base this belief on Peter’s words in Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” According to many paedobaptists, baptism sets the child apart and secures salvation. They also cite household baptisms in the New Testament as evidence that whole families were saved and baptized (assuming that children and babies were included), and not just adults (see Acts 11:14; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:16). But this assumption goes beyond what the text of the Bible says.Neither infant baptism nor adult baptism can save a person. We are saved by grace through faith and not by works (Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1; Ephesians 1:13; 2:8–9; Galatians 2:16; 3:24; Philippians 3:9). It does not matter if you were baptized by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling—if you have not first trusted in Christ for salvation, baptism (no matter the method) is insufficient to save.If Christian parents wish to dedicate their child to Christ, a baby dedication service is appropriate, but there is no
biblical mandate or example of baptizing a baby. Whether an infant is dedicated or baptized or both, he or she will, at some point in the future, still have to make a personal decision to repent of sin and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.