What is Water Baptism?
Once someone accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior and becomes a follower of Jesus, the are then baptized as a public confession of their new faith and dedication to Christ.
The word “baptize” comes from the Greek word “baptizo” which means “to immerse or dip under water.” During a baptism, the person being baptized enters a body of water with another believer who is baptizing them. The person baptizing them will do so in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then they will dunk the person being baptized underneath the water, then bring them back up out of the water.
Here at River of God Church, we hold water baptisms as part of our worship services – it is important for us that baptism is done in the presence of other believers as witnesses to the salvation and dedication to Christ of the new believer. Prior to actually being baptized, we as the new believer to give their testimony as a way to glorify God and thank Him for saving them from their sin, and giving them new life through Christ.
Water baptism is a time of worship for everyone involved: the one being baptized is glorifying God by dedicating themselves publicly to following Jesus, and the other believers witnessing the baptism are worshiping God by thanking God for saving this new believer, and by rejoicing and celebrating the new life this believer has found in Christ.
What Does Baptism Mean?
Water baptism is so powerful and important because it is a physical action that represents a spiritual reality.
It’s a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection.
Our submersion under the water during baptism identifies us with Christ’s death on the cross and His burial in the tomb, and our emerging from the surface identifies us with His resurrection from the dead.
“…having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12
It’s a symbol of your new life as a Christian
Through baptism, we bury our “old life” and we rise to walk in a “new life.”
Baptism is the outward symbol of the internal commitment we make in our hearts to follow Christ and live for Him for the rest of our lives.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
It connects us to the “body of Christ”, the other followers of Christ in the earth.
In baptism, there is a sense of joining a family, becoming a part of the community of believers, not just participating in an individual act of our own spiritual journey.
“…for we were all baptized by one spirit into one body…” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Why Should I Be Baptized?
There are three main reasons why every believer should be baptized:
Because you want to follow Christ’s example
Jesus himself was baptized. While he never sinned, he humbled himself in obedience to identify with us and give us an example to follow.
“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Mark 1:9
Because Christ commanded it.
Water baptism is an act of faith and obedience to the commands of Christ. We are to make disciples and baptize them into the body of Christ!
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Because it shows you are a believer.
Baptism is a public confession of your faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ.
It’s the next step after salvation through repentance and faith and is an important foundation for the Christian life.
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Acts 2:38
When Should I be Baptized?
We believe that a new believer should be baptized as soon as they can once they accept Christ. We see in Scripture that believers in the New Testament were baptized the same day! At ROG, we believe that as soon as a person decides to believe in Christ and accept Him as their Lord and Savior, they can and should be baptized.
“Phillip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Phillip and the eunuch went down into the water and Phillip baptized him.” Acts 8:35-39
How Can I Get Baptized?
You can get baptized right here at ROG! Fill out this short form to get in touch with our pastoral staff, who will connect with you to get baptized!