Baptism
What is the meaning of Baptism?
Baptism illustrates Christ’s death and resurrection.
“For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ.” (Colossians 2:12)
Baptism illustrates my new life as a Christian.
“When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. The old life has passed away and a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“By our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead…so also we may live a new life!” (Romans 6:4)
Baptism does not make you a believer — it illustrates what you already believe. Baptism does not “save” you; only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is like a wedding ring — it is the outward symbol of the commitment you made in your heart.
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith…it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Why Should I Be Baptized?
We are baptized to follow Christ’s example.
“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the river.” (Mark 1:9)
We are baptized to glorify God in his commands and to find joy in our obedience.
“Jesus said, ‘Go then, to all people everywhere and make them my disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
We are baptized to demonstrate we are truly disciples.
“…many of the people who heard Him believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8)
“We know that we have come to know Him, if we obey His commands.” (1 John 2:3)
Wrong motivations for baptism:
Because I want to join the church.
While baptism by immersion is required for partnership, this ordinance is foremost an act of obedience on the part of a believer. It should be an act of worship unto God and a testament to your salvation — not just a way to join a church. While partnership accompanies benefits, such as active service and leadership at Crossbridge, the benefits of being “rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son” far surpass that of mere church partnership (Colossians 1:13-14). If you have more questions about the gospel of Jesus Christ, please speak with the pastor or a trusted Christian friend.
Because my parent or sibling is going to do it.
Baptism reflects a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ. The faith of a family member cannot save you. A person is only saved when they believe in their own heart and confess with their own mouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:8-10). If you are being baptized due to pressure from a family member or based on someone else’s belief, please reconsider your decision. Make sure you have “worked out your own salvation” (Philippians 2:12).
Because my spouse wants me to.
Your spouse may be gung-ho about joining Crossbridge Church. Plus he or she may want the entire family to experience the benefits of church partnership. However, one should not be baptized because “it’s simply the right thing to do, and we are trying to get our family on the same page.” Both husband and wife, along with the children, should know what it means to be personally surrendered to the Lord. The Bible does not teach that the family must be baptized together, though there are examples of entire households being saved and baptized (Acts 16:29-33). A spouse should not pressure their husband or wife, but should wait until genuine repentance and assurance are evidenced.
Why Baptism by Immersion?
We baptize by immersion because Jesus was baptized by immersion.
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.” (Matthew 3:16)
We baptize by immersion because every baptism in the Bible was by immersion.
“…then both Philip and the man went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water…” (Acts 8:38-39)
We baptize by immersion because the word ‘baptize’ means ‘to immerse in water.’
“The Greek word ‘baptize’ means to plunge or dip, immerse something in water. The practice of baptism in the New Testament was carried out in one way: the person being baptized was immersed or put completely under water and then brought back up again. Baptism by immersion is therefore the mode of baptism or the way in which baptism was carried out in the New Testament.” — Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
We baptize by immersion because it best depicts a burial and resurrection.
Why do some churches practice a “baptism of confirmation” for infants?
We must begin by looking at Old Testament history. In the Old Testament God’s covenant people were the Israelites. The sign of God’s covenant for the Israelites was circumcision. Being circumcised did not make you an heir of the covenant; it was merely a sign of your promised inheritance. In Colossians, the Apostle Paul compares baptism to circumcision in that circumcision was a sign for the Old Covenant and baptism is a sign of the New Covenant: “In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism in which you were also raised with Him through faith…” (Colossians 2:11-12a)
Those who baptize infants believe that the continuity between circumcision and baptism reveals the way we ought to practice baptism in the church. They reason that if all the physical sons of Abraham were circumcised as a sign of belonging to the offspring of Abraham and of being heirs of the covenant, then we should practice the same with our children, baptizing them as infants as a sign of the New Covenant.
We, however, believe this continuity between circumcision and baptism should not determine our practice of baptism. Though baptism and circumcision have continuity, there is also discontinuity between the two, just as there is a difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant — the Israelites and the Church. Consider this quote:
“But who are these spiritual sons of Abraham who constitute the people of God in our age? Galatians 3:7 says, “Know then that it is those of faith who are sons of Abraham.” The new thing since Jesus has come, is that the covenant people of God are no longer a political, ethnic nation, but a body of believers.”
John Piper,
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals
As mentioned, the difference between circumcision and baptism as symbols is the difference between the covenants they signify. The Old Covenant was based on physical birth; the New Covenant, however, is based on spiritual birth. We conclude from all New Testament passages that baptism is a sign of faith in Jesus. This means that, until someone is of the age to make a profession of faith in Christ, they should not be baptized.
At Crossbridge Church, it is a partnership requirement that one be baptized the way Jesus demonstrated, even though many of us were “confirmed” as children.
Does my baptism as an infant mean anything in God’s eyes?
From our perspective, infant baptism symbolizes a covenant only between the parents and God. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his or her own personal confession of Christ. In this way, the public confession carries special meaning for parents as they acknowledge accountability before God and the church for their role as godly parents. A “baptism of confirmation” in no way reflects your personal commitment to Christ, which is a prerequisite for biblical baptism. Thus, infant baptism differs from the baptism taught in the Bible, which was only for those old enough to believe. We, as a church, celebrate a baby dedication annually to also give our parents opportunity to acknowledge their responsibility. However, baptism is not included in this special worship time.
When Should I Be Baptized?
“Those who believed … were baptized … that day!” (Acts 2:41)
“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water; Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:35-38)
As soon as you have decided to follow Christ, you can and should be baptized. There is no reason to delay. If you wait until you are “perfect,” you will never feel “good enough!”
Is there an age minimum for baptism? Can my child be baptized?
Even though our church has not established a minimum age requirement for baptism, we recommend encouraging young people to wait until an appropriate age for several reasons:
Even though some young people may be mentally and spiritually ready earlier, more will be ready later. We prefer to encourage candidates to wait a little longer until they are able to understand and complete the preparation process. The baptism class may be an intellectual stretch for most older children, and would require substantial simplification for younger children.
Baptism ought to be an experience the candidate remembers. The older he is, the more likely he will remember and cherish the experience. We want individuals to look back on this experience with confidence that it reflected a conscious and sincere resolve to follow the Lord.
The promises we are making in baptism should not be made lightly. Encouraging a child to wait until he understands emphasizes the significance and importance of baptism.
Parents may still decide to baptize their child at a younger age. All children who wish to be baptized are asked to meet with our Children’s Minister, along with their parents, for a pre-baptism conversation. Youth are asked to meet with one of our pastors. Baptism may be delayed should our pastoral staff feel it necessary.
Can my family be baptized together?
Yes! If each family member understands fully the meaning of baptism, and each one has personally placed his or her trust in Christ in salvation, we encourage families to be baptized at the same time. It is a wonderful expression of commitment. However, it is important to remember that baptism is a personal statement of faith, not a family tradition. It is sometimes unwise to delay your baptism while waiting on other family members to accept Christ, particularly children. This puts an undue pressure on them and delays your obedience.
Can I be re-baptized?
This question should be prefaced by another deciding question — “Was my first decision to be baptized made from wrong motives?” If you truly trusted in Christ to forgive your sins and were baptized, you do not need to be baptized again simply because you have grown more at another church or because you cannot remember this experience to the degree to which you would like. Let us say this lovingly — do not be baptized again because you wish your day was as special as another person’s baptism or because you like your current pastor more than your former pastor. This type of attitude reflects the very self-centeredness from which we have been saved.
Also, we should not mistake sudden spiritual growth for a “second” conversion experience. Baptism follows justification (being declared righteous in God’s eyes). Your sanctification (becoming what you have already been declared) will be accompanied by doubts, trials, and pitfalls. We do not get baptized every time we experience victory over sin or become more excited about life in Jesus. If you find yourself more like Jesus today than yesterday, then God is merely fulfilling His promise to conform you to the image of His Son. This is cause for celebration and worship — but not another baptism.
However, if you were baptized for the wrong reasons (stated earlier) and have never experienced the peace of God and the power of forgiveness, being baptized again is perfectly suitable. Be prepared to clarify with your parents or former pastor as to why you feel your initial experience was not genuine.
Where Should I Be Baptized?
Baptism symbolizes our entrance into the universal Body of Christ, the Church.
“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, where Jews or Greeks, where slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
As a physical sign of a spiritual truth, baptism normally occurs in the context of the local church and is often connected with membership. At Crossbridge Church, baptism candidates include only those who have potential to walk in community with us. The reasons are two-fold:
This gives you an opportunity to testify of your salvation before those who will hold you accountable and shepherd you.
This gives us an opportunity to covenant with you, that we will pray for you and walk with you as you grow in Christ.
What I Would Like To Know Is…
What if I am shy and do not want to be baptized in front of the entire church, or even my Community Group?
Often obedience to Christ means facing fear of man. You will learn this even more as your grow as a Christian. While there is no biblical mandate that you must be baptized in front of the church or your Community Group, baptism does represent your entrance into the Church, and we therefore ask you to take this step. There is much joy to be found in trusting God for strength and proclaiming your new birth before your church family. Please do not let fear keep you from walking in obedience. The pastor will be available to pray with you prior to your baptism.
Who can baptize me?
Any believer in Christ can baptize you. We recommend someone who has been influential in your journey to Christ or someone who will play a significant role in your future growth. Despite common church practice, the Bible itself never limits the right to baptize to men only. Therefore, we allow any believer, male or female, to enjoy this privilege.
What should I wear when I am baptized?
Women should wear shorts and a dark colored top rather than a swimsuit. Men may wear shorts or a swimsuit and a shirt. Bring a change of clothes, a towel, and a bag for your wet clothes.
Will I have to say anything?
Either you or the person baptizing you is asked to briefly share your testimony prior to immersion. Then, the person baptizing you will ask: “Have you come to the point in your life where Christ is real to you?” After an affirmative response on your behalf, the baptizer will say, “Then it is my privilege to baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” You will then be lowered just under the water. Once you are standing again, you will face the congregation. The pastor will ask the covenant partners to stand, and they will pray for you. You may then leave the pool, dry off, and watch the others.
Watch for announcements concerning upcoming baptism dates and/or classes.
