Baptism Basics
Baptism Basics:
Baptism is a celebration proclaiming that we have died to our old life & been given new life in Jesus. It is the Biblical public expression of this life change. People are meant to know & see what Jesus has done in your life. He publicly died & was raised again for us- we are publicly to declare He is Lord & be baptized in His Name. Below is a brief outline of what to be thinking about as you anticipate being baptized.
Buried With Him & Raised With Him (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12)
As Jesus was buried & raised from the dead, Christians are baptized by submersion into water & raised out of the water symbolizing this death & life. Baptism is for those who have been given a new life by Jesus. it symbolizes that they have come from a life of sin that was leading to death & have now been given a new life in Christ that will end in eternal life. Baptism, and following Jesus, is not for those who merely want a better life- but those who recognize they need a completely new life and have found it in Jesus.
It's An Outward Sign of an Inward Reality (1 Peter 3:21, Galatians 3:27, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
For the Christian, Baptism is a visual symbol of us being clothed with Christ. The Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to see Jesus as Savior & Lord & we have surrendered our everything to Him. When we are baptized, we are declaring to the world that we are His! We have been bought with His precious blood & our sins have been paid for by His sacrifice. We are no longer our own, but we belong to Him & live our lives for Him as we anticipate eternity with Him.
Who Should NOT Get Baptized?
We do public baptisms every few months at One Harbor- & have been known to schedule occasional hot tub baptisms on the side:) The point is, if you read the following & realize you may need to wait- WAIT! There will be another time very soon & we want you to really understand what you are doing.
At One Harbor, we do not baptize infants or children who have not professed Jesus as their Savior & Lord. We believe Baptism is for those who have actively & personally surrendered their lives to Him & therefore this cannot be a decision that rest on the desire or the faith of the parents. Actually, if parents desire for their kids to be baptized & the kids are not at the place of having professed Jesus as Savior and Lord, it is better for the parents to wait until the child is ready & to use the time in between to teach them about who Jesus is & what He has done. Waiting for the child to come to the place where they acknowledge this on their own will be far more beneficial in the long run. Too many good intentioned parents have tried to force things like Baptism hoping "it would stick" only to see their children grow up to believe there is really no significance to these incredibly significant sacraments. Please parents- don't do this. Encourage your kids & tell them about Jesus. Let them come to the place where they are asking to be baptized because they want the world to know they belong to Jesus.
In addition, people who are interested in Jesus but are not yet fully surrendered to Him should not get baptized. Baptism is not to be taken lightly- no more than marriage is to be taken lightly. Baptism is saying you are His & He is yours. As much as a couple on the first date should not get married- someone merely intrigued by Jesus should not be baptized. Again, waiting is better. Wait until you realize what a helpless & hopeless sinner you are without Him (this is where we all have to be) & then surrender your all to Him & be baptized. We have to clearly state this because, sadly, in our culture, many don't take baptism seriously & so it has become meaningless. We would ask that if you are in a place of intrigue, you meet with people in leadership in the church & those who've been following Jesus for some time & learn more about this amazing Jesus we have given our lives to.
Who Should Get Baptized?
Any Christian who has not been baptized should be baptized. We know that many have been baptized as infants/children/adults when there was no personal significance, & without sounding too harsh, his is not the picture the Bible gives us. Those who were baptized were those who knew they were sinners & put their faith in Jesus. They had a conscious understanding of what they were doing. If you have never been baptized, but you know Jesus has given you knew life & you have put your faith in Him- you should be baptized. Plain as that.
Is it undignified- yes, but so is dying on a cross. Is the water going to be cold- yes- but Christianity is going to be filled with challenges so why not start it off right:) Is it going to be hard to explain to your unsaved friends & family- probably, but at least you believe in something enough to be publicly known for it. Christianity is not a closet faith. If Jesus was not ashamed to die for you- don't be ashamed to be baptized & declare that He has saved you.
We will be asking those who decide to be baptized to share briefly (under 2 min) what Jesus has done. This public declaration goes alongside the visual demonstration of being baptized. It is also a powerful time where onlookers can hear & then see the powerful work of God in your life & the lives of others.
Please plan to meet for a few minutes after either service this Sunday so we can know who is planning to be baptized. We are so thankful for the new life that God has & is adding among us at One Harbor & are so excited to celebrate with you!
PS- For more info on Baptism including scriptures, click here and scroll to the bottom.
Practicals:
To keep dignity we would advise that you wear something modest (i.e. shorts and a dark-color t-shirt). Also, remember to bring a change of clothes and a towel.
