What Is Baptism?
Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change! It announces to the world that you belong to Jesus Christ. After you begin a relationship with Jesus and give control of your life to Him, baptism is the next step of obedience.
The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. So it’s important to realize that we do not receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life through baptism. Rather, baptism is a visible symbol of God’s saving work within a person who has already come to know and trust Him by faith.
In the New Testament, baptism by immersion is a picture of your old self dying (going under the water) and the new you being raised to life (coming up out of the water) by the power of the Holy Spirit. It really is a picture of death to life! Baptism signifies that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is actually working in your life, transforming you into His own likeness!
Is Baptism For Me?
You should be baptized if you believe in Christ and have not already been baptized as a believer by immersion.
To “believe” in the Lord Jesus Christ is to turn from your sins in true repentance, trusting in His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection as the only ground of your salvation and hope for all of eternity!
At your baptism, you’ll have the opportunity to give a brief testimony of your faith in Christ if you so desire. Baptism is an exciting and powerful symbol of your commitment to Him and a great way to share with friends and family what God has done for you and is doing in you!
Re-Baptism?
If you were baptized as an infant, it was certainly a very special moment for your family. But if you have come to trust in Christ for your own salvation, we encourage you to now consider believers’ baptism as a public testimony of your own love for Christ and desire to follow Him in obedience!
Children?
In the Bible, baptism is always connected with the faith of the one being baptized. It always follows, and never precedes, a personal commitment to Christ.
Therefore, we do not baptize infants, but we encourage participation in a regularly scheduled Parent-Child Dedication as a public ceremony for parents to present their newborn children and infants to the Lord, praying they will come to know Christ at an early age.
Children should be baptized when they are old enough to give a credible profession of faith in Christ. While there is no specific age requirement, they should show a clear understanding of the gospel, a heart that is desiring to know God, and enough maturity to count the cost of a personal commitment to Jesus.
What's Next?
Swan Lake Evangelical Free Church usually has a baptism service each summer, though we are hoping to make that a more regular part of our corporate worship gatherings in the days ahead. If you would like to be baptized, one of our pastors would love to meet with you! We’d love to hear your faith story, answer any questions you may have, and share more about what to expect and how to prepare for the day of your baptism.
Our next Baptism Service is scheduled for Sunday, September 17.
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”