Baptism

Baptism, for being such a simple act, has spurred much debate over the years. A lot of the debate revolves around the necessity of it for salvation.  With baptism, there is a fine line to walk.  There is the danger of over emphasizing it and another of underemphasizing it and robbing it of its significance.  While we must recognize that the mere act of getting dunked in a pool of water doesn’t save anyone, we must also recognize that baptism is not just a mere ritual we do after we are saved (like the first check in our "to do list" after being saved).  In other words, it's not a magical wand we wave over ourselves that gives us eternal salvation, but that's not to say that doesn't have great significance in connection to our salvation.  

Baptism is always closely tied to salvation in the New Testament.  After the people became convicted of sin in Acts 2, they asked what they must do.  Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized all of you, for the remission of sin."  The same Peter would write in one of his letters, "baptism does also now save us."  When Paul was on the road to Damascus and had an encounter with the Lord, he was told to go to Damascus and it would be told him what he must do.  There Ananias told him, "why are you waiting, arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord."  Time and time again when folks placed their faith in Jesus, they were immediately baptized.  So to completely separate baptism from the salvation experience would be a mistake.  But that's not to say that baptism, in and of itself, saves us.  Only Jesus saves.  But I think the scriptures are clear that the normal salvation experience of a person now that Christ has come does include baptism.  

What's the big deal about baptism?  Well, it is our identification  with Christ.  In the Mosaic law, when people brought their sacrifice, they laid their hands on the sacrifice by means of showing that they were identifying with the sacrifice.  It was kind of like saying, "this animal is being sacrificed on my behalf."  Baptism is our "laying hands" on the sacrifice, in that sense.  In Romans 6, we see baptism as a participation of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  When we are baptized, we are not merely believing the Gospel message (a.k.a. the Death, burial and resurrection of Christ, see 1 Cor 15:1-4) but participating in it.  Thus we are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and are put "in Christ" (Galatians 3:27).  One of the reasons people are scared to tie baptism with salvation at all is because they view it as a work.  And as we know, we are not saved by our own works.  But if you look at it more in terms of identification and participation, you see that it's not a work in the sense of us earning our spot in heaven.  It's more like stepping into the ark.

There is so much to talk about in connection to baptism.  We could look at the initial condition of the earth being under water, Noah's flood, Israel's passing through the Red Sea, the tabernacle and the bronze laver, the cleansing and purification rituals in the old law, etc.  There is a lot of symbolism of baptism in scripture.  It’s interesting that when you look at nearly every major salvation story, whether Noah being saved from the flood, Israel being saved from Egypt, or Israel making it out of the wilderness, there is a passing through waters.  It should be no surprise that in our salvation in Christ there would also be the same in some shape or form.  

So it seems that anyone seeking salvation and the blessings tied to it ought to be baptized.  Our church offers baptismal services at any time.  We do not believe that one should have to wait to be baptized! If you are interested in being baptized please contact us today.