What is Water Baptism?
The word baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse or dip. To baptize someone, then, means to completely submerge it in a liquid. In a biblical sense, to baptize a person in water means to put that person completely under the water, then immediately raise him or her up again. The Church of God does believe in baptism by immersion, and that all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matt 28: 18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
According scripture, water baptism is a symbolic act whereby a new Christian identifies with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Water baptism is a public profession of a person's repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and a way of giving outward testimony to the inward work of God.
What Does Water Baptism Signify?
When God baptizes you into Christ, you become a new creation, something inside changes. Your heart is washed clean by the blood of Jesus, and your spirit is quickened (made alive) by the Holy Spirit. You now have the ability to love and obey Him, overcome sin, and walk out your salvation by faith.
Acts 8:36-38 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?37 Then 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.38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
Therefore, water baptism symbolically identifies us as new creations in Christ. By going down in the water, we illustrate that our old man is dead to sin and buried by faith in Christ. As a result, we are free from our old master Satan. By being raised up out of the water, we show that our new man is raised by the Spirit and made alive by faith in Christ. Since our new Master is the Lord Jesus, we commit to walk in righteousness (not by our old ways and fleshly habits but by our new life in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us). "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [make alive] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11).
Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
The Bible tells us that there is a baptism necessary for salvation; however, it is not water baptism! A person must be spiritually baptized into Christ in order to be saved: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). At the moment of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, a person is "buried with him [Jesus] in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead" (Colossians 2:12).
So you don't have to be baptized to go to heaven, but if you are truly following Jesus why would you not want to!
So if you want to be baptized showing Jesus as your Lord and Savior this week, contact me. And if you don't live in southern Delaware please take time to talk to your pastor about being baptized.
For more info please contact me at cjones@dagsborocog.org
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