Baptism. Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts 16:30-33; 22:16; 2:38; Matt. 28:19, 20

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1 Baptism By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, become His people, and are received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings. Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts 16:30-33; 22:16; 2:38; Matt. 28:19, 20

2 Belief 15 Baptism Number of Responses for this Belief = 167 Please note - typing, grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors have not been altered in this dataset. These responses were copied and pasted from electronic Moodle submissions/ s from participating young adults. Identifying remarks in the data have been removed, however, this has been indicated within the data. Each participant was asked to describe what they liked/disliked about the belief, if they thought it was important/unimportant, and if it was relevant/irrelevant to young adults. All participants, except for the 37 in Cohort 1, were also asked to read the responses of these initial 37 and the Beyond Beliefs Phase 1 preliminary findings. They were asked to discuss if they agreed with their peers and the Beyond Beliefs findings, or not, and why they either agreed or disagreed. Participant 1: I appreciated that this doctrine on baptism did not present the act of being baptised as something that must be done in order to be saved or forever will one perish in hell, like many church members like to present it. Instead, it gave biblical reason for why baptism is a part of SDA beliefs without shoving the idea down the readers throats. Personally, I do not think young children should be baptized and I was glad that it was presented in this text. I think that in order for one to be baptized they should understand the importance it takes in their lives and its symbolism. Many children cannot understand such concepts or consider baptism just for fun, and parents should not feel as if they are hindering their child s salvation by encouraging them to wait before making such a serious decision. On the other hand, no one should be pressured or harassed into baptism. That decision should be made to please God, not humans. This doctrine is important and relevant to believers because it is part of the acceptance of Christ and the journey of Christianity. Believers need to understand that baptism does not mean that their lives will be perfect or that they are expected to be perfect, but that by being baptized they have chosen to include and rely on God instead of themselves. This is something that believers need to know because it will alter their lives and perception on life. Participant 2: What I like about this fundamental is that it specifically says that baptism is done by immersion in water. In many different religions people think that baptism is done by sprinkling, pouring, or wetting which is not true baptism at all. The fact that this fundamental clarifies that is good. I feel that this fundamental is very important because it symbolizes a special covenant between the person baptized, and between God. It also explains that while baptism is linked to salvation, it does not guarantee that you will be saved. Salvation is attained through your lifestyle and the relationship that you have with God. This fundamental is relevant to my life because as part of God s remnant church our goal is to preach God s gospel and baptize people into our faith. This was we will be able to eventually get his word to all corners of the world. Another reason why this is relevant to my life is because as a Christian I must be baptized myself and understand what it symbolizes and what is expected. Participant 3: I always disliked the idea of baptism and let me tell you why. I personally wished that I would have waited to be baptized until I was the about the age that I currently am. I feel like so many kids are shoved into the baptismal pools at churches because their parents want them to be saved or because it is time. That is what I really dislike about baptism and how it is in our church today, but there are also aspects of it that I like. It s a beautiful thing to show your public commitment to Christ and it could make such an impact on the people around you. It is

3 definitely important because it is Biblical and I am happy it is one of our fundamental beliefs, but I have seen people be treated differently (in a negative way) because they aren t baptized and they are looked down upon by other members of the church. It is relevant because I am baptized; therefore I have gone through the process. But at the same time it is irrelevant to me because being baptized made no difference in my spiritual life. Participant 4: This doctrine was about baptism and its importance to the Christian. I liked the fact that the commentary goes into the qualifications of what it takes to be baptized. Sometimes I feel as though there is a focus on the wrong things, as far as baptism is concerned. However, I m glad this point was brought up. I think this doctrine is important because it points back to the reasons for baptism and shows why it s needed. I believe that this doctrine is relevant to me because it shows and reminds me what that baptism is a public committing of my life to God and it s only the beginning. Participant 5: From what I read, there are some things that I liked about the fifteenth fundamental belief. I like that the description starts out with saying that Jesus commanded His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples teaching them the things that He told them. I also liked that it talked about the importance, the symbolic meaning, and qualifications of baptism. I think that this fifteenth fundamental belief is important because since Jesus was baptized, we should follow His example. Baptism is linked to salvation, but does not guarantee salvation. The act of baptism involves someone dipping down into water being fully submerged, and coming back out of the water. This act is a symbol of Christ s death and resurrection as well as someone being dead in sin and alive in Christ. In order to be baptized, one must be capable of understanding the meaning of baptism and understand the fundamental principles of Christianity. This fundamental is relevant in my life because baptism is a part of salvation even though it doesn t guarantee it. By getting baptized, we choose to accept Jesus as our Saviour. This declaration can help us grow closer to Christ and become better people. Participant 6: In some ways, I don t like this fundamental because it is another fundamental that has always been very confusing to me. As a Seventh-Day Adventist, I think it is weird how I am already baptized but I don t know if it is necessary to go to heaven or not. However, because I am so unsure about it, I am glad that there is a chapter on it. This fundamental is important because Jesus was baptized and He told the disciples to baptize people when He was going to heaven. He wrote in the Bible that if you are baptized, you can be saved. However, some religions have gone too far with baptism and have distorted the meaning of baptism. As Seventh-Day Adventists, I think we all need to know what it really means. This fundamental is relevant in my life because I am baptized and I need to know the true meaning of why I was baptized. I took a class from my pastor about baptism and he explained to me why I was getting baptized, but honestly, I don t think I was ready. Participant 7: I honestly feel like Baptism is one of the fundamental values of lesser importance. I am a very selfcentered person (I m praying to God for help with that), and baptism seems like a public declaration. I don t feel the need to make public declarations of my own walk with God. This is one of the reasons why I don t go up for appeals, I feel like if I make the commitment in my heart, then I don t need to go up front. Also, the baptism doesn t change the person. If a person doesn t make the commitment in their hearts, then being baptized won t change the person at all. However, Jesus was baptized and God must have had him baptized for a reason. Maybe my self-centered attitude doesn t allow me to clearly view how baptism affects the people watching the baptism. Maybe the main point of baptism isn t the person being baptized, but the spectators. I know watching a baptism always has a profound effect on me. I cry at every baptism I go to. In fact, I think I cry more at baptisms than I do at funerals. It just makes me so happy to see someone give their life to Christ. With that being said, I still don t see the huge importance of baptism. An important thing about baptism is that it serves as a way to further differentiate us from the rest of the world. One thing Adventists don t do that others do is baptize infants. I never understood why other religions did this. Baptism means that you are publicly declaring your devotion to God. The gesture seems wasted

4 on an infant because they don t know what it means. Another thing that that we do that many others don t do is that we baptize by immersion. The only reason why we baptize is because the Bible explicitly tells us to, and it gives us directions on how to do it. Therefore, I m glad that we as Adventists follow the instructions the Bible has on baptism. Participant 8: Baptism represents so many different things. What I personally find to be one of the most excellent symbols of what baptism stands for is being dead to sin and alive to God. The reason why baptism is so important is because it symbolizes our death and resurrection in the second coming. It is a public and private show of your acceptance and declaration of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. You choose to let Him be the decision maker of your life. We must die to self-daily, and baptism is also a representation of self-denial. I think that baptism is important, one, because Jesus. He is our ultimate example; He wouldn t have done so (and been blessed by the Holy Spirit) if baptism weren t important. Jesus led by example. Two, baptism isn t something that should be taken lightly. It is an important decision and commitment. Lastly, baptism is a covenant between God and us. Participant 9: I like this fundamental because it talks about baptism and its importance. I really like that they included the part about baptism by immersion instead of any other method, or not mentioning it at all. I think that this fundamental is important because it talks about the process we go through to acknowledge Christ as our savior and to proclaim this publicly. I like that it mentions that baptism is symbolic and that the fundamental explains the symbolic nature of baptism and what it really means. This fundamental is relevant in my life because I am baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and this mentions all that that baptism means in my life and in others as well. It s relevant in my life because I need to know what baptism entails before getting baptized. It s even important to know during and after baptism. Participant 10: I do not really have any positive or negative feelings towards this fundamental. It is a pretty straight forward concept, so I suppose I approve of its direct and uncomplicated wording. I suppose one thing that I do not really care for about this fundamental is the fact that baptism is somewhat synonymous with church membership. The explanation part of this fundamental kind of bothers me because the way the baptismal ceremony sometimes is more focused on the church membership aspect than the death to sin aspect. To me, it just seems to add too much ceremony and formality to something that should be an intimate experience. I think this fundamental is important because baptism is a symbol for one s acceptance of salvation, which is important for very obvious reasons. This fundamental is relevant to my life because it explains the importance of baptism. Participant 11: The decision to get baptized and follow Jesus Christ is such a powerful experience in the life of a person. Baptism by immersion is symbolic in itself; it means that a person dies with Christ. A person s selfish desires die on the cross and a new person is born. The character has been changed and the ability to do what they wanted to do before has been taken away. The old man was nailed to the cross and died and the new man has been raised from the grave; also the person now has forsaken the ways of this world to become more like God. The truth has been realized, the deep feeling of sin and shame has been impressed on the soul and the person is confronted with a choice to change. This fundamental is important because no man can become a new person without realizing the full extent of the weight of guilt that the person has on themselves. The guilt of sin which impresses them to turn from the evil ways of the world, repent and become a new person in Christ Jesus. All that a man needs is the faith to believe on the word of Jesus Christ and he will be saved. It is impossible for a man to warrant and guarantee himself entry into Heaven. Baptism is a relevant part of life. A man can only be baptized once to believe that Jesus will cleanse him from his sins. A man could decide to give his life to Christ if he wanted to get baptized again. The real point behind baptism is that a man must repent from his sins genuinely. There has to be a sincere repentance for joy to be proclaimed.

5 Participant 12: I like this fundamental because when you get baptism is a very special thing. The reason why I say it s special because when you go down in the water you leave the old you and when you come up a new person. Now you have an opportunity to work on yourself. I say it s important because it is the beginning of a great journey. This is when your relationship and God should get stronger. This fundamental is very relevant in my life the reason why I say that is when I got baptized I felt very good. The reason is because I left the old me and because the new me and this was when I start to work much harder with my Christian journey with God. Participant 13: What I like about this fundamental is how it not only talks about baptism and how it s our personal decision to follow Christ. This is the key. Jesus is not forcing us to do so, but He is calling us to do so. We have a choice to make and He calls us to follow Him. This fundamental is very important because it talks about how baptism is our commitment to God. The importance lies in the fact that it is not out of obligation, but out of a deep seeded love for God and a desire to be with Him forever. This fundamental is relevant because we live in a society that is afraid of making decisions and saying absolute statements. I believe that the very act of Baptism causes you to take a stand for God and is proclaiming to the world that God is who we choose to believe. Participant 14: I do not like the whole Idea of baptism because it seems to become more of a trend than a decision. For example, I got baptized when I was 13 years old and I realize now that I was too young. I didn t really understand life (not that I completely understand life) but at 13 years old there isn t much I understood about life. If I could rewind and get baptized again, I would do it in late high school or even in college. I want to be older and more understanding of life before I became baptized. It is extremely important because everyone should be baptized to be Adventist. Not that if you aren t baptized you can t be an Adventist, but it is something that should be highly considered and taken seriously. It is very relevant in my life because I am baptized and Adventist. I would wait to be a little older to be baptized but I do think it is important for Adventist to consider being baptized. Participant 15: Baptism. I like that the doctrine expresses the significance of baptism and what it means to be baptized. It is important that people understand that it is a very big commitment. We confess our faith and we acknowledge Christ as our Lord and savior. I think that this fundamental is important because a lot of people take baptism as a start to a new life-which it is. A new life with God and we are promising to live by his rules and to love and be faithful to him. It is a very important step in Christian life. This fundamental is relevant in my life because I have been baptized before and know the feelings that run through your system when you do. It is an indescribable feeling and I am forever proud of the decision that I made to give my life to God. Participant 16: What I like about this fundamental belief is that we die and are born again. I left everything under the water and I am a new creation in Christ. All the wrong in my past cannot separate me from my father. This fundamental belief is important because it says that in baptism we confess our faith in Christ. It is not just an action but is a symbol of something greater taking place. We acknowledge Christ as our source of being. This fundamental belief is important to me because I am baptized. At the age of six I gave my life to Christ. Every day of my life I need to confess my faith in my maker and I need to always die to self. Participant 17: This belief in baptism is one that I do like and appreciate. Within this tradition we have as a church, we are symbolizing our allegiance to God and our giving ourselves to Him. Kind of the same way that we have the tradition of marriage, this is our way of showing to many our new commitment to the Lord. This belief gives us a chance to look inward and do some self-searching because baptism is a very strong and serious thing. When we give our lives over to Christ, we truly want to look ourselves over and give ourselves completely to God. Our tradition of immersing ourselves in water to symbolize becoming a new person in Christ, helps us do so. This belief is very important because this is a step that God has asked us to take in our journey with Him. This isn t just some arbitrary thing that some man made up and it really doesn t mean much. This is truly something that God has asked us to do.

6 Of course there are going to be those who accept Christ not long before their time of death comes or something of that sort and I m sure that God will look at their heart, but those of us who know God for a long time and have time to get to know Him and study His word should take this step to be closer and more bonded to Him. I was baptized my sophomore year of high school. This was a big step in my life and I fully believe it and still hold onto it. Like I said, God looks at and judges the heart, but this step was very relevant for me in my walk with God. So for me, baptism applied to where I was and how I felt in my journey with Christ. Participant 18: I like the wording of this, that baptism is a way for us to confess our faith in Christ; it is a symbol. Through baptism we become members of His church, of his body. Baptism is a very important part of the church. It is a way for people to openly declare themselves for Christ and cleanse themselves. Baptism is a powerful thing, it is a symbol for people's reception of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a declaration of a stance against Satan and Sin. Baptism is a huge turning point in the lives of believes, it is the point at which we openly declare ourselves to be on Christ's side and accept His spirit. It is an open symbol to show our sin being cleansed away by Christ's grace and love. It's not something that should be taken lightly, for it is the start of our journey with Christ. Baptism is not the end but a milestone on our path towards becoming more like Jesus. From baptism we can truly grow in Christ. Participant 19: I like this fundamental that we will be talking about in class due to the fact that I feel that most people that are baptized don t even know what it truly means to this day after meeting them. I think it will be good for to review what everything means in the right context. What I don t like about this concept is how it is pushed for in the Adventist church while people have no clue about it. I feel as though people do this just because of the pressure from parents or others, especially at a young age and then wonder why they left the church or why Adventism really did not attract them. I do think that if someone wants to be a part of the Adventist church then it is important but if one chooses to live another lifestyle than it really does not matter as much. This is what brings you into the true fold of Adventism and put your name on the books making you an official member. Without this I do not believe you are truly Adventist since you have not made the commitment. This fundament is not relevant to my life pretty much. I don t consider myself an Adventist so this does not matter to me. The only way that this could be relevant to me is that people have pushed me to be baptized when I was younger but I didn t agree due to my beliefs on life and such. Overall I feel as if someone wants to be Adventist that this can be a good thing for him or her drawing him or her closer to his or her church as a whole which I feel is a great thing. Just at the end of the day it is something that I don t wish to take part of or be a part of. Participant 20: I like this fundamental because the symbol of baptism. We are to be united with Christ. It means we are repenting inwardly and outwardly with water. Baptism represents a promise between Jesus and us. This fundamental is important because Jesus got baptized when He was on earth. We must follow His example. This practice/act shows our professed faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus commanded this act in Matt 28:19, 20. This fundamental is relevant to my life because I have gotten baptized years ago. I know my sins and faults, but I know that I am committed to Christ and I can repent. Participant 21: I loved the wording of this fundamental. It encompassed everything we believe about baptism and explained that it is in response to a belief in Christ as our Savior and is a symbol of our union with Him, death to our sins, and life through His saving grace. This fundamental is important because Jesus said he who believes and is baptized will be saved. He was baptized, and we should follow His example above all else. This fundamental is relevant in my life because I have been baptized, and also because Christ commands us to go forth and make disciples of every nation, kindred, tribe, tongue and people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That was His command, who are we to say it s irrelevant?

7 Participant 22: The story of Nyangwira was harsh. Will I be willing to give my life? It s always been interesting to me how in other countries many people are willing to die because of Jesus. They seem to not value their lives more than Jesus, and I know that s what we are supposed to do but there s a big step between saying and doing. I liked in this doctrine that Baptism is nothing else but admitting publicly our surrender to Jesus Christ. This is a public act, just like when we get married. [Identifying Information Removed Name] is my boyfriend, and I love him. We ve been together quite some time, and I can t wait till our wedding, the day I publicly admit he is the man of my life, my one and only one love. It s the same with baptism. Both baptism and marriage are a pact, a promise. Another thing I liked from the reading is that Baptism is by immersion. This is a very controversial thing within Christianity. Hopefully after this class I will be able to explain to my non Adventist friends why we believe in immersion. It s very important because baptism is the symbol of the promise we make to God. We accept to follow Him. It s very irrelevant, I hope (kids especially) were taught more about it, they should know that this is not something one does just to feel Adventist. Most definitely I think that we should have more sermons about it at church, telling us how serious baptism is. Participant 23: What I didn t like about this fundamental was that it did not include whether or not it is okay to be baptized more than once. I have seen people who were baptized at a young age and felt that they didn t understand the meaning of baptism and grew up constantly sinning and leaving the church then coming back again and getting re-baptized. I thought that whole concept would have been discussed because I was thinking about re-baptism myself, not that I ve strayed away from the church but just with my personal relationship with God. I believe that this fundamental is very important because it is like an initiation of your walk with Christ, I feel as though that s when it truly begins. When He allows His spirit to enter into you and into your life and with all the hardships and struggles life has, His spirit will bring you peace. This fundamental is relevant in my life because I was baptized at what I thought was a young age 11 or 12, but I remember that I choose to be baptized, I wasn t force and I know now making the decision to be baptized at that moment was the wisest decision I ve ever made because I saw God from a child s perspective, and a child sees God as God, amazing, all powerful, loving, caring, my best friend. Participant 24: This fundamental seems to start by saying that through the act of baptism, we as individuals and as children of God seem to confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and also to testify of our death to sin and our purpose to walk a new life in Christ. This sounds like an invitation into circle of Unity of God s body, or the church, even though I don t think that going to church is not necessarily a requirement for eternal life. What I like about this fundamental is that I have a chance to learn more about this sacred ritual that many of us adolescents don t seem to understand before partaking in, or at least just me because I was just 12 when I got baptized and believe you me I only did because of peer pressure. Oh this fundamental is definitely important in that I feel as if it readies any and all Christians for the eternal kingdom. The ritual of baptism to me is that one is bathed in God s forgiveness, and has promised to denounce [one s] old lifestyle and pursue a new one in Christ alone. More so, through baptism our affirmation of faith is pronounced, especially as Christians. It is relevant in my life such that when I had participated in baptism, again it was only due to peer pressure because all my friends where doing it and I had wanted to look cool, but today I don t think I look much cool in the eyes of God if I claim to have been baptized without understanding the fundamental of baptism. Through research and understanding I hope to repartake in this pronunciation of faith, when I feel I fully grasp the knowledge behind this fundamental and that I accept them. Participant 25: By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. I think it is very important because being baptized makes you born again into Christ. It is very important because I got baptized to be born again into God.

8 Participant 26: I really like this fundamental belief because it explains the importance of baptism. I have always heard that baptism is important and that God requires it, but I had a hard time understanding it, until recently. I like how they put it in this explanation. I like how they relate it to Noah and the flood the world was dirty and sinful, but God washed it away with the flood leaving it new and refreshed. I thought that was a great example to show how God views baptism. I also appreciated the fact that they said, While baptism is vitally linked to salvation, it does not guarantee salvation. I am afraid that some may think baptism is the ultimate answer to salvation. But it is the relationship and commitment to God that brings that everlasting life that God offers which, I believe, is more important than baptism. Participant 27: I like this fundamental belief because Baptism is an important part of a Christian belief. It is an important milestone to many Christian. It is when they say to the world that they are taking Jesus as their savior and want the whole world to know it. The book states different qualification that a person should have before entering the baptismal pool. I like this section because it really states what mind state you should be in before deciding you want to proclaim this. Though, ultimately it is the person choice when they wish to proceed with baptism but they will understand what is meant by baptism with this fundamental belief. This is why like this fundamental belief. It is relevant in my life because like most Christian there will/was a time when I had to choose to give my life to Christ and when other people come to decision they can understand what they are deciding like I did. Participant 28: I like that baptism is the public display of affection toward Jesus, and shows that we want to grow closer to Him and follow Him in all that we do. I also like that it is a way to show that we are all united in one body in Christ. It is important because through baptism we publically accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and through the immersion in water we also symbolically wash away our sins. It is relevant because through baptism we choose to show our allegiance to Christ, and follow Him throughout our lives. Participant 29: What I like about this fundamental is that baptism leads to the way of salvation. You are not automatically saved if you are baptized but it leads the way to it. What I don t like about this fundamental is that I feel many churches, pastors especially, push baptism, like it s the only thing in Christianity. But being a Christian is more than just being baptized. This fundamental is important because Christ came on earth and was baptized. He set an example and like I said before it leads the way to salvation. When you get baptized you are proclaiming publically that you believe in Jesus Christ and would like to become part of God s family. Yes this fundamental is relevant to my life. I remember when I got baptized, I was 13 years old. I was so excited because I knew in my heart I was making the right decision and I never regretted it. Being baptized doesn t mean I had to be completely perfect, if anything I screwed up more, but I am apart of God s family and I know He will always accept me. Participant 30: I found this one very interesting because baptism in so important. To our faith. Jesus was baptized and is he is the one that we should follow then we have to get baptized to. I think that many people do not understand what it symbolizes. It is showing forgiveness and being cleansed of the sins that hold us down. I remember when I was baptized I didn t really know what I was getting into because it was something that was forced for me. I think that people need to understand what baptism is before they enter into it. It is not something that should be taken lightly and many people do not get that part. I wish that people knew that god cleanses us of our sins because he does. One of the ways is through baptism and this is seen when we accept God as our personal Savior. I think that there are times when following God is hard and making the decision is hard but if we have faith he will help us out. There are people who are Christians who have not even decided to get baptized because they do not feel worthy enough but God makes everyone worthy; we just have to enter the water with him. I think that after we get baptized our walk is not going to be easier but instead it will be harder because the devil is going to throw more things at us to try and make us stumble but we must cling to the cross and remember why we decided

9 to get baptized in the first place. It is because we are accepting God as our savior and saying God, cleanse me of all unrighteousness so I can lice and grow with you. If Jesus was in the water then we must follow him and get in too. Participant 31: One thing I don t like about this fundamental is that people tend to emphasize the act of baptism more than the symbolic meaning of it. People focus so much on baptizing as many people as they can into the church, while they don t care for each individual s relationship and walk with Christ. This fundamental is important because baptism symbolizes a proclamation of our faith and a rebirth in Christ. We are told to be like Jesus, and Jesus himself set an example for us by also being baptizing during his time on Earth. This fundamental is relevant to me because I am also baptized. The question for me now is whether I am truly confessing my faith to Christ and being born again, or if baptism just another thing to check off. It is relevant to my life because now I must face the struggle of not just being baptized once, but being spiritually baptized every day as I repent my sins and confess my faith every day of my life. Participant 32: No Journal Entry Submitted. Participant 33: I think anyone who is interesting in becoming an Adventist should be walked though one at a time each doctrine and when they come up to this doctrine maybe they should consider this as either they want to be baptized or maybe not. However I have no problem with this doctrine. With this doctrine I was baptized. So I have no problem except how about those who are not baptized. Does one have to be baptized, how does baptism work, is it really a symbolic act, for Jesus it wasn t symbolic it was a physical mark in the 3 and 1/2 years he had to minster. It is important to the Adventist view in that it helps give us an explanation of what we think we should be baptized in full immersion in water but I feel as if this doctrine was created only in response to how other religious organizations choose to do their baptism. However I think it s not one of the most important doctrines in fact it could be combined with 13 because they are so closely related. All the doctrines have a purpose and to some extent are important to help people understand our perspective but I think the whole bible needs to be called into question. Which is the only source we use in our doctrines which could lead to future problems because it sounds like circular reasoning. It s relevant to me because this is how I was raised and taught to believe so I am reluctant to push it to the side. However this belief has not made this world a better place but instead it could be said that it kept us stagnant, and only through exploration and tests and discoveries have we made our world better than it has ever been in the past. So it is relevant to me because it confirms what I was taught to believe but I am having trouble still believing it. However if we truly follow this particular ones maybe we as Adventist will be less judgmental and more excepting of all people. Participant 34: I like how this fundamental shows that the baptism symbolizes of death to sin and new life in Christ. I like the public confession of our faith as I choose to be a part of this tradition in the Bible and an act that Jesus part took in before his ministry to the world. I don t believe that you need to be baptized in order to be saved, but it is important because it symbolizes our commitment to Christ and that we have chosen to be a follower of Jesus. It is taught in the Bible and shown in the life of Christ, so we should follow the teachings of the life of Jesus. This is relevant to me because a few years back I was baptized into the Adventist church. This is a reminder to me of the commitment I made that day, a commitment to follow Christ and to continue to have that connection with Him in my life. Participant 35: What I really liked about this chapter was its explanation about the history of baptism. When you know the history of something, you start to see the reasoning of why it s done. Also you can tell that when the way of doing something has been changed just because someone wanted to change it. I think this fundamental is important because when you don t baptize by immersion, you don t get the full significance of the symbol of baptism. I think it s a touching and moving experience. I also think this fundamental is important because it actually

10 explains what baptism is about. Baptism is not something that should be taken lightly and we need to understand what it means when we decide to be baptized and when we baptize people into the church. I found this fundamental relevant because it was a reminder of why I decided to be baptized and a reminder of the duties that I accepted when I was baptized. Participant 36: I like this belief a lot. Humans are all about what we can see. We cannot see if a person is right with God, even if they are baptized they might not be, but it is a visual symbol that at that moment expresses the person s intention to try their best to follow God. It is a beautiful thing for family and friends to witness and a call to rally around the new brother or sister in Christ. I think it is very important. Baptism is a symbol to us, others, and God that we are trying to be His child. That we want salvation and want to be free from sin, that we love Christ. Belief is more important than actions, but actions should show belief. Baptism is the greatest symbolic action we can do to show our faith. It is relevant. It is not always at the forefront of my mind, but when I think back to my own baptism it is a very special and important memory for me. It gives me strength and encouragement and helps me feel closer to God. Participant 37: I like how it was said that Christ taught, He who believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16). This here is why I believe in Christ, for his teachings speak the truth every time. This fundamental is important because baptism to me is the only way to be cleansed by the Holy Spirit. For baptism will show Christ that I am a part of his unity with Christ, and forgiveness of my sins by Christ. This is relevant to my life because I got baptize in the year 2005 and that was the time when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I believed that my life could not go on anymore with me doing what I wanted to do and guide myself, but that I needed Christ as my guide. For my life is in his hands and he could deliver me from my old ways and make me a new creature. When I got baptize it was hard at first to decide whether or not I wanted to or not. When I decided to give my life to Christ, it would come with more hardships, for the devil will try and put me down and steer me away from Christ, but it is Christ I live for and him I stand with. Participant 38: What I like about this fundamental is the very fact that baptism is our confession to our God to be reborn. Once we acknowledge him and understand who he truly is, we get baptized. This fundamental, however, is not kept scared in most churches. A lot of Seventh Day Adventists, on average, get baptized before the age of thirteen. I believe, baptism needs to be more established as a vastly scared ritual. To me it s like getting married. I was born into the SDA faith, and I am still not baptized since I want to do it once when I am fully aware of the love from Jesus Christ. This fundamental is important since it s the beginning journey with our walk with God. Jesus also stated that in order to go into his kingdom, you must believe in him and be baptized. This fundamental is relevant in my life since I too want to get baptized someday. I am hoping and praying that I will get baptized this year. But before I do anything I have to read and study the bible so I can have a firm belief in my religion with God. I agree with their responses since they believe that baptism is a positive thing. As I stated before, that once we get baptized, it begins our journey with God. Participant 39: I feel positive about this fundamental. It talks about how important baptism is and how baptism and salvation goes hand and hand. There are many strengths in this fundamental. One is how it showed that Jesus had lead by example. Everything he wanted his people to do, he first did it. He was a living example on how we should live. Jesus commanded they we go out baptizing people. Baptism is an outward expression to let others know you have chosen to follow Christ. It is also a sign that you are dying to your old self the sinful you and being born again to live in Christ. Baptism goes hand and hand with salvation God stated that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again. I think this fundamental is adequate in its present form for young adults. We all need to know the importance of baptism and what it symbolizes. Baptism shows our death and resurrection

11 in Christ. Baptism is a symbol of a covenant relationship. God does not do anything outside of a covenant. I would keep the title the same. Baptism is important to know about when following after Christ. We all need to be baptize. Participant 40: The practice and symbolism behind baptism is very beautiful. I like the manner in which this very important fundamental was familiarized in this chapter. Baptism is a rather simple practice, however it holds endless value and worth in our Father s eyes. A key sentence that really stood out to be read, baptism is vitally linked to salvation, it does not guarantee salvation. This statement is very true. The chapter addresses the topic and fundamental of baptism in a very genuine, truthful manner. Salvation is guaranteed through believing God is our savior, not by baptism alone. To build off of my previous statement, baptism is an essential practice; however, it does not promise that we are saved. God requires more of us. He wants us to genuinely love Him and long to serve Him and His people. We must believe in Him. Baptism is a testimony of our promises to Him. It is a way of surrendering ourselves to take up His calling for our lives. I was baptized at a very young age. I was thirteen years old. I literally walked in my house one day, and my pastor was sitting at my kitchen table ready to give me my first baptismal lesson. I feel as though I never honestly made the choice to get baptized by myself- my parents chose for me. This took away the intimacy and sincerity of the baptismal practice. Now that I am older, I am thankful that I am a baptized member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, however I do wish I were able to make my baptismal decision on my own time. Participant 41: I like how this belief signifies that baptism by immersion is scripturally sound and how it is an indicator of the proclamation of our faith. However I can say that the belief is very idealistic and generic. The facets of baptism are so much more than what is explicated in the statement. Life and temptations become harder due to the pull of our carnal nature versus our desire to maintain our God-centered lives. This is a major indicator of our protestant Christian Faith. Proclaiming our faith in Christ through immersive baptism is what separates us from many of the traditional church practices, particularly the Catholic religion. This belief also tends to be our rite of passage into becoming a full member of the Church. This belief is important to me because I was baptized at an older-ish age. However, I do feel like the fact that most of my friends had already been baptized served as an impetus for me wanting to get baptized. Yes, I knew that baptism meant I had to have a better knowledge of the Bible and form a relationship with God, but at the same time I felt left out of the Big Kids Club of Adventists. However, I still think that Baptism is a great step in furthering your walk with God. I do agree that there is beginning to be some sort of strange associations with the practice of Baptism. Many people, especially the youth, tend to do it in waves with their friends, while others are coerced into doing it. While the act of Baptism is still important I feel like it is beginning to lose that importance as it becomes common place. Too many times the church focuses on baptizing people and forget the role of maintaining and creating disciples. Participant 42: Baptism is a real issue that I think should be in our fundamental beliefs. Out of the many things we do believe in I think that the fundamental beliefs should include the actions and theological beliefs which set us apart from others. Baptism by immersion is not a salvific issue but it is a correct stance on this issue in my opinion. I think that baptism has always been a debated subject since very early in the Christian Church and I think that Baptism by Immersion is something that sets us apart from most other churches. Therefore, it is important to state where we stand on this issue. I think that Christ was baptized by immersion, John baptized by immersion, and I even think Jesus disciples were taught to baptize by immersion. I think that baptism is a purely symbolic action and yet, it has heavy symbol meaning and should be done when possible. I was baptized when I was 12 years old and I have come into contact with wonderful people of different religions who believe in different ways of baptizing people or in not baptizing at all. I think that for me it helped define when my dedication to Christ began and helped keep me accountable to all those who saw me being baptized, all those who know I am baptized, and my church in general. Its encouraging to have such a large support group for the spiritual challenges I face.

12 Participant 43: Baptism is a fundamental that I understand and I believe it is necessary but I don t think it is properly taught in the church. I like the fact that the doctrine was properly broken down to show the stage to baptism. I like the fact how the doctrine is so extensive. I like the fact that the fundamental explain that Jesus is head of the church. The only issue I have with this doctrine is the fact that I thought sins were forgiven before baptism. That was a little unclear to me. I believe this express the importance of baptism and it helps you to understand why it is necessary to enter church. It actually shows the connection between Christ and church and new believers will get a clear picture as to what they are joining. This is why I think this is important. I have been baptized and I must say I didn t fully understand everything but I think this fundamental gave me some clearer perspective I know I made the right choice. I was able to see the deeper meaning that just a surfaced one. I believe that may of the participants were baptized not because they understood but because they thought it was the right thing to do. This suggests that many were not fully clear as to why they were baptized. As I took a look at the pie charts I realized that those who were baptized at age 14 or more had a higher personal conviction rate than those who were baptized at age 13 or less. Even though this is so it is clear that many of them from both age groups were not fully taught this fundamental belief in its entirety. This breathes the question, can teenagers fully understand this fundamental? Participant 44: I like this fundamental because it is something that I have often seen untouched. No one questions it (at least not in my church) and it is just accepted. But reading this fundamental really places baptism into perspective. I like that they show each part and why it should be question and studied, and what it means to us as Christians and how God places value on it. I think this action can change people s lives. Making such a bold decision to be baptized is a life-long commitment. Hopefully after people (including myself) read this, they can see how important God considers these actions of us submitting our lives to Him. This fundamental is relevant to me personally because baptism is something I have always needed to study more. As a young Adventist I just accepted baptism for what is was (baptized at 9) and never really questioned it. I didn t understand how powerful of an action it was. Now as I read this I see how God uses this simple action to accomplish so much. It is relevant to me because it is teaching me how much I can t just accept doctrines, I need to search the scriptures and study it for myself. Participant 45: I appreciate how this fundamental begins with an explanation of why the act of baptism is important. The 15th fundamental clearly outlines what this symbolic action represents; our death to sin, our reception of the Holy Spirit, and our union with our Savior. I also appreciate that this fundamental concludes by citing the Holy Scripture as instructing the practice of baptism by immersion. A public demonstration of a person s commitment to Christ, I believe, is an essential part of Christian discipleship. The practice of baptism serves as a proclamation of our repentance from sin and the beginning of a new, Christ-centered life, filled with the Holy Spirit. However, I am unable to identify a fundamental difference between baptism by immersion and baptism by sprinkling. It seems to me that both act as a public symbol of our death to sin and union with Christ. I feel that too much gravity is placed on a distinction that does not seem to affect the meaning of this symbolic act. At age 18, I was baptized, by immersion in Lake Michigan, into the Seventh-day Adventist church. This, undoubtedly, was one of the most important and faith affirming events in my life. I fully recognized the value of making a public statement of dedication to my faith and commitment to a new way of life. I am glad that I waited to choose baptism into the Seventh-day Adventist church until I was old enough to understand what this action symbolized and what would be expected of me as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Participant 46: I like this fundamental because it is one of my favorite ones. Baptism is the one thing that you can show God and the world that you are making your own covenant with Him. It is the promise you make with God, by tell Him that you are fully His, and will keep Him in your life for the rest of your life. Baptism is the one thing is more than just going under water. It signifies that you are longing for salvation, and that you will do whatever it takes in order to receive it. Baptism is accepting the simple fact that you are acknowledging that Christ did, in fact, die for you and you are accepting that and accepting Him into your life. This fundamental is important because it is essential for people to realize what Christ has done for you, what He is doing for you, and what He will do for you.