Baptism: Its Meaning and Significance Ogletown Baptist Church

Transcription

1 : Its Meaning and Significance 316 Red Mill Road Newark, DE

2 What do we believe about baptism? We baptize because we believe that Jesus initiated this act and instructed those who follow Him to do so. The person being baptized is identifying with Christ in His death and resurrection. is a tangible expression of someone giving his/her life up to God through Jesus Christ, so that he/she might live a new life. It pictures the forgiveness of sins, as well as the unity with Jesus Christ. We believe that baptism is for those who have professed repentance toward God and faith in Jesus. Because of this, it is our practice is only to baptize those who have confessed Christ as their personal Savior. We obey Jesus command through immersing in water those who have confessed Christ. We do this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, obeying Christ s command and honoring the work of God in salvation. Upon being baptized, a person becomes a member of our church and is united with this family of believers. What does my baptism mean? It means that I accept with a believing heart the death and burial and resurrection of Christ for me. It signifies and affirms that by believing I am washed of all my sins and am granted eternal life. It means that I have come out in the open with an observable, life- long commitment to follow Jesus Christ wherever He may lead. This is not magic. does not wash away my sins or grant me new life. Only Christ can remove my sins, and that happens when I put my faith in Him. reflects on the outside what faith has accomplished on the inside. Since Jesus Christ has given me baptism, by my baptism I am choosing not to neglect His gift.

3 My baptism means that I am confess that Christ s death and resurrection are necessary to save me. speaks to the fact that I have been united to Christ in His death and resurrection. In baptism, my private faith is given visible and concrete expression, and a clear beginning is made to the Christian life. I am publicly received into a family of believers who are gifted to help me live for Christ. In my baptism, I am assured of God s good work in my life through Jesus Christ. What Scriptures teach us about baptism? Some of Jesus direct teaching on baptism can be found in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 1:4 and 16:16, and John 3:23. Some instances of the practice of baptism by the early church is found in Acts 2:41, 8:12, 36-38, 18:8. Some of the primary teaching of the apostles on baptism can be found in Romans 6 and Colossians 2. at We request that each person that desires to be baptized meet with an OBC staff member or leader. That meeting will involve you sharing about your faith journey. In addition we will walk you through the location/rooms where you would prepare for baptism. We will also work toward scheduling a time/date to be baptized. Following your meeting with a staff member, we encourage each person to write out their testimony of faith in Christ to be shared the day of baptism. We are glad to assist in whatever way we can in working through that. Generally, the testimonies amount to 2-4 paragraphs. On the day of your baptism, we ask that you (1) make sure to be in the baptismal preparation room at least 15 minutes prior to the

4 baptismal service. The baptism will take place as a part of our worship service for the day. In addition, we encourage you to (2) invite any family members or friends to celebrate this day with you. Remind them to come early as well. We will have people to assist you in your baptism, but we do ask that you bring a complete change of clothes. What next? If you are not yet ready to be baptized, please continue to seek God through His Word and through other believers for His direction in this matter. Also, please realize our church is here to serve you in this decision. If you are interested in being baptized, please set up an appointment with one of our staff members by calling our church office at In addition, you can any of our staff members. Their addresses are located at. Also, before your appointment, it would be helpful for you to fill out the Info Sheet attached to this form, and bring it to the meeting.

5 Info Sheet Name: Contact Info: Phone Reason for wanting to be baptized: Is there a date/month in which you would prefer to be baptized? Although we are not able to schedule a baptism for every Sunday, we will work hard to make sure we find a date that is suitable with your schedule.