Baptism Information I

Baptism Information I

Biblical Baptism at Grace Point Church What a person believes about baptism affects if/how they perform the ordinance of baptism. 2 Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to represent their identity immersed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of scriptural obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior. It signifies a person death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is an outward expression to their inward belief that since Christ resurrected they will too. Baptism is intended for those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ and can give testimony of doing so. We baptize by immersion not only because it is the original significance of the word, but also it best symbolizes the reality to which baptism points our death and resurrection in Christ. If you have not been baptized following salvation, we ask you to take this step which in scripture is shown to be a believer s initial step in their faith journey. To help prepare you, we offer a Baptism Orientation at each campus. The orientation covers the biblical significance of baptism and gives you an opportunity to develop your written testimony. Register for the orientation online at gracepoint.org/baptism. We encourage you to read through the baptism resources provided to you by Grace Point on this website. We believe that understanding baptism biblically will allow your personal baptism to be an enriching experience. Once you go through the orientation or/and carefully review all the baptism resources you can register for baptism online.

3 What is baptism? Baptism, along with the Lord s Supper, is an ordinance given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ as a visible symbol of grace. Believers have an opportunity to remember God s goodness and grace, especially as revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Both baptism and the Lord s Supper symbolize our union, by faith, in Christ s death and resurrection. As we enter into the waters, or watch another do so, we are reminded that Christ was crucified and raised from the dead and that we to have died to our old self in order to live a new life with Christ. As a symbol, baptism illustrates a disciple s: 1. belief that Christ died and resurrected. 2. decision to end their former way of life without Christ. 3. submission to the Holy Spirit for a new way of life with Christ. What baptism isn t: 1. Baptism does not save. Scripture is clear that salvation from the penalty of sin comes by grace alone, through faith alone. 2. Baptism is not necessary for salvation. Even though baptism is an act of obedience, it is not a requirement for a person to receive the gift of salvation. Why should one be baptized? 1. To obey the command of Christ Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. 2. To give evidence that a person is a disciple of Christ Galatians 3:26-27 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ 3. To profess our belief in the resurrection Romans 6:1-7 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

4. To follow the example of Christ Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Baptism is both a responsibility and a privilege. We have the opportunity to put our trust in Christ and love for our King on display. If we think of baptism as a mere religious ritual, we improperly connect with the heart of Jesus when it comes to baptism. Having a personal relationship with Jesus sets a person up to do baptism with a sense of eagerness and joy. The desire to be baptized should be motivated by a desire to glorify God in faithful obedience. Being baptized in order to join a church or please a friend or family member is biblically incorrect. Who should be Baptized? We practice what is called believer s baptism, which means baptism is for those who believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Reading through the book of Acts (the actions of the early church) we find baptism explicitly related to repentance, receiving the Word, believing and receiving in the Holy Spirit. There is no evidence to suggest that nonbelievers were baptized. For those who were baptized at an earlier age, it is important to understand that we should only be baptized once. If you trusted in Christ at that time, your baptism is valid. If, however, you experienced baptism before trusting in Christ, your experience was not biblical baptism, and thus you need to be baptized. The question is therefore, Was I truly trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of my sins and the gift of eternal life when I was baptized? Believers must not get re-baptized each time they experience a season of growth and joy with the Lord. However, if you believe that your original baptism was prior to truly trusting in Christ as Lord and Savior you should pursue obedience in this area by being baptized now. We strongly attempt to practice what scripture commands in the most accurate way possible. The method and meaning of baptism depicts immersion. We encourage those who have been baptized through the method of sprinkling to be baptized through the method of immersion because it aligns more accurately to what the Bible puts on display. This encouragement is left to the discretion of the believer because an accurate motive and/or belief in Christ is more important than a method. When should a person be Baptized? As soon as a person trusts Christ, he or she should be baptized. The Bible does not give any examples of a delayed baptism in which a regenerate believer refrains from obedience to the ordinance. On the contrary, baptism is rather immediate. Acts 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash you sins, calling on his name. This pattern of somewhat immediate baptism should be practiced unless there are convincing reasons to delay baptism. Improper motivations for delayed baptisms are: 1. Fear is the most common reason for someone delaying their baptism. Fear should not be passively accepted because fear is the tool the enemy uses to keep people from God, both for salvation and for obedience. 4

5 2. The belief that you are not good enough. There will never be a time when a person will be good enough for baptism because the measurement mark of goodness doesn t exist. The right to enter into the waters of baptism is grounded on Christ s righteousness not our own. How should a person be baptized? Though there are different methods of baptism practices by different denominations like pouring and sprinkling, Grace Point Church practices baptism by immersion. We do so because: 1. The Greek word literally means to submerge or immerse. Our English word baptism is a transliteration of the Greek βαπτίζω. Baptizó was used in Greek literature to describe the act of immersing something in water or another liquid. It later became exclusive to the Christian ordinance of baptism. 2. The method of immersion best displays the narrative of Christ resurrecting from death. The act of a believer going under water and coming back out visually symbolizes being buried and coming back to life. Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. Romans 6:3-4 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into is death? 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 the newness of life. 3. Scripture describes baptism by immersion. The surrounding context of each early church baptism depicts a person going in water. Matthew 3:16 and when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him John 3:23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized Acts 8:38-39 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing. Where should person be Baptized? Scripture doesn t prescribe locations for baptism. Grace Point prefers to practice the ordinance within the context of the local church in order to allow the entire faith family to celebrate the person s act of obedience. We do allow for baptisms to occur outside the walls of the church. Our preference in such cases is that video and/or pictures be taken to record the event so that the church can share in the joy.

6 Who Can perform Baptism? The Bible gives no prescription for the requirements to perform baptism. Contrary to some traditions, there seems to be no biblical reason to restrict the duty to men who have been ordained. Therefore, we allow any believer, male or female, who has faithfully obeyed the ordinance of baptism themselves to perform baptism. Baptism and Mission Partnership Baptism is a requirement to be affirmed as a Mission Partner at Grace Point. We require anyone who desires to join the church to have displayed obedience to Christ s command after conversion. While we practice a baptism by immersion at Grace Point, we do not require the mode of immersion for Partnership. If a person was baptized through a different method other than immersion after conversion, he or she has met our requirements for Partnership. Prior to Baptism 1. We ask those who desire to be baptized to participate in our Baptism Orientation. This is offered at each campus during the second service on the second-to-last Sunday of the month. 2. After participating in the orientation and/or studying the baptism material we ask believers to register online. This includes submitting your testimony of exchanging your life. gracepoint.org/baptism Baptism Service We currently celebrate baptisms on the last Sunday of every month at every Grace Point campus. If you wish to be baptized during another Sunday of the month we will be glad to set it up. We ask participants to arrive 30 minutes prior to service with a change of clothes and desired personal/hair care items. We will provide a t-shirt for you to wear and keep. Your story will be read to the congregation. Then, we ask you to share a short testimony statement. We call this a One Statement. There is a worksheet PDF on our website that helps you develop this One Statement using your testimony. We also cover this at the Baptism Orientation. The baptizer will then immerse and subsequently raise the you out of the water. Two things, from Scripture, are said during the baptism: I baptize you, my (brother or sister) in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (This statement is taken from Matthew 28:19-2.) Buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life. (This statement is taken from Romans 6:4.) Helpful Hints 1. Wear dark shorts to maintain modesty. 2. Bring a change of clothes and a towel. We provide a bag for your wet clothes. 3. A row of seats will be reserved for you and your family in a section close to the stage. Your family may choose sit in another section, but you will need to sit the designated section.

7 Why do we call it Believer s Baptism? Every baptism, that Scripture puts on display, is done after a person believes in Jesus as Savior: Acts 2:38-41 Peter preaches, then says repent and be baptized. Those who were baptized were those who received his word. Acts 8:12 Philip preaches, then many were baptized. When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 8:26-40 Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch using Isaiah 53. Then he gets baptized. Acts 9:1-19 God specifically told Ananias to minister to Paul and for him to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul connects with Ananias, they talk, then Paul gets baptized. Acts 10:1-48 Peter preaches to Cornelius and his household. The Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word [then Peter] commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 16:14-15 Paul preached to Lydia. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. The text following states that she and her household were baptized. Acts 16:25-34 Paul and Silas spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house all his family were baptized. The jailer rejoiced because he had believed God. Acts 19:1-7 Paul connected with 12 men who had been baptized through the baptism of repentance from John the Baptist. Paul told them about Jesus and the Holy Spirit then baptized them. What about infant baptism in Roman Catholicism? Roman Catholicism teaches that all infants should be baptized because the very act makes them born again. The Church is believed to be an authoritative agent and means to remove original sin and bestow saving grace. Our response: No one can respond to the gospel on your behalf. Neither the act of baptism, nor the water has power within itself. Nowhere in Scripture do we see The Church having the dispensing power of grace. Any works-based system stands in stark contrast with the gospel preached by Jesus Christ. Protestant Infant Baptism According to Protestant theology, faith alone is the instrument in justification, and therefore saving grace is not bestowed in the waters of baptism. In the case of Protestants who practice infant baptism they provide a 3-part arguments: 1. Infants were circumcised in the Old Covenant. 2. There is an essential continuity that must be made between the Old and New Covenants. 3. Baptism is the sign of the New Covenant just as circumcision was the sign of the Old.

8 Within the Old Covenant, Israel was commanded to circumcise their sons on the eight day as a sign and seal of there being included within God s covenant with the God s chosen nation. Infant baptism is seen as a method to continue that expectation of performing a sign that ushers them and seals them within God s covenant community. The verse often used to embrace this exercise is Colossians 2:11-12 and Acts 2:39 Our response: 1. The primary way a person entered into the Old Covenant community, prior to Jesus, was through physical birth. The only way a person now enters the New Covenant community, prescribed by Jesus and New Testament authors, is through a spiritual birth (being born again ). Biblical pattern presents baptism as an act practiced by those individuals who are spiritual infants, meaning they are recent converts. 2. The Old Covenant community was a mixed community composed of both believers and unbelievers (Romans 2:29, 9:6). The New Covenant community is composed of only believers. 3. The Old Covenant consisted of shadows which pointed to the substance fulfilled in Christ. The New Testament leaders communicated often of discontinuing common practices (Colossians 2:16-18; Hebrews 10:1-4) 4. The promise that is referred to in Acts 2:39 does not refer to baptism but rather the promise of the Holy Spirit based on Acts 2:33 and Acts 1:4. The statement that the promise is for your children is specifically defined with AND for all who are far off not or. The passage teaches that the Holy Spirit will be given to all whom Christ calls to Himself, not that we should baptize children. Household Baptisms Proponents of infant baptism use two scenarios in Acts 10 and 16 of an entire household being baptized to justify the rationale of infant baptism as prescriptive. If in fact those specific household included families with infants, then we have biblical evidence of infant baptism. First, using these examples as arguments presumes the presence of infants within the households. In fact, the text itself does not necessitate that finding. There is no convincing evidence of infants in those households. To be fair, there is no explicit statement to consider otherwise either. Second, the texts reveal clues that suggest all who were baptized had also been converted. 1. Acts 10 explicitly states that Cornelius feared God with all his household. In other words, all in his household were described as fearing God. Those who were baptized were those who feared. 2. Acts 16 describes the baptism of a jailer s household. In verse 31, Paul and Silas respond: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. It s hard to interpret this to mean that if the jailer believed, his household would be saved as well. In verse 32, the word is spoken to his entire household and in verse 34 the entire household rejoiced together. Our response: Timing and mode are not absolutely essential to the Christian faith. We love and respect Christians who disagree with believer s baptism, but we believe and teach it as the biblical form of baptism.