Baptism

Go Public With Your Faith

WHAT IS WATER BAPTISM

Baptism is going public about your faith in Jesus and communicating to the world your undying commitment to following Him and only Him. It's the next step after receiving and accepting salvation.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WATER BAPTISM?

People often have questions regarding baptism: Why should I be baptized? What if I've already been baptized-- do I have to do it again? Does it matter if someone is sprinkled or fully submerged? Take a few minutes to read that answers below to come of the most common questions about water baptism.

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT BAPTISM

What is baptism?

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It's a public declaration of how Jesus changed your life. Being baptized shows others that you've decided to follow Jesus, and allows them to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34). Remember baptism doesn't make you a believer - it shows that you already believe.

Why should I be baptized?

Why does baptism matter? Jesus instructs us to be baptized and set the example by being baptized himself (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:9). Obedience to Jesus shows we believe and follow Him wholeheartedly (1 John 2:3). Since Jesus went public about His love for us, we can go public about our love for Him. Being baptized shows the world that we consciously and daily turn away from a life of sin and strive towards Jesus, the only One who can change us (Acts 2:38-41).

What if I was baptized or christened as an infant?

Can I be baptized again? At Harvest, we encourage you to identify yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ through baptism. If your first baptism occurred as a decision by someone else (i.e. your parents decided to have you baptized as an infant), then we would encourage you to be baptized again of your own accord. This decision does not devalue your prior family experience, but simply reflects your desire to follow Jesus and be identified as one of His beloved sons/daughters.

What's the difference between immersing, sprinkling and other ways of baptizing?

Water baptisms in the Bible were by immersion. The original word for baptism most often is referred to being immersed or submerged in water. Jesus was baptized by being immersed in the water and rising out of it (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10). Submersion in the water symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Being submerged under water represents our death to sin and old way of life, and being raised out of the water is a representation of how Jesus raises us and gives us a fresh start in life (Romans 6:3-5).

Do you baptize children?

As parents, we can help point our children to Jesus, but they ultimately are the ones to decide if they will commit their lives to Him (Romans 10:9). Any instance of baptism follows a person's decision to trust Jesus for his or her own salvation and commitment to follow Him (Acts 10:47-48). At Harvest, we wait until children are old enough to express their own decision to follow Jesus and understand the meaning of baptism.

If you child has already asked Jesus into his or her life, explain what baptism is and what is means. Facilitate the conversation, but don't dominate it.

Click Here to access our Baptism Packet for Kids. Use this as a conversation starter for you and your child(ren).