You Should Be Baptized in Water
One of the next steps you should do to show your love and faith in Jesus Christ is to be baptized in water. Water baptism is a meaningful ceremony which identifies a person with Jesus and it testifies to the world that you now follow Jesus with your life.
Water baptism is an action believers take after accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. The act of being baptized in water does not save you, but it tells the world of your decision to follow Jesus with all your heart.
Here is what will happen when you are baptized in water. You will be in water, usually in a tank if you are being baptized in a church. If it is an outdoor baptism it could take place at a lake, pool or river. Regardless of where it is held, the person being baptized usually walks into the water of their own accord. If they need assistance, others will help the person into the water and stay for further help if needed. Once in the water, the pastor is there with you and will usually say a few words, have a prayer and then lower you completely into the water. He will then lift you out of the water. This ceremony is actually very simple and painless. However, it is also very meaningful.
Romans chapter six in the Bible tells us, when you are lowered into the water, this symbolically identifies you with the death of Jesus Christ. As you are covered with the water is it symbolic of Jesus being buried. It is also symbolic of your old life of sin and shame being left in the water. Then, as the person comes out of the water, it symbolizes you have risen to a new life of following Jesus Christ. This identifies you with the resurrection of Jesus. The old has gone, the new has come!
To say it in a different way, water baptism signifies you are dead to sin and now alive to God. As you were lowered into the water you were buried, so to speak, to the old way of living and as you rise out of the water, now you are alive to Christ!
The apostle Paul wrote about the meaning of water baptism in the book called Romans, 'In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness' (Romans 6:11-13).
The ceremony of water baptism is a wonderful opportunity to invite your friends and family to see that Jesus is now your Lord and Leader. It is a powerful way of telling them that you are a new creation and you are not turning back - that though the world may turn aside, you will keep following Jesus. It will also give you the opportunity to share with them the meaning of water baptism and share with them how they can come to know Jesus as well and have eternal life.
Some, who are new to following Christ, were baptized as infants and now wonder if they need to be baptized again. The answer is yes. In the Bible all baptisms happened after a person made the personal, conscious decision to follow Christ for themselves. The act of being baptized in water is the person's own declaration that they are now following Christ. Since babies are unable to make this declaration, it is proper we follow the Bible's pattern and only baptize people after they are able to make this declaration for themselves.*
So, what's next? Identify yourself with Jesus by being baptized in water. If you have not been baptized in water since coming to faith in Jesus, click here to let us know you are ready to obey God and be baptized in water.
*Instead of infant baptism, we practice Child Dedication at GT. If you would like more information about Child Dedication click here.
