Water Baptism

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. -Matthew 28:19

All who repent and believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are to be baptized.

We should be water baptized because Jesus was baptized and He is our example and because He commanded us to be baptized.
Mark 1:9 – At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Matthew 28:19 – 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.

Water baptism was the first thing believers did in the early church after they believed in and confessed Jesus as Lord of their life.
Acts 8:35-38 – Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

It’s an act of obedience and an outward symbol that represents what Jesus has done in us and for us. It doesn’t bring us into a relationship with Christ, only faith does that.
Colossians 2:12 – For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ.

Water Baptism represents 3 things:

1. Death – Specifically Jesus’ death. Christ died on the cross for you. Revelation 1:5 says His blood washes away our sins. Romans 6 says that we died to sin and no longer live in it. Our old nature was crucified with Him. The water is a symbol of washing away the old person.
2. Burial- Going under the water represents His burial. Christ was buried and was in the tomb for 3 days. Our old nature and sin habits are buried with Him.
3. Resurrection – When you come out of the water. We are raised with Him and now live a new life in Christ.

We go under water because Jesus did. The word baptism is baptizo in Greek which means to immerse or submerge.
Matthew 3:16 – As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.

Only the blood of Jesus washes away our sin.
Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

It could be considered a gesture of dedication but faith and repentance are both necessary ingredients as indicated in Acts 8:37.

Each child is different. Many children are ready to be water baptized by seven or eight or nine years of age. When a really young child asks if he/she can be baptized, especially after he/she has seen it done in church, we suggest that the parents talk to the child about it and then wait for the child to ask a second time. That is a clue that God is dealing with his/her heart and that the child is recognizing their need for this step with God. While younger children under the age of 5 can have a relationship with Jesus, they will not necessarily remember or understand the significance of the event, so we encourage parents to wait until they are a little older.