Baptism is a common word that you will hear Christians talk about. It is stated in the Bible many times, and it is a concept that many people don’t really understand. You may have been baptized as a baby or maybe you hear about people being baptized as they get older. What exactly is baptism and why is it so important to Christians?
- What Is It?
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Baptism refers to the Christian ritual of being submerged in water to symbolize purification and admission into the church.
- What Does It Symbolize?
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Baptism symbolizes Jesus’s death and resurrection. Submerging into the water symbolizes Jesus’s death on the cross. When we go underwater, we are symbolically dying of ourselves. We go underwater to show that we are no longer a part of our old lives. Coming up out of the water symbolizes Jesus’s resurrection. When we come out of the water, we are being born again and made alive with Christ. Our old lives have died and we have been made new with Jesus. Coming out of the water shows that we have been made clean because of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross.
“Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ.” (Colossians 2:12-13)
“In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
- Why Is It Important?
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For starters, getting baptized is an action that we are called to do. Jesus tells his disciples to teach people about Him and to baptize them. Jesus was baptized himself so therefore we should do likewise. The main reason for baptism is to show a personal and public commitment to submitting your life to God. It shows that you are publicly professing your faith and love for Jesus Christ. By being baptized, you are showing that you understand your need to die of self and that, because of Jesus’s sacrifice, you can be made alive with him. This commitment means that you are beginning your new life with Christ as the foundation.
“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.” (Matthew 3:16)
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20)
“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 newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)
If you are truly saved, and want to make that commitment to God, I encourage you to get baptized. By reading the Bible, find out for yourself the importance and symbolism of baptism, and why Christ calls us to get baptized.