BAPTISM
GO PUBLIC WITH YOUR FAITH
ALL THINGS NEW
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and would like to make a public declaration of that decision, we encourage you to participate in Baptism Sunday at New Life Church.
“The old life is gone; a new life has begun.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:17
What Is The Meaning of Baptism?
Baptism is an important symbol of the new life that is created when someone becomes a follower of Jesus. It illustrates Christ’s burial and resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:3-4) (Col. 2:12). It also illustrates my new life as a Christian. (2 Cor. 5:17) (Rom. 6:4) Baptism doesn’t make you a believer – it shows that you already believe. Baptism does not “save” you, only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is like a wedding ring – it´s the outward symbol of the commitment you make in your heart.
Who Should Be Baptized?
Every person who believes in Christ should be baptized. (Acts 2:41) (Acts 8:13) (Acts 8:12)
When Should I Be Baptized?
You should be baptized as soon as you believe. (Acts 2:41) (Acts 8:35-38) There is no reason to delay. As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you are “perfect”, you´ll never feel “good enough”!
What if I'm not ready to join the church?
Some people believe that if they get baptized they are automatically becoming a member of New Life Church. No. Baptism does not automatically make you a member of this church. Now, baptism is required if you want to become a member (either at a previous church or this one), but getting baptized does not make you a member or force you into membership at all.
Why Does NLC Baptize By Immersion?
We baptize by immersion because Jesus was baptized that way (Matthew 3:16). Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion (Acts 8:38-39) and the Greek word baptize means “to immerse or dip under water”.
When Should Children Be Baptized?
At NLC, we wait until our children are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of baptism before we baptize them. Some churches practice a “baptism of confirmation” for children. This ceremony is intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on the behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed. This is different from the baptism talked about in the Bible which was only for those old enough to believe. The purpose is to publicly confess your personal commitment to Christ.