Baptism

Our next Baptism is going to be May 5th! If you or someone you know is wanting to get baptized they can read the teaching below and fill out the form at the bottom of the page to get on the list!

Teaching on Baptism & Salvation

NEO Church

Who should be baptized?

Baptism is for believers only after they have started a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Being baptized before salvation can be dangerous, because it can give false assurance of salvation to those who have never made a personal commitment to follow Christ. Only those who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus should be baptized.

At what age should my child be baptized?

As stated under the question, “Who Should Get Baptized” only those who have truly asked Jesus Christ to be their personal Lord and Savior should be baptized. If you’re child has not had a moment where they have personally asked Jesus Christ to be their Lord and savior than they should wait until the day of Salvation in their life is clear and obvious.

The baptism of Jesus

From Matthew 3:15-17, which tells the story of Christ’s baptism, we can learn a few key principles about baptism. First, we learn it is required “to fulfill all righteousness” (v. 15). Even Jesus, who was sinless, was baptized to show His obedience to the Father. Second, it was a means for Jesus to identify with sinful man in preparation for His ministry. Third, baptism symbolized His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is so important that after Jesus was baptized, the “heavens were opened” and the Father expressed His approval of His Son (vv. 16-17).

Baptism is not equivalent to salvation.

Baptism is included in the Great Commission: we are to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). However, the Word of God makes it clear that a person’s sins are forgiven based on belief in Christ, rather than through baptism. In Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch confessed his faith in Jesus Christ before he was baptized (vv. 35-37). The apostle Paul didn’t include baptism as a requirement for salvation when he wrote that we are saved through faith, not by any works (Eph. 2:8-9). In Acts 16, Paul told the jailer that to be saved, all he had to do was “believe in the Lord Jesus” (v. 31). Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The thief on the cross believed in Jesus, who did not demand that he be baptized. Instead, Christ promised him, “Today you shall be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).

Baptism is a public testimony of a previous decision to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. It is a tangible way to declare that you are a follower of Christ.

How should we be baptized?

In the Bible, baptism means complete submersion. The Greek word, baptizo, was used in Jesus’ day to describe the action of a ship sinking, a cloth being covered in dye, or someone being submerged under water. In other words, baptize means “to immerse.” It symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord in a way that sprinkling or pouring does not. Immersion says, “We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

If you aren’t baptized by immersion, will you spend eternity separated from God? No, not if you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior. But you should seek to follow the Lord’s command to be

scripturally baptized—in other words, by immersion. I understand there are some people who are saved very late in life or who can’t get to church to be baptized for some other reason. But for the most part, we should follow the Lord’s command to be immersed. Shame, fear of what our friends will think, or other excuses should never keep us from obeying God. We must remember that the Father will not release all the blessings He’s prepared for us if we live in willful disobedience to His will.

Six Reasons Why Every Believer Should Be Baptized

Baptism is . . .

✩ A command from Jesus. He told us to make disciples and baptize them (Matt. 28:19).✩ A public confession of our faith. The Bible says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so” (Ps. 107:2). In other words, don’t be afraid to tell others about your relationship with Jesus Christ (Mark 8:38).✩ A picture of salvation. Through baptism, we illustrate death to our old ways of living and our new beginnings in Christ. Jesus said, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). ✩ An identification with the body of Christ. Baptism is a symbol that unites us with all believers worldwide, regardless of denomination (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5).

✩ An opportunity to go public. Baptism is an external action that indicates an internal decision to follow Jesus. Teenagers and adults should be baptized as soon as possible after salvation. Children who are saved early in life may want to wait until they have greater understanding of their transformation so that they can truly appreciate their baptism.

✩ A declaration of belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Unless we believe that Jesus lived a sinless life, died for our sins, and rose again, we cannot be saved. His sacrifice made it possible for us to have a relationship with our holy God (Rom. 6:22-23). Baptism also illustrates the promise that at the end of time, every believer will be resurrected and live forever in His presence (Rom. 6:4-5).

SALVATION: What does it mean to Start a Relationship With Christ?

It has been said that relationships are the centerpiece of the human experience. Without them, life seems to lose its meaning. Even early in life, we begin to dream of someday finding our soul mates, starting a family, and enjoying time together. Our lives consist of an entire portfolio of various types of relationships. Friends, neighbors, rivals, and even strangers all contribute to the delicate blend of relationships that shape the way we experience life. Needless to say, experiencing a relationship with God is a crucial part of the equation.

But there’s a drawback to all these relationships, and invariably it leads to conflict and problems as we interact with others. Entering into a relationship means giving up the freedom of going it alone. Instead of calling all the shots, we are forced to revise our plans to include the desires of others. Frankly, it’s an ongoing struggle.

The same is true with God. On the one hand, we want a meaningful connection with our Creator. But on the other hand, we’d like to do things our own way. So, in an attempt to establish good terms with God, we ask the question, “What do I need to do?” We want to quantify the ways we can earn God’s favor. We’ll follow the rules, attend church, and give some money—whatever it takes to be good enough. Unfortunately, our true motive is simply to live our lives our way as much as possible without forfeiting the relationship we need so desperately. We want it both ways.

The problem is twofold. First, if we’re not careful, we will take what could have been a beautiful relationship and reduce it to contractual terms. Instead of sincerely putting God first in our lives, we begin to “work” the list of do's and don’ts, looking for ways to get by without really knowing him. As a result, we exchange the very thing we want—relationship—for what we don’t need more of—rules. But the second issue is even bigger: the nature of sin.

The apostle Paul says that we’re all sinful (Romans 3:23), which comes as no revelation. But the problem with our wrongdoing is that we just don’t see it the way God does. After all, humankind didn’t think sin was that big of a deal to begin with. Doubting God’s wisdom was apparently worth the risk. Even

today, we tend to be more concerned about inconveniences in our lives than with sin. We’ve become used to it. But if we could see sin through God’s eyes, it would be quite sobering.

Our instinctive reaction to sin is to handle it the same as any other problem: solve it. When something catches fire, you douse it with water. When something spills, you wipe it up. We have countermeasures for everything in life. So it’s no surprise that our initial response when confronted with our sin is to counteract it with a corresponding quantity of good. We believe that’s how we can reconnect with God. It seems to make sense.

In fact, the religious people of Jesus’ time thought the same way. And who can blame them? The practice of blood sacrifice seemed to reinforce this problem/solution approach to sin. Every time a sin was committed, a sacrifice needed to be made. But as the Bible clearly teaches, there’s more to dealing with sin than simply covering it over. Sin produces death, whether it’s just a little anger toward your brother or full- blown murder. “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:15 NIV).

So, if the nature and consequences of our sinfulness are so severe, and if trying to keep a list of rules flies in the face of a genuine relationship, then what are we to do? The answer lies not in what we should do, but what has been done for us. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer the consequences of our sin and death, so we might experience life and a relationship with God as we were meant to. Paul summarizes this good news:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8 NIV).

This amazing gift of grace is extended to everyone. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV). That means Jesus has a special place in his heart for those who have burned themselves out trying to work their way to God’s favor. When we finally surrender our stubbornness and place our faith in Christ, we receive his forgiveness of our sins and enter into a new relationship with our heavenly Father.

There are no magical formulas, secret passwords, or elaborate ceremonies for starting this new relationship. Many people mark the occasion with a humble prayer of faith to God. Prayer is just a reflection of what we believe and feel in our hearts and the words don’t need to be eloquent. Here’s a simple example:

“God, I want a relationship with you. I realize that my selfishness and sin have gotten in the way because deep down, I just want to live life my own way. But, I’m tired and I’ve come to the end of

myself. And I now realize that what’s been missing from my life is you. And you are so amazing because you knew I didn’t need more rules or more education or a chance to be better. I needed a Savior. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to be my Savior. I believe he lived, died, and rose from the grave to forgive my sins, conquer death, and give me new life and hope. I place my trust in him and thank you for not giving up on me. I’m excited about growing in this new relationship with you. I know it won’t always be easy. I know you’ll continue to change me, and I’m going to trust in you. God, thank you for your amazing grace!”

CONCLUSION

At NEO Church our hope is for everyone who has started a relationship with Jesus Christ to be baptized! If you have questions please let us know and we will answer anything needed. Maybe you accepted Jesus as your Savior a long time ago, but never were immersed as a testimony of your new life. If so, we pray that you will obey what God has commanded us in His Word. Baptism is an unforgettable experience ordained by our loving heavenly Father. We promise you will not regret it.

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