Baptism is an act of obedience to Jesus’ command, declaring the believer’s faith in and identification with their crucified, buried, and risen Savior (Matthew 28:19–20). It is a visible declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The believer being baptized is immersed beneath the waters in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which expresses the believer’s death to sin and the burial of their old life, and then brought out of the water, which expresses the believer’s resurrection to a new kingdom life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:1–10; Colossians 2:12).

Baptism also identifies a Christian with Jesus (Acts 10:48; Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27), the universal church (1 Corinthians 12:13), and the local church (Acts 2:41).

It’s Jesus Who Saves, Not the Water
Salvation is solely a gift given to people whose faith rests in the grace of God to forgive their sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Even though you cannot be saved through baptism, if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you should be baptized. Baptism is like wearing a wedding ring if you’re married.

Married people are married regardless if they wear their wedding ring or not. A wedding ring is an outward symbol of a married couple’s inward covenant relationship.

Baptism is the biblical way in which we show that by the power of the Spirit, we died to our old way of life through the death of Jesus, and live a new life through the resurrection of Jesus, cleansed from our sin in the same way that water cleanses us from filth.

If you have made a commitment to Jesus, then we encourage you to obey his command to be baptized.