November 10, 2024 | Doug Sauder
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Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commanded His followers to “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 NIV). And all throughout the Book of Acts, we see the apostles do just that.
Here at Calvary, we believe that baptism by full immersion in water is the next step in the Christian walk after a person has decided to follow Jesus Christ. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It is the opportunity to publicly identify ourselves with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We invite you to join us at any of our upcoming Baptism events.
Baptism represents the pledge of a clean conscience before God (1 Peter 3:21). It is a symbolic act that represents how God has given us a new beginning; Jesus gives new life to all who believe in Him. It is also a commandment from Jesus to His followers (Matthew 28:19).
Everyone—even Jesus was baptized (Luke 3:21-22). The only requirement for a person to be baptized is that he or she believes in Jesus Christ and understands what baptism represents.
There is no biblical prohibition against a Christian being baptized more than once. For instance, if you were baptized as a baby or child, and later opened your heart to a relationship with God, and now have a clean conscience before Him, then you are encouraged to take this step.
Note: If you’ve already been baptized as an adult Christian, please let the elder or deacon at the water’s edge know, and he will help direct you.
Anyone who has not asked God to forgive their sins and does not have a clean conscience before Him—repentance precedes baptism (Luke 3:3). The elders and deacons at the water’s edge can walk you through this topic.
There are no examples of infants or small children being baptized in the Bible. According to the Apostle Paul, every person who gets baptized is expected to understand and appreciate this wonderful truth. Therefore, when we baptize someone here at Calvary Chapel, they must first be a believer in Jesus Christ (Acts 8), and second, understand what baptism means and represents (Romans 6). The biblical model is always that of infant and child dedication, never baptism. Our Family Ministry team can provide information and dates on dedications.