Baptism
At Legacy Church baptism is a wonderful celebration event where those who have become followers of Christ "go public" with their decision.
Baptism is an outward symbol of the inner commitment you have made in your heart to Jesus Christ. Baptism does not bring salvation, but it is an act of obedience to demonstrate that you have salvation. Jesus was baptized and included baptism in His Great Commission to His disciples.
We believe the Bible teaches that baptism is for any believer old enough to make a personal decision to follow Christ, and is done through full immersion in water as a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection.
What Is Baptism
The definition for the word baptism is “a rite of washing with water as a sign of religious purification and consecration.” This was practiced frequently in the Old Testament. It signified purity or cleansing from sin and devotion to God.
Since baptism was first instituted in the Old Testament many have practiced it as a tradition yet have not fully understood its significance and meaning.
In the New Testament, the significance of baptism is seen more clearly. John the Baptist was sent by God to spread the news of the coming Messiah—Jesus Christ. John was directed by God (John 1:33) to baptize those who accepted his message. John’s baptizing is called “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Mark 1:4.
Those baptized by John acknowledged their sins and professed their faith that through the coming Messiah they would be forgiven. Baptism then is significant in that it represents the forgiveness and cleansing from sin that comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What Baptism Is Not
Baptism does not save you or get you to heaven. It does not make you a believer, it demonstrates that you already believe. You are only saved by your faith in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Baptism is an OUTWARD SIGN of an INWARD BEGINNING.
It is a PUBLIC DECLARATION of faith
Your baptism is a way of “Going Public” with your decision to follow Christ.
Why Get Baptized
Jesus got baptized (Matthew 3:13-17) and we follow his example.
Jesus told us to get baptized (Matthew 28:19-20). The very last thing Jesus told his disciples was to go out, tell others about him and baptize them.
You getting baptized is following a command that Jesus gave you.
When Should I Be Baptized
As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be baptized. There is no reason to delay you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you are “perfect”, you will never feel “good enough.”
Baptism is for people who want to please the Lord instead of people who want to impress the Lord.
Those who believed …were baptized that day! Acts 2:41
If baptism is not the first step, what do you think is?
There are a lot of scriptures that clearly explain what it takes to follow Christ.
However, there is a way to explain it that is really easy to understand. It’s called the ABC’s of becoming a Christian. It takes a lot of what the Bible says about becoming a Christian and puts it into an easy format.
Admit
Admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 3:23
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
We all make mistakes. Every one of us has and will continue to make mistakes. We sometimes do what we want to do, even when we know it is wrong. That is sin. The first step is to admit that we are a sinner. You can’t be forgiven of your sins if you don’t admit that you are a sinner first.
Believe
Believe that Jesus is God’s son.
John 3:16,17 The Message
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.
John 14:6 New Living Translation
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
This one is a little more self explanatory. We have to believe that Jesus is who he says he is. Jesus said that he was the son of God and the way to God. He also said that he can forgive our sins. First we have to realize and admit that we are sinners and then we have to believe that Jesus is the solution to our problem, the savior of sinners like us.
Confess
Confess that Jesus is Lord.
Romans 10:9-10 New Living Translation
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Confess means to say with your mouth. So you are to say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. What does Lord mean? Basically means “someone who is in charge.” You are to say with your mouth that Jesus is in charge. What is he in charge of? He is in charge of your life. You are publically saying to other people that Jesus is in charge of your life.
Kids and Baptism
It’s very important that parents and kids take a good look at what baptism is before jumping in to it.
Many kids are drawn to getting baptized after seeing a friend or family member get baptized and many parents are sometimes eager to have their children baptized simply because “it’s what you do.”
Ultimately, the decision for your child to get baptized is yours and you’ll need to decide after talking with your child about the information we cover today.
Infant and Baby Dedication
Because we believe that the Bible teaches that baptism is something that happens after a person has made their decision to follow Christ, we do not baptize infants as we do not feel they can understand the decision clearly. For infants and babies, we do offer a baby dedication service for parents three times a year.
Click link below if you're interested in being baptized at Legacy Church.
Baptism is an outward symbol of the inner commitment you have made in your heart to Jesus Christ. Baptism does not bring salvation, but it is an act of obedience to demonstrate that you have salvation. Jesus was baptized and included baptism in His Great Commission to His disciples.
We believe the Bible teaches that baptism is for any believer old enough to make a personal decision to follow Christ, and is done through full immersion in water as a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection.
What Is Baptism
The definition for the word baptism is “a rite of washing with water as a sign of religious purification and consecration.” This was practiced frequently in the Old Testament. It signified purity or cleansing from sin and devotion to God.
Since baptism was first instituted in the Old Testament many have practiced it as a tradition yet have not fully understood its significance and meaning.
In the New Testament, the significance of baptism is seen more clearly. John the Baptist was sent by God to spread the news of the coming Messiah—Jesus Christ. John was directed by God (John 1:33) to baptize those who accepted his message. John’s baptizing is called “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Mark 1:4.
Those baptized by John acknowledged their sins and professed their faith that through the coming Messiah they would be forgiven. Baptism then is significant in that it represents the forgiveness and cleansing from sin that comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What Baptism Is Not
Baptism does not save you or get you to heaven. It does not make you a believer, it demonstrates that you already believe. You are only saved by your faith in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Baptism is an OUTWARD SIGN of an INWARD BEGINNING.
It is a PUBLIC DECLARATION of faith
Your baptism is a way of “Going Public” with your decision to follow Christ.
Why Get Baptized
Jesus got baptized (Matthew 3:13-17) and we follow his example.
Jesus told us to get baptized (Matthew 28:19-20). The very last thing Jesus told his disciples was to go out, tell others about him and baptize them.
You getting baptized is following a command that Jesus gave you.
When Should I Be Baptized
As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be baptized. There is no reason to delay you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you are “perfect”, you will never feel “good enough.”
Baptism is for people who want to please the Lord instead of people who want to impress the Lord.
Those who believed …were baptized that day! Acts 2:41
If baptism is not the first step, what do you think is?
There are a lot of scriptures that clearly explain what it takes to follow Christ.
However, there is a way to explain it that is really easy to understand. It’s called the ABC’s of becoming a Christian. It takes a lot of what the Bible says about becoming a Christian and puts it into an easy format.
Admit
Admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 3:23
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
We all make mistakes. Every one of us has and will continue to make mistakes. We sometimes do what we want to do, even when we know it is wrong. That is sin. The first step is to admit that we are a sinner. You can’t be forgiven of your sins if you don’t admit that you are a sinner first.
Believe
Believe that Jesus is God’s son.
John 3:16,17 The Message
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.
John 14:6 New Living Translation
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
This one is a little more self explanatory. We have to believe that Jesus is who he says he is. Jesus said that he was the son of God and the way to God. He also said that he can forgive our sins. First we have to realize and admit that we are sinners and then we have to believe that Jesus is the solution to our problem, the savior of sinners like us.
Confess
Confess that Jesus is Lord.
Romans 10:9-10 New Living Translation
9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Confess means to say with your mouth. So you are to say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. What does Lord mean? Basically means “someone who is in charge.” You are to say with your mouth that Jesus is in charge. What is he in charge of? He is in charge of your life. You are publically saying to other people that Jesus is in charge of your life.
Kids and Baptism
It’s very important that parents and kids take a good look at what baptism is before jumping in to it.
Many kids are drawn to getting baptized after seeing a friend or family member get baptized and many parents are sometimes eager to have their children baptized simply because “it’s what you do.”
Ultimately, the decision for your child to get baptized is yours and you’ll need to decide after talking with your child about the information we cover today.
Infant and Baby Dedication
Because we believe that the Bible teaches that baptism is something that happens after a person has made their decision to follow Christ, we do not baptize infants as we do not feel they can understand the decision clearly. For infants and babies, we do offer a baby dedication service for parents three times a year.
Click link below if you're interested in being baptized at Legacy Church.