"Go therefore into all nations making disciples and baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - Matthew 28:19"

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Why is water baptism important?

 

The Bible clearly tells us that once you have accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life, you can and should be baptised.  Baptism in water is a public way of identifying with what Jesus did for you on the cross, and it shows your commitment to putting away your old life of sin and beginning a new life of obedience to Jesus Christ.

 

“And Peter said to them, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Those who believed what Peter said were baptised and added to the church that day - about 3000 in all."

Acts 2:38 & 41

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In Luke 3 we see that Jesus Himself got baptised during His time on earth. He set the example for us to follow in all things.  So we see that baptism is something we do out of obedience to God. We also see baptism modelled in the early church. That doesn’t mean that it’s a tradition that we follow, but rather an example of obedience and following the commands of scripture.

 

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What happens when you are baptised?

 

Going under the water is a physical symbol of the spiritual reality of you 'dying' to your old life, and then coming up out of the water into your new life.  We go under the water as our sinful selves but we emerge as brand new creations.  As new creations we also get a new nature and with it the power to live more like Jesus. It means that God now lives in you and you can find true happiness, joy and purpose in Him.

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“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism in death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:3-4

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The physical act of baptism is a reminder to us and those around us of the reality of the commitment we have made. It’s something we can always look back on in tough times to remind us that Jesus has brought us out of sin and given us true life in Him!

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What about baby baptism, sprinkling or christening?

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We see in scripture that baptism is something that happens after you make a commitment to Jesus and turn away from your sins. You can’t make that decision for yourself as a baby, so you should still get baptised once you are old enough to understand the commitment that you are making.

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If you are interested in getting baptised or have any further questions, we would love to chat with you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at admin@melbournelightschurch.com.au and we will organise a time that works for you as soon as possible.

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