baptism
“Now wherever you go, make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
ABOUT BAPTISM
Water baptism was set forth by Jesus Himself. It is a holy sacrament of the church and an experience with God. Once a person hears the Gospel and believes it, they can be saved. Scripture tells us that by confessing with our mouth, and believing in our heart that Jesus is Lord, we are forgiven of our sin and saved from eternal judgement. Furthermore, God sends His Holy Spirit to live inside of us. Once you have put your faith in the crucified and risen Lord, your next step is to be water baptized.
Water Baptism is a public confession of you faith. Jesus commanded His followers to be baptized. In doing this, you are to signaling to heaven & earth that you are dying to your old self and choosing to surrender your life to Jesus. (John 3:1-21).
Water Baptism identifies you as a new creation. You no longer live for yourself but allow Christ to live His life through you. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The Bible teaches that the following happens when we enter into the waters of baptism:
We die with Jesus
(Romans 6:3)We are raised with Jesus
(Colossians 2:12)The hardness of our hearts is cut away (I Peter 3:21)
We receive the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:38)We enter into the body of Christ and are united with Christ Himself
(Galatians 3:26-27)
WHAT TO EXPECT
We believe Water Baptism should be a celebration! In fact, scripture declares that all of heaven rejoices when a person turns from their sins to follow Jesus (Luke 15:7).
Baptism Sunday happens on the first Sunday of the month. We hold the Baptisms in the Lobby after service. Our church stays to watch and celebrate with you. We also encourage you to invite your family and friends to witness this special moment with you.
On the day of your baptism, our team will provide you with a black Comeback City t-shirt to get baptized in. This is our gift to you, and we also provide new black shorts and a towel for you to dry off with.
Our restrooms will be turned into changing stations during this time so that participants can change out of their church clothes and into their baptism clothes.
Although we have all the items you need to get baptized, our goal is to make you to feel comfortable. If you’d like to bring your own change of clothes to get baptized in, you are welcome to do this.
When IS Baptism
Appropriate?
Water Baptism is the next step you take after making a decision to surrender your life to Jesus. In Scripture, it was always appropriate for any new believer in Christ to be baptized as soon as possible. We can think of water baptism as the “wedding ceremony” of our faith. Here, a new believer stands in front of other Christians and declares their allegiance to Jesus.
When is Re-baptism
appropriate?
Re-baptism is not routine, but it can be right in rare cases. If your first baptism was outside Christian faith (such as a cult or group that denies Jesus’ divinity or the Trinity). If you were baptized without understanding the gospel, like the disciples in Acts 19.
Biblical Examples
of Re-Baptism
In Acts 19:1-7, Paul met believers in Ephesus who had received John’s baptism of repentance, but not Christian baptism. When they heard the full message of Jesus, they were baptized again, this time in Jesus’ name, and received the Holy Spirit. Their first baptism was incomplete, not Christian. This is the only clear example of re-baptism in the New Testament.
When Re-baptism
is not needed
Not for backsliding or “starting over.” Not because your faith feels stronger now. Ephesians 4:5 says there “is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” If your baptism was done in Christ’s name, it stands. If you have walked away from the Lord, He welcomes you back through repentance and making an internal decision to follow Him again, not another water baptism.
Next Baptism!
Next Baptism!
To find out when our next Water Baptism will be held, or to sign up to get baptized, simply email us.