WATER BAPTISM

• Water baptism is an outward sign of the dedication of your heart to Christ.

It is a public declaration of a private decision.  Just like a wedding ring is an outward sign of your marriage vows, baptism is an outward sign of the dedication of your heart to Jesus.

• Water baptism is an outward sign of your inner cleansing from sin.

As you are immersed in water, you identify with Christ in his death and burial, symbolizing the washing away of sin and the old way of life.  As you are raised out of the water you identify with Christ’s resurrection, symbolizing that you are now raised to life as a new creation.

• Water baptism is an outward sign to the church that you have become part of the family of God.

• We are baptized because Christ modeled it.

In Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus Himself was baptized by John before He entered His public ministry; He was publicly declaring His wholehearted devotion and surrender to God that He was now going to live out in front of the eyes of the world.  Jesus’ baptism is a model for us to follow.

• We are baptized because Christ commanded it

In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus tells His apostles, “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” If Jesus commands it, our first step in obedience as a follower of Christ is to do what He said and be baptized.

We believe that those who should be baptized are those who have come to saving faith in Christ and have dedicated their hearts to Him as Lord.

We see in the book of Acts that the natural progression to baptism is for a person is to hear the gospel, believe the gospel, and to then be baptized as a symbol of surrender and dedication to God.

• In Acts 2 Peter preaches his first sermon to the Jews, declaring Jesus has risen from the dead and He is truly the Messiah. Acts 2:41 tells us that those who believed his word were baptized.
• In Acts 8:26-40, Philip teaches the Ethiopian eunuch about Jesus and when they come to water, the eunuch immediately asks Philip to baptize him.
• In Acts 10:44-48, the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius and all in his household who hear the gospel of Jesus preached are immediately baptized.

Nowhere does the Bible command or forbid a specific manner of baptizing.  Some churches sprinkle, some churches immerse.  But because the word “baptize” in the New Testament is “baptizo” meaning to “submerge,” implying immersion in contrast to sprinkling, and because we recognize examples in scripture of baptism by immersion, this is how we choose to practice baptism at Citygate.

No.  The Bible clearly teaches us that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  No works can earn you acceptance with God, including baptism (Eph 2:8,9; Romans 3:21-28).