GET BAPTIZED

 

WHAT IS BAPTISM?

Baptism is our sole means of identifying new believers. Baptism is a church’s act. You don’t baptize yourself. It occurs in partnership with a local body of believers. Christ gave the charge to baptize to his body the church. It affirms you have turned from sin to Christ. Baptism of a believer follows the baptism of the Savior. You are immersed fully into the water. It portrays Christ’s death and your salvation. It signifies that a person’s former way of life has been put to death and depicts a release from the mastery of sin.

 

WHY BE BAPTIZED?

When you confess your faith, that faith is strengthened. Baptism is a testimony to God and others. You have broken away from your old lifestyle. You are united to a group of fellow witnesses. Therefore, baptism is also a benefit to the watching world. It presents you with a ready made opportunity for telling the world what the Lord has done. Your baptism honors God, strengthens you, and impacts the lost.

Just as you are plunged under the water and rise up again, so Jesus was plunged into death but emerged from it victorious. You follow both Christ’s example (Mt 3.13-17) & his command (Mt 28.19).

  • Demonstrates your identification with the work of Christ and your participation in that work by God’s grace.
  • Declares your deliverance from the judgment of God.
  • Displays your union with Christ’s body, his church.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

After you meet with a member of the ministry team or other church leader, a date will be scheduled for baptism. We provide a baptism t-shirt as a visible reminder of the day & ask you to wear swim-trunks (or similar clothing). Baptism is an act in worship and celebrated publicly with the church body.

The pastor or perhaps the person who discipled you will be in the baptistry with you. You’ll respond to questions like :

  • ‘Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?’
  • ‘Do you believe your sin separated you from God?’
  • ‘Have you repented of your sin?’
  • ‘Do you believe Jesus died in your place & rose again to give you everlasting life?’

Then you ‘ll hear, ‘We baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are buried with Christ & raise to walk in a new way of life.’ Photos will be provided of your baptism along with a certificate.

 

ACTS 2:38 (ESV) And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,

and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

If I sin as a Christian, should I get baptized again?

When we sin as Christians, we are called to repent and turn to Jesus to forgive us and change our ways. God’s word says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Because of the forgiveness brought about by Jesus’ once-for-all, atoning sacrifice for sin, we do not need to be baptized every time we sin.

Can I get baptized if I’ve been baptized before? What if I was baptized as a baby?

Baptism is a public identification of your faith in Christ and commitment to follow him. We would only encourage you to be baptized more than once if your initial baptism was not out of a sincere belief in Jesus.

Does baptism save?

Several passages, on the surface, seem to teach that baptism saves (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). In all these cases, however, faith in Jesus comes first. The biblical order is repentance and belief, then baptism. Scripture is abundantly clear that purification from sin is not the result of baptism (Acts 15:9; 1 John 1:9). However, the act of baptism is so closely related to the act of faith that they are often expressed as one act. Baptism is reserved for those who sincerely repent of their sins and place faith in the Lord Jesus. It is this faith in Christ that saves us from our sins.

Can kids be baptized?

Flower Mound First Baptist believes that baptism is intended for those who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior. In the New Testament, even when whole households were baptized (Acts 10:48; 16:15, 33; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:16), those who were baptized were those who heard the gospel (Acts 10:44) and believed (Acts 16:31, 34). When it comes to children, baptism is appropriate when a child displays evidence of a genuine relationship with God and a degree of understanding of what it means to trust in Christ. It is impossible to set a precise age for when a child should be baptized. The right age will vary with each child.

Should I invite others to attend?

Being baptized is a celebration of who Christ is and what he’s done in your life, so we encourage you to invite friends and family members to come celebrate this event with you. Whether they are Christians or not, this is a great opportunity to show people what your faith in Jesus means to you as well as a chance for people to hear the gospel.