Baptism
Romans 6:3-8
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into 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.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
What is Baptism?
We believe that baptism is a public declaration of a believer’s salvation in Christ, identifying with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection symbolized by immersion in water (Rom. 6:3-8). Baptism is ultimately a sign, or the outward indication of the inward reality of our miraculous conversion that is seen in our commitment to follow Christ and enter into a covenant relationship with His people, the church.
The Sign of a New Hope
Our baptism is like a wedding. A wedding makes a couple’s commitment to one another a public agreement. In the same way, baptism is a public sign or pledge of the hope we have in Christ. Because of this reality, baptism should ideally be a public part of a worship service to provide the proper place for someone to reflect on how God has transformed them, and allow us a platform to make this public profession of faith.
The Sign of a New Family
Baptism is also like a naming ceremony. It is a sign that God is our Father and His family, the church, is now our family. If we are united with Christ, then we are also united with his people, the church. In our baptism then, we are also making the mission of the church our mission as well. Baptism should be one of the first steps someone takes as they become a member of a local church body where they agree to serve and love other Christians who are committed to one another under a group of biblically recognized elders (I Cor. 12:12-27; Rom. 12:3-5; Heb. 10:19-25; Titus 1:5-9).
The Sign of a New Life
Finally, baptism is also a little bit like a funeral. We don’t kill people at funerals! Instead, funerals mark their passing. In the same way, by faith, we died with Christ at the cross and then rose with him to new life. Our baptism marks this event. This means a radically new way of life in which we die to ourselves and follow Christ. Christ gives us his Spirit to help us live this new life. He also gives us the Bible, prayer and the church as means of training us in this new walk of life. After our baptism, there should be a clear difference in how we behave and what is most important to us. No, this does not mean we will be perfect or get everything right after being baptized. However, it does mean that when we fail, we will ask for forgiveness and use the tools God has given us to get back on the right track.
Interested in being Baptized?
As stated above, getting baptized here at Canby Christian is an important part of the membership process. As such, the best way to make this important step is to checkout the information on membership and complete an appllication by clicking the button below.