BAPTISM

1. Because you want to follow Jesus’ example.
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. - Mark 1:9

2. Because Jesus commanded it.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20

3. Because it shows you are a believer.
...many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. - Acts 18:8

 1. It is a symbol of Christ’s burial and resurrection.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

2. It is a symbol of your new life as a Christian.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Note: Baptism does not make you a believer; it shows that you already are one! Baptism does not “save” you, only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is like a
wedding ring - it’s the outward symbol of the commitment you made in your heart.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

1. Like Jesus was baptized - by being immersed in water.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. - Matthew 3:16

2. Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion under water.
And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
- Acts 8:38-39

Every person who has believed in Christ.
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. - Acts 2:41

But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. - Acts 8:12

If the purpose of baptism is to publicly identify with Christ, you may wonder, “What was the significance of my baptism as a baby?” In the Bible, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus. He held them, prayed for
them, and told us to welcome them. He did not baptize them, and he did not tell anyone else to baptize them. Baptism is a step He asks of those who have made a personal decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation.

When a parent has their child baptized, it is usually with the hope that one day they will choose to become a follower of Christ. Your baptism as an adult is part of the fulfillment of their desires for you! It doesn’t devalue a prior experience, but simply reflects your desire to follow Christ in everything He asks of you.

New Song recommends that you be baptized again if you have not been baptized by immersion since you became a believer. It doesn’t devalue a prior experience but simply reflects your desire to be baptized in the same way Jesus was baptized.