In the Bible, baptism always happens by immersion after salvation. This means that after you chose to follow Jesus, you are baptized by being dunked under water. Baptism does not save you. Instead, it is an outward testimony of what has already occurred in your heart.
Baptism is an important step in our relationship with Christ. It is our first step of obedience after meeting Jesus, and it’s a perfect symbol of what He did for us on the cross. Being immersed in the water symbolizes Christ’s death and burial. Coming out of the water represents His resurrection. When we’re baptized, we publicly represent the spiritual death, burial, and resurrection in our own lives.
Matthew 3:11; Matthew 28:18-19; John 14:6
If you’d like to take this next step in your faith, click here to fill out a contact form with the topic “I want to be baptized”.
FAQ’s About Baptism:
What should I wear to be baptized? There’s no right or wrong answer, but most bring a comfortable change of clothes either to be baptized in, or to put on after being baptized. Just remember when planning your wardrobe, that whatever you’ll be wearing, it will be WET! 🙂
Does being baptized save me? No. We can only be saved through God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice and our faith in Him. The reason we practice baptism is because it was a command of Jesus Christ (and something he not only did Himself, but did for others) and it is an outward experience of what happened to us on the inside through salvation. Going under the water is symbolic of Christ dying and being laid in the tomb and of us dying to ourselves. Coming up out of the water is symbolic of Christ being ressurrected on the third day and of us now living in and through Him.
What if I was baptized as a child; should I be baptized again? This is a personal decision between you and God, however we believe that baptism serves its best purpose when it’s a decision made by someone with a mature mind who has decided to follow Christ.
What if I’ve walked away from my faith since originally being baptized? Again, this is a personal decision. We’ll be happy to baptize you again if you feel that it’s a necessary sign of your renewed relationship with Christ. We don’t believe that you get points deducted for extra dunks 🙂
Do I have to be a member of The Bridge to be baptized? Not at all. However, we do believe that it is critical to incorporate yourself into a local body of believers. Ideally, that would be the best place for you to make the decision to be baptized and be able to celebrate with your church family.
If you would like to discuss these or other questions you may have in more detail, feel free to use our Contact Us page to connect with one of our Pastors or Elders.
In the Bible, baptism always happens by immersion after salvation. This means that after you chose to follow Jesus, you are baptized by being dunked under water. Baptism does not save you. Instead, it is an outward testimony of what has already occurred in your heart.
