Why Baptism?

A number of years ago, I was leading a study for a group of teenagers on basic Bible doctrines, and the subject of baptism came up. Several of the teens came from different church backgrounds, so I explained that baptism was—and still is—a very serious practice for believers. It is a visual message of your commitment to Jesus Christ. In baptism, you are making a public declaration of your belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on your behalf. It represents a break from the past, which in some cases even involves separation from family and friends.

As the teens listened, I could tell they were about to explode with questions. Finally, one of the guys shouted out, “So do I have to be baptized to be saved or not?”

I quickly replied, “No—but you do have to be saved to be baptized!”

The New Testament consistently presents baptism as something that follows faith in Christ alone as the only requirement for salvation. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy.”

You can be baptized every week and still not be saved. Baptism is not the “washing of the flesh” (1 Peter 3:21). It is not the water itself that saves. What saves is believing that Jesus took your place, died for your sins, rose from the dead, and conquered death in order to give you life.

Let me address a few other common questions about baptism.

Is it possible for a person to put their faith and trust in Jesus and never be baptized? Yes—but why would you not want to be an obedient follower of Christ? Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). He commanded His followers to be baptized. Shouldn’t that be enough?

I was baptized as a baby. Should I now be baptized by immersion as a believer? Yes. As an infant, you were not capable of understanding sin, faith, or the gospel. Every instance of baptism in the New Testament involves someone who had personally repented of their sin and placed their faith in Christ.

How old do you have to be to be baptized? There is no prescribed age in Scripture. However, when a person is able to understand that their sin has separated them from a holy God and they turn to Christ in faith, they are biblically qualified to be baptized. This is why baptism in Scripture is always reserved for believers.

Let me ask you—have you followed the Lord in obedience through baptism?

Press on!

Pastor Brian Richard