Do you believe in your heart and declare with your mouth that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, who became human, lived a sinless life, died as an atoning sacrifice to pay the penalty for sinners like you and me, and rose again three days later to offer us victory over sin and death, forgiveness for our sins, and, most importantly, eternal life in His presence?
If you said yes, then you have been baptized into the family of God through the giving of the Holy Spirit. Your first step in response to God’s grace then is to reenact that spiritual reality through water baptism, or what we refer to as “believer’s baptism.” Would you like to be baptized? Fill out the form below to get started!
What is Baptism?
Baptism is a sign of faith.
It is a public declaration of our faith in and allegiance to Jesus Christ. Jesus commands us to be baptized. It is our first act of obedience to Him as disciples. Baptism is not required for salvation, but it is incredibly important for a believer to do.
Baptism is an outward expression or symbol of an internal reality.
It is a picture to us of what Christ has done for us and in us, including:
- His death and resurrection
- Our union with Christ in His death and resurrection
- The washing away of sin
- Being raised to new life in Christ
When should my child be baptized?
As a parent who takes seriously your God-given responsibility to spiritually lead and nurture your children you may have asked yourself, “When is a good time for my child* to be baptized?” The answer to that question isn’t often as simple as we’d like, but hopefully this will give you some principles and a good place to begin.
Has my child truly come to faith in Christ?
This the first question you should ask and can be more difficult to discern than you might think. As a church, we believe that baptism is for those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus for salvation. Before considering baptism for your child, you need to discern whether or not your son or daughter is a Christian.
Here are a few helpful questions to discern whether or not your children are Christians:
1. Do they understand the Gospel? Do they know that Jesus died to pay the penalty for their sin and that there is no other way to be with God than through Jesus?
2. Do they understand they need a Savior?
3. Do they know what it means to “believe” in and “receive” Jesus?
4. Finally, have they placed their trust in Jesus alone to be their Savior and Lord?
Keep in mind that if a child is expressing faith in the gospel, our first impulse should NOT be to doubt it. We have every reason to believe that God has used the ordinary means of prayer, discipleship, and teaching to bring to life faith in our young children.
Is there any fruit?
If you spend time discipling your children in the knowledge of God’s Word and his gospel, evidences of faith will begin to be exposed, such as remorse over sin, a love for Jesus Christ, and a hunger to learn more about God. Intentional discussions and questions can reveal motivations and desires that can either affirm or call into question the child’s faith.
Remember that we are saved by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone; however, that faith never stays alone. True faith always produces the fruit of good works. Good fruit is one of the ways that we are able to discern true faith.
Who is driving this desire to be baptized?
We should teach all believers about the importance of baptism, but ultimately it must be their desire to be baptized. As parents we want to talk consistently with them about identifying with and obeying Jesus, but always to confirm that their heart behind asking to be baptized is to please God not simply please us or their peers. Ask them why they want to be baptized. Their answer may be something as simple as, “Because Jesus said we should,” and that simple obedience is a great indicator that their heart is in the right place. Their love for Jesus should be driving the decision.
Obviously, this is an inexact science. We want our children to have a baptism that is both meaningful and memorable. However, the purpose of obedience to Christ is never to create a memorable moment, and we would never encourage delaying obedience in other areas.
If you would like to talk this through further with a Pastor, please fill out the baptism interest form below.
CenterPointe Christian Church does not baptize infants, but we do offer Parent-Child Dedications that allow you to proclaim publicly your desire to raise your baby for the glory of God. Dedications serve as a vessel for parents to publicly express gratitude to God and to acknowledge their responsibility before Him and the church in raising their children. If you are interested in dedication, please email mikemeyers@centerpointe.cc.
To learn more about baptism at CentrePointe, please use the contact button below.
