
Written by Family Pastor, Jon Stricklin
Periodically, a portion of the Sunday worship service at Calvary Bible Church is devoted to baptisms. If you have attended CBC for at least several months you have likely seen people standing up in the elevated baptistry with one of the elders describing their relationship with Jesus Christ followed by the elder lowering them under the surface of the water and raising them back upright to the cheers of those in the congregation. It is a wonderful occasion for those who understand what is taking place.
But if you are unfamiliar with this practice, baptism may seem strange or even scary. Let’s put any mystery about baptism to rest by answering a few questions: 1) What is baptism? 2) Who should be baptized? and 3) How can I be baptized?
What is baptism?
There is much symbolism in the act of baptism. In our CBC Doctrinal Statement we explain that “Baptism symbolizes the inward reality of being united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 6:3-6).”
The word that is translated “baptize” means to dip or immerse. This word was used to describe how people would immerse a cloth into a dye to change the color. So, to baptize a person is to immerse them into the water so that they will then be identified with the name of the one in whom they were baptized. Just as a white cloth that is baptized into a blue dye is then identified as a blue cloth, those who are baptized into Jesus are then identified as His people.
When a person is baptized the symbolism of a person’s new identity with Jesus is both heard and seen. The fact that a person is related to Jesus is heard through their verbal testimony and seen when they are placed into the water and immerge wet. It is a public expression of a personal reality.
It says in Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Only the Lord can see what happens in the heart, but the world can hear what is confessed by the mouth, and so baptism gives the opportunity for a public witness of the spiritual reality that a person is united with Jesus in faith.
Who should be baptized?
Jesus commanded His disciples saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit …” (Matthew 28:19). Those who are disciples or followers of Jesus should be baptized. Those who follow Jesus are those that have repented of their sin and trusted in His gospel. For example, we see Philip preaching to the Ethiopian from the Scriptures about Jesus and then the Ethiopian believed saying, “What prevents me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:35-38). Also, when Peter preached about Jesus and the people were convicted of their sin and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter instructed them to “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:37-38).
If a person is trusting the gospel of Jesus Christ, they are instructed in the Scriptures to make that confession before the church and be baptized in water to publicly testify their identity as a follower of Jesus Christ.
How can I be baptized?
That question may be asked from a variety of motivations. Maybe you’re asking from a place of fear––not able to conceive how you might ever stand in front of others to speak publicly. First, know that you are not alone! Many before you have experienced such anxiety and have been helped by the Lord to do what He calls us to. Second, the Lord does have sufficient grace to help us in every kind of weakness, including this fear (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Maybe you are asking “How?” because you don’t have any idea how to prepare what to say when you share your confession of faith in Jesus. A baptism class, taught by one of our elders, is provided for every person considering being baptized at CBC in which we not only explain baptism but help each person prepare to be baptized. The elder or teacher of that class works with every person who is baptized at CBC to provide instruction and direction to write out beforehand their clear testimony of faith.
Or maybe you are asking “How?” because you are eager to be baptized and want to move forward with this desire. You can sign up for the next baptism class below and get started.
Register for the Next Baptism Class
If you'd like to speak with a pastor or elder, please email the church office or call 818-556-4840.