At Journey Christian Church, we believe the best decision you can ever make is to get baptized and become a follower of Jesus!
This decision ultimately comes as a response of some basic biblical truths about us (all humans who were created in the image of God) and a plan—involving both love and sacrifice—that God put into motion right after sin entered the world...
Our Problem
The Bible says this about us in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (ESV)
Sin is disobeying God—works of the flesh. (A non-exhaustive list can be found in Galatians 5:19-21.) It’s also when we do something we shouldn’t and anything we don’t do that we should. (James 4:17) Our sin separates us from God.
Later in Romans 6:23a, we read, “For the wages of sin is death,” (ESV)
The punishment (what we deserve) for our sin is death—not just physical death but eternal, spiritual death.
God’s Solution
But God’s plan wasn’t that we should die, but that we should live and live forever! Romans 6:23b says, “but the free gift of God is eternal LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (ESV)
So, God gave us Jesus!
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal LIFE.” (ESV)
Romans 5:8 says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV)
Romans 3:25a says, “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” (ESV)
So, let’s summarize.
We’re all sinners. We deserve death. But God sent Jesus to take our punishment for us—to die in our place. (Also, Jesus didn’t stay dead. He was raised back to life defeating death!)
This sacrifice—this powerful love—not only frees us from the punishment of death, but it also gives us the gift of eternal LIFE.
Our Response
This gift is not something we deserve, nor can we earn it. It is 100% free. However, we must accept and receive the gift.
How do we that?
When we read the New Testament accounts of people becoming followers of Jesus (Christians), we see the following 4 things happen as a part of their response…
1. Faith
Faith has 2 parts: Belief and Action. The first part of faith is believing. Here’s an example: You can say, “I believe that when I sit in a chair, it will hold me up.”
The second part of faith is action. So, if you really believe that the chair will hold you up, action is actually sitting down in the chair fulfilling your belief.
If you believe something, your actions will reveal what you believe. James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (ESV)
If belief was all it took, well, even the demons believe. Faith is belief AND action!
2. Confession
Romans 10:9-10 says, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (ESV)
These verses perfectly portray the first 2 responses to God’s gift… Faith (Belief & Action) and Confession.
When you think of confession, you might think of the Catholic version of confession: sharing your sins with a priest. (There is value to confessing your sins to someone. Read James 5:16) But, we’re talking about declaring Jesus’ gift for you publicly and sharing that gift with others.
Matthew 10:32 says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,” (ESV)
3. Repentance
Repentance is all about a desire to change—to turn away from your old way of living (sin) and follow Jesus.
Acts 2:38a says, “Peter replied, “All of you must turn away from your sins…” (NirV)
This is the beginning of transformation. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (ESV)
This desire to change—repentance—comes to fruition in the final part of choosing to follow Jesus…baptism!
4. Baptism
Finally, baptism is both a celebratory moment of choosing to follow Jesus, and it is also very symbolic.
Acts 2:38 says, “Peter replied, “All of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (ESV)
The word baptize in Greek is baptizō which means 'to immerse.' That is why baptism happens by being fully “buried” under water. It’s also symbolic of being buried (what happens after death) and being raised again—just like Jesus was!
Acts 2:38 also tells us that when we’re baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a part of the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit is God who lives in those of us who are baptized!
There are many passages that talk about the work of the Holy Spirit. His work in our lives—and our submission to that work—bears spiritual fruit. Paul writes about this fruit in Galatians 5:16-26, specifically the fruits of the Spirit in verses 22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (ESV)
Getting baptized is one-time decision that reflects a decision to choose to follow Jesus every day for the rest of your life! It’s a celebration—just like we celebrate a wedding—of a new life and a new relationship between you and Jesus! It’s the ultimate act of saying, “I’m all in! I have decided to follow Jesus!”
So, that’s baptism--choosing to follow Jesus--and why it’s important “in a nutshell.”
FAQs
When can I get baptized?
You can get baptized at Journey Christian Church at any time. On Sunday mornings, we’re always ready for anyone who is making the decision to follow Jesus and wants to get baptized. Usually, we have a time of response in each service where you can let a member of the Prayer Team know that you’d like to get baptized. They will help you with that! (We have also baptized people on other days of week.)
What do I need to bring?
We provide shorts, a t-shirt (you get to keep), and towels, so technically, nothing. But, we’ve seen people bring their own clothes (specifically shorts). We also provide bags for your wet clothes.
Can my spouse and/or kids get baptized?
Yes! We’ll baptize whoever is making the decision for themselves to follow Jesus.
I was already baptized. Do I ever need to get re-baptized?
Technically, no. The work that God did in you and for you when you were baptized the first time was enough, as long as you made the decision for yourself.
I was sprinkled as an infant. Do I need to get baptized?
Yes. However, what your parents did in having you sprinkled was not wrong; it was a great thing—dedicating you to the Lord and committing to raise you in His Word and Church. It just wasn’t a decision that you made to follow Jesus.
Is there something special about the water in the church baptistery?
No, but it is warm! There is nothing special or magical about the water in the church baptistery. You can technically get baptized anywhere you can be immersed.
Who can baptize someone?
Anyone who has been baptized can baptize someone else. You don’t have to be a Pastor hold an official Church title.
We pray that you will choose to follow Jesus and choose to get baptized!
If you have any other questions or want to schedule (not required) your baptism, please send us an e-mail or call us.