Baptism serves as an outward symbol of the decision we have already made in our hearts to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, To be Born Again spiritually and to become followers of His ways and teachings.
It announces to the world publicly a decision which we made privately.
And Baptism is the symbol of 5 different things
- Baptism is a symbol of Death – When we go down into the water it symbolizes the death of our old fleshly selves. I’m dying to myself and my way of living. Romans 6:4 says For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.
- Baptism is a symbol of Birth – Jesus said that anyone who wants to see the Kingdom of God must be born again. Coming up out of the water is a symbol of that birth and resurrection – that which has died is now spiritually alive.
- Baptism is a symbol of Cleansing – When we are born again God forgives our sins, cleanses our conscience and purifies our hearts. The water of baptism is a symbol of that cleansing by the Spirit of God and the Blood of Jesus.
- Baptism is a symbol of Association – Baptism is a telling to the world whose team you are on. Just like you would wear a Saints jersey on game day to represent your team, baptism tells the world that you are not ashamed of the Gospel and are now on the same team with Jesus Christ.
- Baptism is a symbol of Radical Change – The failure to take the step of Baptism is often what holds us back from the next level in our relationship with God. We resist the symbol of radical change because we resist the radical change – but God wants us to go ALL IN.
All of these symbols of Baptism serve as a point in life where we take the step of surrendering and giving our lives to Jesus.
Many people express they don’t feel ready to get baptized, but there is only 1 biblical requirement for baptism. That 1 requirement is spiritual birth. You don’t need to be clean already, God will do the cleansing. He is just looking for a willing heart who will take that step and trust in Him.