If you’re looking for churches in Galesburg, IL, it’s important to consider a prospective church’s approach to baptism. While baptism might seem like a relatively minor issue, the way a Galesburg church practices baptism can tell you a lot about its members’ values and priorities. Baptism is important because of its power as a spiritual sign, because of the accountability and social implications it carries, and because it’s done in direct obedience to Jesus’ command.
Why is Baptism Important: A Powerful Sign of Spiritual Rebirth
Baptism is one of two ordinances that Jesus set up for the New Testament church (the Lord’s Supper is the other). When John the Baptist performed baptisms in the river during Jesus’ earthly ministry, these physical baptisms represented a profound spiritual event: Jesus’ coming to earth in the flesh to die for our sins.
Likewise, when a new believer is baptized today, he or she is participating in a physical representation of a deep inward transformation. The Bible is clear that believers should pursue baptism after choosing to believe on Jesus as Savior and repent of their sins. As the believer is immersed in water and then rises from the surface, the motion serves as a beautiful picture of Jesus’ physical burial and resurrection (see Romans 6). It also represents the believer’s choice to make the same decision, following in Jesus’ footsteps, to “die” to his or her former self and rise again to live a new life in Christ. Paul tells us that in order to live the Christian life, we must crucify the old self with its flesh-driven desires and actively choose our new walk with Christ on a daily basis.
In some ways, baptism resembles a bath. Peter alludes to this in 1 Peter 3:21, where he explains that baptism isn’t about removing dirt from the body, but about demonstrating the power of Christ’s resurrection. However, bathing is a powerful image of Christ’s ability to cleanse a new believer from past sins and wipe away the old habits and temptations that once kept them trapped and encumbered.
Why is Baptism Important: A Picture of Unity
1 Corinthians 12:13 states that we are all baptized into one body in Christ. Regardless of race, ethnic background or social status, a person joins the universal community of saved believers when they become a Christian. The practice of baptizing all new believers helps to remind us that we’ve all joined one body, and we belong to one spiritual family.
Why is Baptism Important: Accountability To Other Believers
When a Christian is baptized, they are making a public declaration of their choice to follow Christ. One purpose of being baptized in front of witnesses is to provide accountability for this significant life decision. After baptism, if the believer struggles in their walk with Christ or drifts away from the Christian life, the moment of baptism serves as a landmark in their memory, reminding them that they’ve committed their life to Christ. Jesus said that no one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is suitable for the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 9:62). Baptism is a physical reminder of that crucial moment when we put our hand to the plow by placing faith in Jesus for salvation.
Why is Baptism Important: A Testimony For the World To See
Baptism helps to hold a believer accountable to their Christian community, but it also makes a clear statement for all to see. Baptism sets a believer apart from those outside of the faith, and it makes a believer vulnerable to potential rejection or ridicule. Participating in a practice that sets us apart socially from our culture is a significant choice to make, and it can have far-reaching social implications, sometimes provoking conflict or criticism.
On the positive side, baptism is often a time when those who don’t normally attend church will come to see a friend or relative make this public statement. Baptism provides an opportunity to talk to those outside the church about what we believe and why. Often, during baptism, a believer is given the opportunity to tell everyone who’s watching about his or her personal encounter with Christ and its life-changing effects.
Why is Baptism Important: An Act of Obedience to Christ’s Command
Jesus directly commands all believers to participate in baptism. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells his followers to go and share the gospel with people of all nations on earth, baptizing new converts as they accept the good news of salvation. The apostles, disciples, and members of the early New Testament church understood how central baptism is to the Christian faith, and the Bible records that they were faithful to obey this commandment. The choice to become a Christian is a choice to obey Jesus as Lord and Master, and being baptized is an important first step towards a lifestyle of obedience to Christ.
Obedience does not come naturally to many people, and it’s not celebrated in today’s culture. However, it’s central to the Christian life. Jesus Himself modeled obedience during His time on earth, doing the will of His Father even when it brought him physical pain and emotional suffering.
Jesus Himself was baptized by John the Baptist, although John initially protested Jesus’ commandment that he perform the baptism, unable to understand why Jesus would humble himself in this way. When we choose baptism, we are following the example Jesus personally set for us.
Baptism At Harmony Baptist Church
Harmony Baptist Church is a Galesburg church that takes Christ’s commands about baptism seriously. As a Baptist church, we practice baptism by immersion, and we baptize saved believers who are old enough to understand its significance. We understand that baptism doesn’t save a person from their sins, but it does outwardly signal the internal transformation that person has experienced. For us, baptism is a joyful time of celebrating the gift of salvation Christ offers. If you’ve received Christ as your Savior from sin, but you’ve never been baptized, we would be honored to speak with you more about this important decision. If you’d like to know more about the free gift of salvation Jesus can offer, we’re also glad to discuss how you can receive it today. Our “Contact” page has everything you need to reach out. We look forward to hearing from you!
