19th June 2025

Citizens of God’s kingdom hold the act of baptism as a meaningful sacrament. We believe baptism is primarily a symbolic public statement of being united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Baptism symbolises our commitment to following Jesus, while we acknowledge that our commitment is only possible because of our Saviour’s unbreakable commitment to us!

On the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter exhorted his listeners: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39). We are among those who are ‘far off’, and we can share in the grace of God along with those who heard Peter speak almost 2,000 years ago.

Note how the people responded to Peter’s call after he finished his sermon: About 3,000 accepted Christ that day, and were baptised (v. 41). When people accepted Christ as the Messiah, baptism was the appropriate response. Baptism sends a message to ourselves, to others, and to God. By being baptised, we acknowledge that God is the source of our life and the reason we exist, and that Christ is our Lord and Saviour.

Baptism pictures the drama of our ‘I do’ decision for Jesus Christ—but it is possible only because Jesus has already said the ‘I do’ for us. He has already made a commitment to us, and we are now acknowledging it. He has already given his life for us; we are now responding and giving our lives to him. Baptism is a symbolic act that says there is a life-long commitment between Christ and us, and he is our Saviour. Baptism implies that we will follow him wherever he may lead us.

People who request baptism are saying they accept Jesus’ offer. He wants to be associated with us, to live with us forever and ever. In baptism, we say that we agree to be associated with Jesus Christ in a personal and intimate way—to belong to Christ, to share in the benefits of his life and death. That’s what it means to be baptised ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’.

Believers share in the life of Christ. As Christ died, so do the believers. As they share in Jesus’ death, they also have a part in his resurrection and eternal life. In baptism, believers dramatise that we are united with Christ in his death and in his life. The apostle Paul explained this to the Romans: ‘All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.’ (Romans 6:3-4).

Baptism symbolises our death and resurrection with Christ, that our old self is a thing of the past, and that our real life is in Christ. Going down into the water pictures the death of the self, and rising up out of the water pictures the resurrection of the self to a new life now, and eternal life in the future.

Baptism is not magic. It does not automatically bring the Holy Spirit to us, nor does it cause our spiritual renewal and salvation. Rather, it is done after the Holy Spirit has led us to faith and we have responded. Baptism is a metaphor that symbolises that on the cross, Christ has crucified our former life and has brought us into a new life in him.

First published on 9 April 2025 in the GCI Update https://update.gci.org 

Local congregation:
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