In baptism, the believer in Jesus makes a confession of faith and is immersed in water, symbolizing the death of the old life and resurrection into new life through Jesus. It is a memorial of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. At Journey we baptize believers who are capable of making a conscious decision to follow Jesus by immersing their entire body into water. We do this because we believe it is the most accurate method to the biblical text and because it is a significant visual representation of death and resurrection. We believe anybody who has placed their faith in Jesus as their Savior should publicly declare their repentance from sin and commitment to live righteously by the grace of Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be baptized sooner rather than later.
Matthew 28:19-20, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Romans 6:4-11, Colossians 2:12, Acts 2: 38,41 , and Acts 8:26-40.
Six Common Questions About Baptism
1. What is baptism?
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It’s a public declaration of how Jesus changed your life. Being baptized shows others that you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and allows them to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34). Baptism doesn’t save a person; it’s a symbol and celebration of salvation (1 Peter 3:21). The power that brought Jesus back to life is the same power Jesus uses to change our lives – and that’s worth getting excited about!
2. Why should I be baptized?
Jesus instructs us to be baptized and set the example by being baptized (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:9). Obedience to Jesus shows we believe and follow Him. (1 John 2:3). Because Jesus went public about His love for us, we can go public about our love for Him. Being baptized shows that we turn away from a life of sin toward Jesus, the only one who can change us (Acts 2:38-41).
3. When’s the best time to be baptized?
For everyone who decides to follow Jesus, baptism is the next step. Anyone who commits his or her life to follow Jesus is ready to be baptized (Acts 8:12).
4. Do you baptize children?
As parents, we can help point our children to Jesus, but they are the ones to decide if they will commit their lives to Him (Romans 10:9). Any instance of baptism follows a person’s decision to trust Jesus for his or her salvation and commitment to follow Him (Acts 10:47-48). At Journey Church, we wait until children are old enough to express their own decision to follow Jesus and understand the meaning of baptism. (Child Dedication Service)
5. What’s the difference between immersing, sprinkling and other ways of baptizing?
Baptisms in the Bible were by immersion. The original word for baptism most often referred to being immersed or submerged in water. Jesus was baptized by being immersed in the water and rising out of it (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10). Submersion in the water symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:34). Being submerged underwater represents our death to sin and old way of life, and being raised out of the water is a picture of how Jesus raised us and gave us a fresh start in life (Romans 6:3-5).
6. Do I need to be baptized again?
If you haven’t been baptized by immersion since you decided to follow Jesus, we want to help you take your next step of being baptized. Once you’ve taken that step, there’s no need to be baptized again.