Baptism Basics

You have just had a student go from death to life in Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord! So, they’ve been made new in Christ, now what’s next? 

One of the first steps of discipleship after a student comes to know Jesus is to follow Him in believers baptism. Matthew 28:18-20 explains it well, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

Scripture makes it very clear. Disciples of Christ should make the step of obedience to be baptized. All throughout the New Testament, whenever believers would come to know Christ, what followed was public display of their faith through baptism. 

What exactly is baptism?

In short, baptism is both a step of obedience and a public proclaimation. When a new follower of Christ is baptized, they are publicly proclaiming that they have been made new in Jesus. Baptism is representative of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Going under the water being symbolic of his death and burial. Coming out of the water being symbolic of his resurrection. Baptism is a visual representation of the Gospel in a believer’s life. 

Does baptism save?

No, the act of baptism does not save a person. Instead it is a public display of obedience proclaiming the power of the Gospel in a person’s life. As seen from the criminal coming to repentance on the Cross, He was never baptized but was saved by His faith in the Savior. Another instance this is seen in Scripture is in the house of Cornelius. Acts 10 describes how his house believed in Christ and immediately were sealed with the Spirit. Afterwards, they were baptized. Their faith in Christ is what saved them, but baptism followed as a step of obedience. 

Who should be baptized? 

All followers of Christ. Peter states in Acts 2:38, “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.” All throughout Scripture, baptism is commanded of all believers as an act of obedience. Repentance and baptism go hand and hand. When the Lord regenerates the heart of a man, that believers is commanded to publicly display that change through baptism. 

Following the Example of Christ

In Mark 1, we see the baptism of Jesus. At this amazing event, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all work in accordance with one another. Here, Christ is revealed as the Coming Messiah and He sets the example for us to publicly proclaim our faith.

This is one area that we cannot ignore in the discipleship of our students. Baptism isn’t an option for the believer, it is a command. All throughout the New Testament, salvation and baptism go hand and hand. May we mirror the New Testament Church. 

If you are looking for a handout to give your students more info on baptism, we have made a printable version of this article for you to use HERE.