Sons & Daughters of Thunder Liberation Center Liberia

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM?

When you are baptized, you enter into covenant with God, and your sins are washed away forever.

1 Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Through water baptism, you have the privilege of identifying with the work of Jesus Christ, and applying the power of His name to your life.

Mark 16:16-18 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Matthew 10:7-8 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Luke 10:17-20 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Baptism buries your old, sinful nature, and gives you a fresh new start in Christ.

Romans 6 :3-4 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Colossians 2:12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM?

Water baptism is an act of faith and obedience to the commands of Christ. It signifies your desire to follow Jesus. At the same time, baptism is much more than simply an outward act. With baptism, God performs an inward transformation of our spiritual man, and cleanses our sins.

Acts 22:16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Our sins are no longer remembered by God, and we are given a clean slate of grace and mercy.

Hebrews 10:14-18 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds, I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.

WHO SHOULD BE WATER BAPTIZED?

All believers who have committed themselves to Jesus Christ through repentance, or turning away from sins, should be baptized.

While babies may be dedicated to the Lord from birth, baptism is reserved for those who are old enough to understand and make personal confession of faith in Jesus.

Once you have committed yourself to Jesus and repented of your sins, you are ready for water baptism.

WHY SHOULD I BE WATER BAPTIZED?

Baptism was instituted by Jesus Christ. Although He has never sinned, He was baptized as an example to us.

Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus also commands believers to be baptized.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Jesus was saying that if you believe, your faith will be evidenced by your baptism. Notice that Jesus says “he who does not believe shall be condemned”. Jesus made belief or faith in Him the condition for being saved, not the act of baptism. Jesus is saying that if you believe it will be accompanied by baptism, because baptism is evidence of true belief. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, not by works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

HOW SHOULD I BE WATER BAPTIZED?

The word “baptize” comes from the Greek word “baptizo” which literally means, to dip repeatedly, immerse, to submerge and to cleanse by dipping or submerging and to wash and make clean with water. For this reason, baptism is to be done by immersion in water. This is when a person is pushed down under the water completely.

Jesus was fully immersed when baptized, and the first Christians also practiced baptism by immersion.

I believe that water baptism should be conducted in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and that name is Jesus.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

It is the name of Jesus that has authority, power and salvation.

Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

WHEN SHOULD I GET BAPTIZE?

You should get water baptized at your first opportunity after you have confessed Jesus as Lord, and repented of your sins.

Acts 8:12-13 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing miracles and signs which were done.

Acts 8:35-38 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So, he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Acts 10:45-48 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone   forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Acts 18:8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

Acts 19: 4-6 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Acts 22:15-16 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

The New Testament gives no account of any baptisms in the early church that were performed in any other form than by immersion, invoking the name of the Lord, Jesus.

WATER BAPTISM IS AN IMPORTANT AND CRUCIAL STEP IN YOUR BECOMING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS AND UNIFIED WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST.

1 Corinthians 12: 12-13 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (What Body? The body of Jesus Christ)

Galatians 3:26-28 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. ~ And that name is Jesus

AS DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE CALLED TO BE HIS WITNESSES TO THE END OF THE EARTH AND TO CARRY THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF HIS NAME AND THE GOSPEL OF TRUTH TO EVERY PERSON, TRIBE AND NATION ON THIS PLANET.