BAPTISM

+ Why should I be baptized?

Just before his ascension, Jesus gave the disciples and Christian leaders throughout the ages the specific order to continue to baptize believers, (Mathew 28:19, 20). Once a person admits that he or she is a sinner and turns to Christ for salvation, the Bible says that the watching world needs to know that you’ve made that decision. In a way, baptism separates the browsers from the buyers. Baptism has always stood as a "Do you mean it or don’t you?" test for people who move from being someone who is merely interested, into someone who has really bought in to this life of faith. It is a public demonstration of a private conversion experience that has already taken place. Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is an act of obedience that demonstrates submission to God and the decision to follow Christ.

+ When should I be baptized?

The Apostle Paul and other new converts were baptized almost immediately after they trusted in Christ. They didn’t study or have time to consider all the deep spiritual significance of the event. In fact it seems that that was the pattern in the New Testament. Believers being baptized upon profession of their faith in Christ, (Acts 2:41; 9:18).

Anyone who commits his or her life to following Jesus is ready to be baptized (Acts 8:12). If you’ve never been baptized after personally choosing to follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we invite you to take your next step of obedience by being baptized.

+ How is baptism done at The Crossing?

Baptism is a symbol identifying a believer with Jesus Christ. A good symbol always pictures whatever it is symbolizing. Baptisms in the Bible were by immersion, and Jesus was baptized by being immersed in the water and rising out of it (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10). Being submersed in the water represents our death to sin and old way of life, and being raised out of the water is a picture of how Jesus gave us a fresh start in life (Romans 6: 3-5). If you have been baptized by immersion since you decided to follow Jesus, there is no need to be baptized again.

+ Do you baptize babies at The Crossing?

Our position here at The Crossing is that baptism should be offered only to those who are old enough to recognize a few things.

1. They need to recognize their sinfulness before God. They need to know that their acts of rebellion have separated them from their Creator (Isaiah 59:2).
2. They need to be mature enough to understand the substitutionary death of Christ on their behalf (1 Peter 3:18).
3. They must be able to appreciate the fact that God’s holiness could not allow sin to go unpunished, but who loved us to the extent of sending His Son to take the rap for us (John 3:16).
4. They must be willing to confess and repent of their sins (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9).
5. And last, they must be responsible enough to make a solid decision to trust Christ and follow him the rest of their life (Acts 16:31).

For whatever it’s worth, you should know that there is not a single clear reference in the entire Bible to a baby ever being baptized. Almost every time baptism is mentioned in the New Testament, it is attached to the command to first repent, humble yourself before God, trust in the saving work of Christ, and then be baptized. Those kinds of decisions really do require significant levels of maturity. Baptism, as we search the scriptures, has absolutely no saving powers of its own. Instead, Jesus constantly talked of personal faith, and personal decision.

At The Crossing Church, we offer baptism to any believer twelve years of age and up who has truly trusted Christ as Savior and has attended a baptism class. 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.