On mission


Why baptism?  What’s so important about water after conversion?  Jesus told His followers to go into all the nations to make disciples and then to baptize them. Why do you think this was so prioritized?

When we’re saved, we belief on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.  The Holy Spirit comes to reside inside us, and we’re made into a new creation.  But no one can see the Holy Spirit in us until we start bearing spiritual fruit.  For some of us, that isn’t right away.  It may not be obvious that we’ve become a Christian.  But baptism solves that problem.

Among the many, many reasons for baptism is the idea that this is a public proclamation of our faith in Jesus.  It’s been said that this is like putting on a wedding ring.  We’d still be married without a ring, but we make it known by wearing the ring.  Likewise, we’d be Christians without the baptism, but the act shows the world that we aren’t ashamed of our new life and it preaches a message of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.

Baptism is the first step of obedience for a believer.  When making disciples, getting them to take the first step of obedience opens the door to many more acts of obeying.  There’s just something about that first decision to follow Jesus’ example that makes it all the more likely that they’ll continue in their walk of faith with great strength.