On May 31 @ 5p, I (we) will be teaching a baptism class for anyone who needs to be baptized, including young people.
Participating in the class communicates, “I know I need to be baptized.”
We baptize those who believe in Christ and His gospel because Jesus told us to. In the Great Commission, Jesus said, “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…” (Matt 28:19). There you have it. That is why I ask those who have not been baptized when they plan to be baptized. Let me say it plainly: followers of Christ should not ignore His command concerning baptism.
That is why we are creating this class.
The elders are leading the church to hold two things in tension. First, we do not baptize everyone who simply says, “I want to be baptized.” We do not hold mass baptisms in which anyone can come forward and be baptized immediately. We do not pressure people to be baptized the same day they profess faith in Christ.
Second, we do not want to be so passive about baptism that it appears the elders and church do not understand that baptizing disciples is part of fulfilling the Great Commission. Berean, we do what Christ tells us. He is Lord over all. He is the Chief Shepherd of Berean.
We baptize by immersion because we are fully convinced that this is how Jesus was baptized. Read Matthew 3. The text’s language strongly supports immersion. Jesus entered the Jordan River. He was baptized by John the Baptist. Then verse 16 says, “he went up from the water.”
In Romans 6, Paul teaches that baptism pictures our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. The way we practice baptism visualizes our death with Christ, our burial, and our spiritual resurrection to walk in newness of life. Before we baptize you, we want to hear about the “newness of life” you are experiencing.
As you think about baptism, here are three principles that guide us.
- We do not want to baptize unbelievers. This is why we emphasize the need for a salvation testimony that can be shared with the church. Last week, I shared my own salvation testimony. Our plan is to create a section on our website where pastors, elders, deacons, staff members, and teachers can share their testimonies. We also do not want to baptize children so young that they cannot later remember their baptism or meaningfully reflect on the authenticity of their faith in Christ.
- We want to help disciples of Jesus obey Christ and publicly profess their faith through baptism. Maybe you are struggling to work through the Berean Baptism booklet. Maybe you still have questions. Maybe life has simply been busy. Come to the May 31st baptism class @ 5p (which will run simultaneously with the evening service). The class will meet in room E101. We will use this time wisely to help you prepare for baptism.
- We want to ensure that those we baptize understand that baptism does not save or cleanse anyone. Our mission to make disciples requires teaching. There is much confusion surrounding baptism today. The purpose of the class is to work carefully through that confusion and determine what the Bible says—and does not say—about baptism.
Will you carve out 75 minutes on May 31st to move one step closer to obeying Christ? Or do you know someone who needs to participate and would benefit from your invitation?
