Baptism
Baptism is a significant moment in the life of a follower of Jesus. It’s a deeply personal and public moment shared with the church and wider community as a witness of God’s saving work through Jesus, the Gospel.
At Two Rivers we’ve had the honour of witnessing and baptizing followers of Jesus in the Fraser River, at Dragon and Ten Mile Lake, and even in the trough right inside the building!
If you have confessed Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and you have not yet been baptized you may be wondering, “Is this for me too?”
This page explains our understanding of baptism at Two Rivers and hopes to help you answer that question.
What is Baptism?
The English word ‘baptism’ is transliterated (sounds like) the Greek word meaning to plunge, dip, or immerse something in water. This is in part why we fully immerse into the water instead of sprinkle like some churches do.
Significantly, immersion also acts as a vivid picture of what had happened to us spiritually when we repented of our sin and were saved as a result of believing the Gospel. Paul writes,
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-4
As we go down into the water we are buried with Christ in His death, and as we come up out of that watery grave, we are buried with Christ in baptism, and raised with him through faith.
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.”
Matthew 28:19
Why be Baptized?
Is baptism necessary for salvation? To follow Jesus? To identify as a Christian?
No. Baptism is not necessary for salvation. The Bible is clear that we are saved through belief in God’s grace, not through any good works or rituals that we perform:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
However, we also see that baptism is not optionalfor Christians. Baptism is a command of Jesus, and therefore is necessary if we are to obey Him and receive the blessings that come with obedience.
“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.” Matthew 28:19
Baptism assists and reinforces our understanding of the Gospel, and it strengthens and encourages our faith. It does this for the one being baptized, and also for those who are watching! It is a tangible, physical representation of a spiritual reality.
It is like the kiss at the end of a wedding service. Who would want to cut that part out?
Who should be baptized?
There are broadly two views in the global church. One of them is known as infant baptism and the other is known as believers baptism.
We subscribe to the latter, believers baptism, because the pattern in the New Testament is this: first believe, then get baptized:
- “Repent and be baptized” Acts 2:38
- “Those who received his word were baptized” Acts 2:41
- “When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Acts 8:12
- Once the Ethiopian expressed faith in Jesus, Philip baptized him. Acts 8:26-40
- Peter commands new believers in Cornelius’ house to be baptized. Acts 10:44-48
- Once Lydia and her household responded to the gospel, they were baptized. Acts 16:14-15
- Once the jailor and his family believed, they were baptized. Acts 16:31-33.
- Crispus, his household, and many other Corinthians believed and were baptized. Acts 18:8
This clear pattern is why we do not baptize infants. Given that a baby is unable to repent, understand their need for a Saviour, or profess their faith in Christ, we cannot baptize infants with a clear conscience.
How does it happen?
There is no one formula, way, or place for baptism. Each person’s story, journey, and in some cases the place where they want to be baptized is different.
At Two Rivers we have adopted principles and practices that we feel are wise and helpful for those considering baptism.
Belong
Be a part of this community. Know and be known. There is no set timeline, count up of days or attendance taken on Sundays. This is a personal moment and a public family moment to be celebrated. It takes time to feel like family and to develop the relationship that hold each other accountable and spur each other on in our walk with Jesus.
In practice this looks like regularly attending Sunday service, joining a life group, serving on a team. This typically takes months.
Believe
Jesus regularly pointed to children as those ready to receive Him by faith. We should be like them. Faith in Jesus should not be made overly complex, yet it is also deep and rich for our hearts and mind to grasp. In our experience, just baptizing anyone at any time can lead to misunderstanding.
In practice this has included a short study based in the Gospel of Mark to help our mutual understanding of the Gospel and baptism. The study can be spread over weeks or discussed in an afternoon.
Bear witness
It is common for all who are baptized speak publicly and bear witness to God’s work in their lives. It’s a nerve racking process but in our experience also one of the highlights for the one being baptized and those witnessing. To be a witness is not to know it all or be an expert. A witness simply tells what he or she has experienced. As the blind beggar said to the officials questioning him, “Whether [Jesus] is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see!” John 9:25
In practice this is a moment up front, on the mic on a Sunday morning. We encourage people to write their testimony describing 1) Who I was before Jesus 2) How I encountered Jesus and 3) What has changed. It can be a few paragraphs or even a few sentences.
Next Steps
Have you put your faith in Jesus? Do you desire to be baptized? Are you ready (if a little nervous) to publicly demonstrate your identity as a follower of Jesus? If so, we would love to discuss how we can help along this journey.
Connect with one of the elders or your life group leader and let’s talk about it.
Common Questions
But what if I was baptized as a baby?
We would say, be baptized as a believer!
Should it be done in public or private?
People are meant to know and see what Jesus has done in your life. He publicly died and rose for us – we are to publicly declare His Lordship, and one of the first ways we get to do that is through baptism. For this reason, we would encourage you to invite as many people as possible to this glorious event!
Who should baptize me?
We don’t believe that members of the clergy are a special class of Christian who alone are allowed to perform acts such as baptism. But since baptism points to when a person joined the world-wide church, it’s probably wise to have those who are charged with the oversight, pastoring and administration of a local church, to perform it as a matter of accountability (elders, deacons, life group leaders, etc.)
At what age should believers be baptized?
Often children respond to Jesus at a very young age, and as with any obedient follower of Christ, would want to get baptized. The age at which this can happen will vary from child to child, and parents together with church leaders need to be sensitive to what God is doing in them. Look out for a believable confession of faith and the demonstration of genuine spiritual life. Without sounding too prescriptive, we think that around the age of 10 years also ensures a memorable experience, eliminating the need for them to feel like they must ‘do it properly’ again later in life.