Why is baptism important? Do I need to be baptized?
"Peter replied, 'All of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:38).
"Those who accepted his message were baptized..." (Acts 2:41).
"By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father's glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life" (Romans 6:4).
Jesus Christ commands new believers to get baptized as a picture of their new life in Christ.Some people think they have to be baptized to get to heaven. But the Bible says we can't get to heaven by doing things such as being baptized. Jesus did it all! He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for sin, and rose from the dead. We must trust in Jesus alone, not our own good works, to save us.
Although it can't save you, baptism is important. If you have become a Christian by trusting in the Lord Jesus, He commands you to get baptized. Baptize means "to dip under water." A pastor dips a believer under the water and then raises him out of the water a moment later.
Going down under the water is a picture of Jesus' death and burial for sin. Coming back out of the water is a picture of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Baptism shows what happens to a believer at salvation. Because Jesus died and rose to conquer sin, at salvation a believer dies to his old, sinful self and is raised to new life in Christ.
Some churches baptize babies before they are old enough to trust in Jesus. Some parents want their baby baptized to show that they will raise their child to follow Jesus. The important thing to know is that just because a person is baptized as a baby doesn't mean that person is going to heaven. Baptism doesn't save anyone from sin. Only Jesus saves!
A new Christian should want to obey the Lord Jesus by being baptized. If you have trusted in Jesus, you can ask your parents and your pastor about baptism.
