Why be baptised?

Water baptism is something commonly seen with the church - you know, praying over people and then submerging them under water. It’s quite different from being baptised or christened as a baby as is the practice of some traditional churches - at those times a baby is often sprinkled with some water and the baby doesn’t have a choice in the matter most of those times!

Water baptism is the complete submerging of a person’s body underwater on their own freewill and decision, as a symbolic act noting the death to their old life and the resurrection of their new life in Christ.

So why do it?

Jesus did it.

BAM! If that’s not reason enough, then . . .

Jesus came to His cousin John and asked him to baptise Him, which he did in the Jordan. Powerful example.

It is throughout the book of Acts

As I shared at church on Sunday, when I have to drive overseas, I often follow another vehicle to adjust to the new way of driving on the other side of the road - it helps to learn from someone else. When I started to learn to surf, I had the amazing privilege of having one of New Zealand’s best surfers living next door and he taught us how to surf. It helps to learn from those who are experts and have been there done that!

The book of Acts in the New Testament is the roadmap for how the church and followers of Christ should live. Repeatedly throughout Acts we read of people giving their lives to God and then following that up with baptism of water, which Romans 6 clearly shows as being synonymous with the death and resurrrection of Jesus.

If Jesus was water baptised and they had baptisms in the book of Acts, then we are all for it!

If you haven’t been water baptised, then I highly recommend that you talk it over with those in your church about getting it done - it has been a game-changer for me in terms of getting rid of habitual old ways that tried to keep me as a slave to sin . . . no more!

Water baptism - the icing on the cake - go for it!