Baptism

Baptism marks an exciting and crucial turning point in your life! It’s one of two sacraments and is a symbolic, public confession that you have committed your life to Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The path ahead of you is a path of discipleship: of increasingly becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ. This is what your baptism means:

Public Affirmation Of Faith
Baptism is the public affirmation of your personal commitment to trust Jesus with every part of your life and to be a fully devoted follower (disciple) of the risen and reigning Lord. It is accepting His call to go and make disciples and His promise to be with you always.
(Matthew 28:18-20)

Public Entrance Into Community
Baptism is your public entrance into Christ’s new community (the Kingdom of God) = the church; and your first visible step of obedience to Christ’s call on your life. Your determination to trust and obey Jesus, signified by your baptism, fully activates the Holy Spirit’s gifts in your life. These spiritual gifts enable us as His people to carry out the ministry and find the purpose for which God created us.
(Acts 2:36-39, Ephesians 2:1-10)

Symbolic of Death and Rebirth
Baptism (baptizo = immersion) means entering into and going under water. This symbolic “death and burial” signifies our personal identification with Jesus’ death for our sins (our death to sin as lord); and with His resurrection from the dead, enabling us to rise to a new life for God in Christ. This illustrates the central tenet of Christianity: the death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.
(Romans 6:1-14, Colossians 2:12)
 
One of Two Sacraments
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the church’s two sacraments (special thin spaces between heaven and earth: God’s realm and ours). Both sacraments teach us to celebrate and unite us around the central realities of the church’s life: our salvation through Jesus’ atoning death for our sins and our hope of eternal life through His defeat of death by His resurrection.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

Attend a Baptism Class
Damascus Road offers Baptism Classes several times a year. The two-session class for adults will give you the opportunity in a small group setting to study the Scriptures about Baptism, ask questions, and discuss its meaning. The Baptism Class for youth is for middle and high school students and geared toward their age group. Contact us to learn more about Youth Baptisms.