Baptism
The Meaning of Baptism
If the meaning of baptism could be summarized in one word, that would be identification. Baptism in Christian faith speaks primarily of personal, public identification with Jesus Christ
In Romans 6:3-4, the Apostle Paul puts the matter this way:
Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
How important is your baptism? It is your personal identification with the greatest act of human history—the death, burial, resurrection, and eternal life of Jesus Christ. Baptism doesn't save you—salvation comes by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Your guilt before God is removed the moment you trust in Christ. But baptism is your personal testimony to, and the inward assurance of, your passage from the old life to the new life.
Baptism is considered a sacrament because it is a visible sign instituted by Jesus Christ that conveys grace and signifies spiritual rebirth and initiation into the Christian community. It holds a foundational role in the spiritual life of believers.
Through baptism, individuals are reborn as children of God and united with Jesus Christ in His death, becoming new creatures through the resurrection of Christ. This sacrament is essential for salvation as it removes both original sin and actual sins, representing the ultimate forgiveness of sins, and it initiates individuals into the Church, marking their official entry into the body of Christ.