Baptism Signup Form
The Bible says that all professing Christians should be baptized (Matthew 28:18-20). Whether you've been following Jesus for a long time and have yet to be baptized or are a new Christian, we would be honored to baptize you!
Fill out the form below if you are interested in being baptized at Providence.
Fill out the form below if you are interested in being baptized at Providence.
BAPTISM, 6 Important Questions
Believer’s Baptism is one of the most well-known practices of the Christian faith. The discussion that follows presents the essence of our view of believer’s baptism at Providence Bible Church. Believer’s baptism is not to be seen as a means to salvation, but rather the outward, visible, tangible testimony of what has taken place already in the heart. It is the believer who is baptized, which means salvation takes place before the act of baptism.
1. What is the meaning of believer’s baptism? Believer’s baptism is a symbolic act that pictures an inward spiritual reality. (Romans 6:3-4) Baptism pictures the identification of a believer with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection to a new life. Believer’s baptism also pictures the washing away of sins, (Acts 22:16). By being baptized, the believer also testifies of his or her being placed into the body of Christ, (I Cor. 12:13); and that he or she has been clothed with Christ. (Gal. 3:27)
2. Is baptism essential for salvation (Do you have to be baptized in order to be forgiven? No. The New Testament clearly teaches that salvation is based solely on personal faith in Jesus Christ apart from any other actions. Two Scripture passages which present this truth are John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” and Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.” Just because baptism is not essential doesn’t mean it’s not important. Certain New Testament passages closely link baptism with salvation. But, this is because baptism is a symbolic ritual which pictures what salvation is all about. And so, just as a person can point to a photograph and say, this is my brother, the New Testament writers sometimes use the word, baptism, as a reference for the whole of salvation which is only through Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38, 22:16; Galatians 3:27; I Peter 3:21).
3. Why should a person receive believer’s baptism? Primarily because Jesus, in one of His last appearances to the eleven apostles after His resurrection, said, “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” (Matt. 28:19). The apostles understood what Jesus was saying and believer’s baptism immediately became the public sign of every believer’s entry into the Christian community (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 8:35-39, 9:18, 10:48, 16:15, 16:33, 18:8,19:5)
4. Should infants receive believer’s baptism? No. Since believer’s baptism pictures a spiritual relationship which begins at salvation, and since salvation occurs through personal faith in Jesus Christ, no person should receive believer’s baptism until they have made that conscious, personal commitment. This would include babies. However, Christian parents are encouraged to publicly dedicate their children to Christ. And often, those who have practiced infant baptism did so with loving intentions to dedicate the child to God.
5. What is the proper method of believer’s baptism? In the New Testament, immersion appears to have been the universal practice. The Greek word translated baptize is (baptidzo) and it literally means to dip or immerse. New Testament Baptism was by immersion (Matt. 3:16, Acts 8:38-39).
- Martin Luther: “I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the word imports and the mystery signifies.”
- John Calvin: “The word baptize signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church.”
- John Wesley “Buried with Him alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first church.”
6. Who should be baptized? Everyone who has personally trusted Christ for salvation should receive believer’s baptism. If you are a believer and have never done this, we encourage you to make arrangements to be baptized by contacting the pastor. Your public expression of faith will be a great encouragement to the body and may even be an encouragement to help someone else find salvation in Jesus Christ.
Believer’s Baptism is one of the most well-known practices of the Christian faith. The discussion that follows presents the essence of our view of believer’s baptism at Providence Bible Church. Believer’s baptism is not to be seen as a means to salvation, but rather the outward, visible, tangible testimony of what has taken place already in the heart. It is the believer who is baptized, which means salvation takes place before the act of baptism.
1. What is the meaning of believer’s baptism? Believer’s baptism is a symbolic act that pictures an inward spiritual reality. (Romans 6:3-4) Baptism pictures the identification of a believer with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection to a new life. Believer’s baptism also pictures the washing away of sins, (Acts 22:16). By being baptized, the believer also testifies of his or her being placed into the body of Christ, (I Cor. 12:13); and that he or she has been clothed with Christ. (Gal. 3:27)
2. Is baptism essential for salvation (Do you have to be baptized in order to be forgiven? No. The New Testament clearly teaches that salvation is based solely on personal faith in Jesus Christ apart from any other actions. Two Scripture passages which present this truth are John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” and Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.” Just because baptism is not essential doesn’t mean it’s not important. Certain New Testament passages closely link baptism with salvation. But, this is because baptism is a symbolic ritual which pictures what salvation is all about. And so, just as a person can point to a photograph and say, this is my brother, the New Testament writers sometimes use the word, baptism, as a reference for the whole of salvation which is only through Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38, 22:16; Galatians 3:27; I Peter 3:21).
3. Why should a person receive believer’s baptism? Primarily because Jesus, in one of His last appearances to the eleven apostles after His resurrection, said, “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” (Matt. 28:19). The apostles understood what Jesus was saying and believer’s baptism immediately became the public sign of every believer’s entry into the Christian community (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 8:35-39, 9:18, 10:48, 16:15, 16:33, 18:8,19:5)
4. Should infants receive believer’s baptism? No. Since believer’s baptism pictures a spiritual relationship which begins at salvation, and since salvation occurs through personal faith in Jesus Christ, no person should receive believer’s baptism until they have made that conscious, personal commitment. This would include babies. However, Christian parents are encouraged to publicly dedicate their children to Christ. And often, those who have practiced infant baptism did so with loving intentions to dedicate the child to God.
5. What is the proper method of believer’s baptism? In the New Testament, immersion appears to have been the universal practice. The Greek word translated baptize is (baptidzo) and it literally means to dip or immerse. New Testament Baptism was by immersion (Matt. 3:16, Acts 8:38-39).
- Martin Luther: “I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the word imports and the mystery signifies.”
- John Calvin: “The word baptize signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church.”
- John Wesley “Buried with Him alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first church.”
6. Who should be baptized? Everyone who has personally trusted Christ for salvation should receive believer’s baptism. If you are a believer and have never done this, we encourage you to make arrangements to be baptized by contacting the pastor. Your public expression of faith will be a great encouragement to the body and may even be an encouragement to help someone else find salvation in Jesus Christ.