What is Baptism and Why is it Important?

What is Baptism and Why is it Important?

This is what I told my daughter before she made her choice to be baptized. After this short lesson on what it means and what would be expected of her after being baptized, she chose to dedicate her life to the Lord and readied her heart for Him. I hope this will bring understand and enlightenment to you and I hope you can share it with someone you may know who has been thinking about being baptized. Or share it to encourage them. However the Lord leads you.


Baptism means "immersion, dipping, submerging". 

Baptism is for those who believe Jesus is the Son of God, Acts 8:36-38.

When we are baptised in water we are making a physical symbolism of dying and being raised up a new life. Like Jesus! He died on the cross to physically pay the price for all of our sins. Then he was buried (going under the water). But God raised Him up from the dead (coming out of the water a new creation in Christ), alive again.

Before we are dipped in the water, it is important to confess our sins and ask forgiveness. Then when we are dipped in the water we are dying to our sinful way of life and when we are raised out of the water we are a new creation through faith in Christ.

In John 3 Jesus is talking to a man named Nicodemus about the importance of being baptized. Jesus tells him this in verse 3, "...unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." So Nicodemus asks how a person is to be born a second time and Jesus answers in verse 5, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Jesus goes on to talk about how being born in the Spirit is the only way you will understand the spiritual things of God.

Being baptized is not to be taken lightly. Do not get baptized just to be baptized. It is a permanent decision to live your life fully for the Lord. In Romans 6 it talks about being dead to sin and alive to God. In verse 12 it says this, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body..." Each day we have to choose to live for the Lord. Each time we choose to say "No" so sin it gets easier, and we grow stronger in the Lord. A heart set on worldly, carnal things lacks the power to resist sin. Such a mind-set leads to death and eternal separation from God. 

So what kind of things can happen after we are baptized? In Mark 16:16-18 Jesus says, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe; In My name they will case out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover."

Where does the Holy Spirit come into play? Acts 2 verse 38 says, "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." John 14:26 says, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

We need the Holy Spirit! He is our communication with the Lord. He is our helper and many other things we cannot do without. We cannot fully do what God has called us to do with the Holy Spirit because it would be near impossible to hear the Lord without him.