Baptism

At first glance, the idea of Christian Baptism might seem strange. Where does the idea of baptism come from? Why should someone be baptized? Isn’t it just an antiquated ritual? If I believe in Jesus, why isn’t that good enough? Why do I have to get publicly soaked and wet? Couldn’t we use a super soaker?

We realize that the idea of baptism might seem foreign. But in the New Testament, we see that being baptized is the proper response to faith in Christ. It is an act of obedience whereby one who has put their faith in Christ publicly identifies with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is a time for us to acknowledge that we have put our faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, remembering that Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

We believe it is our responsibility to baptize those who put their faith in Jesus since His last words to his disciples were to “go 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).

We also believe it is the responsibility of one who has put their faith in Jesus to be baptized. Time and time again, the apostles urge people to believe and be baptized. In Acts 2, Peter urges the crowd to “repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38). There are 10 detailed examples of conversion in the book of Acts, each of which contains a “believed and was baptized” pattern.1 Therefore, we are convinced each Christian should respond in obedience to God by believing and being baptized.

In baptism, we remember that “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” We identify with his own death in baptism. The Apostle Paul teaches that “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death… 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” (Rom. 6:3-4). The association of salvation and baptism in the New Testament has led some to think that it is baptism that saves. Let me clearly say that baptism does not save. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Baptism is simply the outer manifestation of faith in Christ. Like participating in the Lord's Supper, baptism is something we are called to do in obedience to Jesus.

10 Detailed Conversions in Acts:
the Jews in Acts 2;
the Samaritans in Acts 8:5-12;
Simon in Acts 8:13;
the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26-40;
Saul in Acts 9:1-18/22:1-16;
Cornelius in Acts 10:1 – 11:18;
Lydia in Acts 16:14-15;
the jailer in Acts 16:25-34;
the Corinthians in Acts 18:8;
and the Ephesians in Acts 19:1-7).

This is the most frequent question we hear regarding baptism. And we think it’s a good one! Since baptism is an outward declaration of an inward reality, it is important to ensure that you have put your faith in Jesus before you are baptized. But let’s make a few things really clear.

First of all, you don’t have to have been a Christian for a certain number of years to be baptized. You don’t have to have it all together, and your faith doesn’t have to reach a certain level of strength or maturity. At CenterPoint, we do, however, want each person to have a full understanding of their faith, so we ask that you be over 10 years old for baptism.

The Bible teaches that you are ready to be baptized when you put your faith in Jesus and ask for forgiveness! At that moment, you are forgiven, and God’s grace makes you clean. You are now free to proclaim through baptism, an outward washing, the cleansing which God has already accomplished in your heart.

We know that many wonderful Christian denominations practice infant baptism, and we know that many wonderful Christian people in our church have been baptized as infants. Of course, this raises several questions for many of us. It might be helpful to differentiate between the most common views on baptism.

Baptismal Regeneration: Baptism accomplishes the forgiveness of sins. All infants should be baptized in order to communicate saving grace from original sin.

Covenantal Baptism: Baptism is the oath sign of the new covenant in the same way circumcision was the oath sign under the old covenant. As a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, all infants of believing parents should be baptized.

Believer’s Baptism: Baptism should follow one’s profession of faith in Christ. It is an act of obedience to the command of Christ.

At CenterPoint, we believe the New Testament practice of baptism upon acceptance of the gospel (e.g., Acts 8) is an act of obedience that should follow one’s profession of faith in Christ. Therefore, we encourage everyone who was baptized as an infant to consider being baptized as an adult. In so doing, you consciously and personally identify yourself with Jesus Christ and symbolically declare in your baptism the faith you have put in Him.

If we were in the middle of the desert, we might have a different opinion on this. But since we are in the middle of an Island and water is plentiful, we practice full immersion. In addition to providing the imagery of being cleansed, baptism also paints the picture of one dying to oneself and being made new in Christ. Just as Jesus died and was resurrected on the third day, so will all who believe in Jesus die and be raised by the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. In the act of fully immersing someone in water, we acknowledge that in the same way one is buried with Christ, so will one also be risen in Christ. Every part of the individual is soaking wet, representing how every part of us is made brand new in Jesus Christ.

We normally start off with a welcome, especially since there are often so many family and friends who come out to share this day with you. Each baptismal service will include a time for singing and worship, a time for those being baptized to share their faith, a brief message from a pastor, and a time when those present will be baptized (either in a Baptismal tank at our Massapequa church location or at one of the beaches, such as Long Beach or Robert Moses).

We believe it is important for you to publicly profess the faith you’ve put in Christ (Rom. 10:9).

Whether at the beach or United, before the service, we will gather where a pastor will review the meaning and significance of baptism. Each person will have the opportunity to affirm their faith that they have put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives. It can be as simple as saying, “I’ve given my heart to Christ.” This can be as simple as you saying, “I’ve given my heart to Christ.”

A word on clothing. When you are baptized at CenterPoint, you will receive a special tee shirt from us. We ask that you wear that along with appropriate swimwear either underneath and/or shorts, leggings, etc. on bottom. We also recommend flip-flops, and please remember to bring a towel. If the baptism is held in our church sanctuary, you can use the restrooms to change afterward.

Remember, what you wear to your baptism is what you will be dunked in. A strong suggestion: Do not wear clothing that is lightly colored. Be sure that when your clothes get wet, they do not become see-through! This is an important day in your faith, so please be mindful to maintain a respectful posture when selecting your clothing.

Absolutely! At each baptism, the good news of the gospel is clearly presented, both in what is said and what is done. So yes, we think it’s an excellent opportunity for you to share your faith with your friends and family and to celebrate with your loved ones what God has done in your life.