Baptism
*Below this article are video interviews with Terry Virgo, leader of New Frontiers, about Baptism.
(the following is taken from Jubilee Church St. Louis)
What is Water Baptism?
Terry Virgo expresses the meaning of baptism when he writes:
"The moment you become a Christian, your life was linked with Christ. You were baptized into Him and what happened to Him happened to you as well. You died with Him to sin and to its power over you. And you rose with Him to a brand new life. When Jesus was baptized, He was identifying with you. When you are baptized, you're identifying with Him.
When you go down into the water, you are saying, 'Lord Jesus, you died on the cross for me. From now on, my old life is dead. I've broken with sin.' While you're under the water, you are saying, 'Lord, just as you were buried in the tomb, so my old sinful life is now buried in the water. This baptism is my funeral'. And when you're lifted out of the water, you are saying, 'Lord, you were raised from the dead by God's power, and by that power I can now live a totally new life.'" (Terry Virgo, Start, p.20)
Why is Water Baptism Important?
Baptism is a sign that a person's sins have been washed away. (Read what was spoken to Paul at his baptism in Acts 22:16). Baptism displays that we are baptized "into Christ" and are united with Him (Rom 6:11). There is no such thing as a "private baptism". By being baptized, a person is publicly confessing that Jesus is his/her Savior and Lord. "All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ" (Galatians 3:27). A person being baptized is saying, "I'm in Christ. My old life is gone. From now on I am living for Jesus." Being united with Christ, we rise to "live a new life" (Rom 6:4)!
Should Infants Be Baptized?
We believe that because baptism is an outward expression of a person's faith that they have been reborn, infants should not be baptized because they lack the ability to repent and have faith. Moreover, as you look through the book of Acts and the history of the early church, baptism came after repentance and the birth of faith in Jesus. It is like when a new enlisted soldier puts on his uniform. The uniform doesn't make him/her a soldier, but lets everyone know that he/she is one. Likewise, if a person is baptized before conversion, it's like someone wearing an army uniform who isn't in the army - it means nothing.
What is the Biblical Mode of Water Baptism?
We believe the expression of being united with Christ in death and resurrection happens by being immersed in water: that you are being buried under water as Christ was buried in a grave and then come out of the water to signify the rising from that grave. The word baptism in Greek means to dip or immerse. Most scholars agree that this is the way the early church practiced baptism, as all the examples we have happend this way (Acts 8:37-38; John 3:23). While the mode of baptism we employ is immersion, if you have been baptized as a believer, but in another way (such as sprinkling), we do not believe you need to be re-baptized.
*If you have any further questions concerning baptism, please contact us through our website, our facebook page, or call 912.225.6453 or email us at churchintheboro@gmail.com.
4a. Baptism into Christ and the Holy Spirit from Terry Virgo on Vimeo.
For more information on baptism, access Rob's overview below.
An Overview of Baptism