Baptism is an important step of obedience for every believer in Jesus Christ. While baptism does not save us, it is a public declaration that we have placed our faith in Christ and desire to follow Him. It is an opportunity to share the testimony of God’s work in our lives and to celebrate His grace together as a church family.
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It is a spiritually meaningful, symbolic ceremony that publicly shows our desire to obey God and to follow Jesus.
Jesus commanded His followers to be baptized (Matthew 28:19-20), and He Himself set the example by being baptized (Mark 1:9). Baptism is an act of obedience for every believer. It does not save us, but it is a public declaration of our faith in Jesus Christ and identifies us with Him. It symbolizes that we have died to our old way of life and have been raised to new life through His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).
No. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by any religious works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Baptism is to salvation what a wedding ceremony is to a marriage. The ceremony doesn’t make a couple married. Rather, it is a public declaration of the commitment they have made to one another. In the same way, baptism does not save us. It is a public declaration of our faith in Jesus Christ and our commitment to follow Him.
Throughout the New Testament, baptism was a public expression of faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41). Jesus calls His followers to identify with Him and not be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16; Mark 8:38). Baptism provides an opportunity to publicly declare our faith, share what Christ has done in our lives, and celebrate His saving work with our family, friends, and church family.
As we read the New Testament, we see baptism being practiced by immersion, with believers going down into the water and coming back up again (Matthew 3:16; Acts 8:38-39). The Greek word baptizō means “to immerse” and immersion beautifully symbolizes our identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).
Throughout the New Testament, baptism is typically administered by recognized church leaders or those serving under the authority of the local church (John 4:1-2; Acts 10:47-48; Acts 16:33). At the Hawthorne Gospel Church, baptisms are conducted by members of our pastoral staff.
Throughout the New Testament, those who placed their faith in Jesus Christ were typically baptized soon after their salvation as a public expression of their faith and their first act of obedience to Him (Acts 2:41; Acts 8:38-39; Acts 10:47-48). If you have trusted Christ as your Savior but have not yet been baptized, we encourage you to take this important next step. Scripture gives no reason to delay this public declaration of your faith.
Because baptism is intended to follow a person’s personal faith in Jesus Christ, some people realize that their first baptism took place before they had genuinely trusted Christ as their Savior. While that baptism may have been a sincere expression of religious commitment, the New Testament consistently presents baptism as following salvation. If you came to faith in Christ after you were baptized, we encourage you to be baptized as a believer as a public testimony of your faith and obedience to Him.
The New Testament presents baptism as a one-time act of obedience that follows a person’s faith in Jesus Christ. Because baptism is a public declaration of our identification with Christ, it is not something that needs to be repeated. Since baptism does not save us or bring us into a closer relationship with God, there is no biblical reason for repeated baptisms. If you have been baptized as a believer after trusting in Christ, we encourage you to view that baptism as a lasting testimony of your faith and commitment to follow Him.
While Scripture records Jesus welcoming and blessing children, it does not record Him baptizing infants, nor does it command the practice of infant baptism. Throughout the New Testament, baptism consistently follows a person’s personal faith in Jesus Christ. Because infants are not yet able to personally place their faith in Christ and understand the significance of baptism, the Hawthorne Gospel Church practices believer’s baptism rather than infant baptism.
We do, however, conduct Baby Dedications. A Baby Dedication is a special time when parents publicly commit to raising their child according to God’s Word, and the church family commits to encouraging and supporting them in that responsibility. Together, we pray that each child will one day personally trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and choose to follow Him. While 1 Samuel 1:27-28 records Hannah dedicating Samuel to the Lord, we view Baby Dedication as a biblical principle rather than a commanded ordinance.
