Four Reasons Why A Jesus-Follower Should Get Dunked

by Erin Bird,

On Sunday, Aug 13, we are going to have a GREAT Worship Gathering outside of the WAVP with Redeeming Rebels leading worship and a potluck to follow. But the BEST part of the morning is going to be celebrating baptisms!

If you follow Jesus, but haven't been baptized yet, Here are four reasons why I think you should get "dunked" on the 13th:

1. God expects it.

If you read Romans 6:2-4 , you see that Paul (writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) assumes that if you follow Jesus, you’ve been baptized. He sees baptism as full identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

While there are some church denominations that say you aren’t “saved” or truly forgiven of your sins until you are baptized, I personally believe that according to Ephesians 2:8-9 our salvation is ONLY the work of God. Baptism simply reveals outwardly the inward work God has already done and is doing in us through the gospel.

So He wants us to "go public" with our relationship with Him through Jesus.

2. Jesus did it.

The four gospel accounts of the life of Jesus highlight different stories and teachings, giving us a well-rounded view of Jesus’ life and theology. But there are only a handful of stories that all four gospel accounts share. The most well-known is the death & resurrection of Jesus (no surprise there). But another one is His baptism!

Jesus did not need “saved” since He was the sinless Son of God. Yet he was baptized by his cousin John to launch the public aspect of his ministry. It is after this point that Jesus recruited disciples and began to travel around the Palestinian region proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

If we are to “live like Jesus lived,” then we should also go public via baptism as well.

3. You need it.

No, you don’t “need” baptism in order to be “saved,” or to prove anything to God. Getting baptized doesn’t make you any spiritually cleaner, nor does it gain you super-saint status.

But it does help you put a "stake" down in your spiritual journey. We are all on a spiritual journey, and as we walk this path through life, occasionally we need some markers, some "stakes", that we put down on our path to remind us of where we've been, where we are going, and who we belong to. Baptism is a moment when you say to yourself and others, “I follow Jesus, and will follow Him no matter what the future holds.”

Just as a married couple going through tough times need to remember their vows, we need moments where we remember that we knew the truth and knew what we believed, so we can look back at those moments when the doubts and struggle come crashing in. Your baptism can serve as an anchor in your spiritual journey, so that no matter how the winds blow, you know your life is tied to Jesus and His gospel.

4. We need it.

Baptism is an incredibly beautiful moment in your spiritual journey. But it isn't JUST for you. By being baptized during our Worship Gathering, you are helping your church family worship God through your story and your decision to publicly declare your faith in Jesus.

So encourage the faith of others by being baptized.

If you want to be baptized, or have questions about baptism, feel free to email me at [email protected].