If your child has questions about baptism
GETTING BAPTIZED
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
After you have received Jesus as your personal Savior, and made Him the “boss” of your life, please pray about being baptized. Baptism is a SYMBOL to show other people that you are a Christ follower and that you are committing your life to obey Jesus.
The Bible says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Sometimes, baptism can be a little confusing, so here are some answers to some of your questions about baptism:
B: Baptism can not get you into heaven.
We can only get to heaven through our belief and faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NCV) says, “ I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves, it was a gift from God. It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.”
A: Act of Obedience.
We get baptized to obey God’s Word.
Matthew 28:19 (NCV) says, “So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
P: Picture of Christ’s Death, Burial and Resurrection
Just like wearing a wedding ring is a symbol and a reminder of someone’s wedding, baptism is a symbol and a reminder of what happened to Jesus Christ when He died on the cross for you, was buried, and then rose again. Going into the water, and then coming back up out of the water again, symbolizes the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, and shows that we are FOLLOWING HIM.
Colossians 2:12 (NCV) says, “When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with Him through your faith in God’s power that was shown when He raised Christ from the dead.”
T: Those who believe in Christ should be baptized.
Did you know that only those who have asked Jesus into their heart need to be baptized? Why? Because Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward commitment! That is why we feel it is important for you to wait until you are baptized until you are fully able to understand your sin nature, your need for a Savior, and until you have truly repented and given your life to Jesus. That is also why we don’t baptize babies or preschoolers. Baptism is only for those who are already Christians.
I: Identifies you with Christ.
Romans 6:4 (NCV) “When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared His death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we also can live a new life.”
When you wear a baseball hat or your school’s T-shirt you are telling everyone that you are loyal to a team or belong to that school. Well, when you are baptized you’re telling everyone that you are identifying yourself with Jesus.
S: Symbol of belief.
Remember above, when I talked about a wedding ring? If you see someone wearing a wedding ring, you can tell that they are married, right? What if they take off their wedding ring, are they still married? Of course. The RING does not make you married. The wedding ring is only a SYMBOL of an inward commitment that two people made to each other at their wedding ceremony. That’s just like baptism.
M: Must be under water.
I Corinthians 15:3-4 (NCV) says, “Christ died for our sins, as the Scripture say; that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
So, now I hope you understand a little more about baptism. You still might have more questions, and that’s OK! Please call me or email me if you’d like to talk more about it, or if you think you’re ready to get baptized at our church.
I usually suggest that kids wait until 3rd grade or older until they get baptized, in order to make sure they really understand all that it means, but it’s still ok to get together and talk about it.
In order to be baptized at First Baptist Church of Lakewood, you need to call our office (562) 420-1471, ext. 142 and make an appointment to talk to me, Pastor Carol, or attend one of our Children’s Baptism classes. We have a workbook that we do together, and we answer a lot of your questions. After you have taken the baptism class, your parents and I will discuss whether or not we feel you are ready to be baptized. If you are, then we’ll set the date! It’s always an exciting day when a child in our church gets baptized, and I look forward to that day for YOU! God bless you!
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
After you have received Jesus as your personal Savior, and made Him the “boss” of your life, please pray about being baptized. Baptism is a SYMBOL to show other people that you are a Christ follower and that you are committing your life to obey Jesus.
The Bible says, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Sometimes, baptism can be a little confusing, so here are some answers to some of your questions about baptism:
B: Baptism can not get you into heaven.
We can only get to heaven through our belief and faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NCV) says, “ I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves, it was a gift from God. It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.”
A: Act of Obedience.
We get baptized to obey God’s Word.
Matthew 28:19 (NCV) says, “So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
P: Picture of Christ’s Death, Burial and Resurrection
Just like wearing a wedding ring is a symbol and a reminder of someone’s wedding, baptism is a symbol and a reminder of what happened to Jesus Christ when He died on the cross for you, was buried, and then rose again. Going into the water, and then coming back up out of the water again, symbolizes the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, and shows that we are FOLLOWING HIM.
Colossians 2:12 (NCV) says, “When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with Him through your faith in God’s power that was shown when He raised Christ from the dead.”
T: Those who believe in Christ should be baptized.
Did you know that only those who have asked Jesus into their heart need to be baptized? Why? Because Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward commitment! That is why we feel it is important for you to wait until you are baptized until you are fully able to understand your sin nature, your need for a Savior, and until you have truly repented and given your life to Jesus. That is also why we don’t baptize babies or preschoolers. Baptism is only for those who are already Christians.
I: Identifies you with Christ.
Romans 6:4 (NCV) “When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared His death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we also can live a new life.”
When you wear a baseball hat or your school’s T-shirt you are telling everyone that you are loyal to a team or belong to that school. Well, when you are baptized you’re telling everyone that you are identifying yourself with Jesus.
S: Symbol of belief.
Remember above, when I talked about a wedding ring? If you see someone wearing a wedding ring, you can tell that they are married, right? What if they take off their wedding ring, are they still married? Of course. The RING does not make you married. The wedding ring is only a SYMBOL of an inward commitment that two people made to each other at their wedding ceremony. That’s just like baptism.
M: Must be under water.
I Corinthians 15:3-4 (NCV) says, “Christ died for our sins, as the Scripture say; that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
So, now I hope you understand a little more about baptism. You still might have more questions, and that’s OK! Please call me or email me if you’d like to talk more about it, or if you think you’re ready to get baptized at our church.
I usually suggest that kids wait until 3rd grade or older until they get baptized, in order to make sure they really understand all that it means, but it’s still ok to get together and talk about it.
In order to be baptized at First Baptist Church of Lakewood, you need to call our office (562) 420-1471, ext. 142 and make an appointment to talk to me, Pastor Carol, or attend one of our Children’s Baptism classes. We have a workbook that we do together, and we answer a lot of your questions. After you have taken the baptism class, your parents and I will discuss whether or not we feel you are ready to be baptized. If you are, then we’ll set the date! It’s always an exciting day when a child in our church gets baptized, and I look forward to that day for YOU! God bless you!
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