Baptism is an outward symbol of a Christian’s lifelong devotion to God and following His word. With the help of someone else, a person is first safely lowered backward underwater, symbolizing giving up their own ways, or will, to follow God’s ways, or His will. The person is then immediately lifted back up out of the water, symbolizing their new life of serving God from that point on.
When Christians study God’s word, they may feel like God is calling or inviting them to take a serious step – to give up sin, follow His word the best they can, copy the life of His son Jesus, and live a righteous life devoted to serving God.
When Christians decide to answer God’s invitation to serve Him, they are baptized to outwardly show that they have made this serious and important decision in their heart. It should not be done just because others expect them to do it or tell them to do it. It’s a personal decision that should be made after a lot of thought and prayer.
When he was 30 years old, Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan by his cousin, John the Baptist. Jesus’ baptism symbolized that he was ready and willing to follow His father’s will forever.
So, what is baptism? It’s an outward symbol showing a life-changing decision to no longer follow our own wills, but to try to follow God’s will for the rest of our lives.
This video is from Christian Questions Podcast. For more information please go to https://christianquestions.com
