Baptisms are kind of a big deal at Arise. Why? Because they are declarations of how God is renewing the world one person at a time. It's people declaring that God loves them and that Jesus is King. Now, we understand that dunking people in water might seem a bit odd at first. But it's actually a beautiful moment we love to celebrate!
What is Baptism?
The New Testament teaches the importance of baptism in the life of every believer. Jesus instructs his disciples to baptize all who follow the Lord Jesus “in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28.19). On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter directed the Jerusalem crowd to repent and be baptized (Acts 2.38). In baptism, disciples profess their belief in the forgiveness of sins made possible by the death of Jesus Christ (Acts 22.16). By re-emerging from the waters of baptism, disciples demonstrate belief in the resurrection of the dead at Christ’s coming (Romans 6.4) and the forthcoming restoration of all creation (Isaiah 43.18-19; Revelation 21.5). In the New Testament, baptism is often accompanied with the manifestation of God’s Spirit given as a gift to all his people (Acts 2.38, 10.44-48; 1 Corinthians 12.13). Perhaps most centrally, baptism marked the unity of a believer with the whole Church. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “There is one body and one Spirit...one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all....” (Ephesians 4.3-6)
