The Importance of Baptism
On this day 29 years ago, at Hope Chapel Hermosa Beach, I was baptized as an adult, fully immersed in water like Jesus, (and which was the practice of the early church), in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in obedience to Jesus’ command in Matthew 28.
Thirty-nine days after I became a born-again believer by putting my trust in Christ for forgiveness and repenting of my sins, I made my public declaration of faith. Hallelujah!
The only thing I remember about that time was saying this in front of my entire church: “I thought Amazing Grace was a bartender at the Red Onion.”
Yeah, I was really lost back then….
There’s a lot of confusion regarding baptism and I would even say that most Christians are indifferent to it, or worse, people who call themselves believers in Jesus may have never been baptized at all according to New Testament baptism even though Jesus clearly says,
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
There are two ordinances, or commands, for the Protestant, Evangelical church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I’d like to bring some biblical clarity, starting with the word “ordinance.”