BAPTISM AT THE KING’S CHURCH

At The King’s Church, we believe the Scriptures teach that baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Triune God subsequent to (after) salvation as an act of obedience. We believe that baptism by immersion (the word ‘baptize’ means “to dip” or “immerse”) best represents and depicts the believer’s spiritual union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, and is a public declaration of their faith in Jesus. This position will be briefly outlined below. 

First and foremost, baptism is an act of obedience for the Christian. There is nothing in the actual act of water baptism that saves an individual. Rather, only those who have first professed faith in Christ and who have a clear conviction that they have been saved by the grace of Jesus should be baptized. In the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:16-20), Jesus lists baptism as the first act in “making disciples.” The consistent call of the apostles and the leaders of the early church upon people coming to faith in Christ was to then be baptized (Acts 8:26-40). Believer’s baptism in this way also clearly follows the example of Christ, who was baptized himself by immersion in the Jordan River (Matt. 3:13-17).

Secondly, baptism is a symbol and sign of the believer’s union with Christ. The Apostle Paul reminded the church in Corinth “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-5). The gospel is the good news centered on Jesus’ coming as a man in the incarnation, his perfect life, his death on the cross, his resurrection three days later, and his ascension into heaven. Romans 6:1-11 states that Christians been “buried with Christ” in baptism and that they have been “raised to walk in newness of life,” just like Christ has been raised from the dead. Colossians 2:11-12 also captures this imagery as it connects to baptism: “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” As a Christian is baptized, their going under the water symbolizes that Christ’s death is their death (Gal. 2:20), and their rising out of the water symbolize that Christ’s resurrection is their resurrection to new life (2 Cor. 5:17). Baptism by immersion best captures this biblical teaching. 

Thirdly, baptism is a public declaration of allegiance to Jesus and His Kingdom. Baptism is an opportunity to publicly identify as being a part of God’s family. It is a great encouragement to the church and is a powerful witness to the story of the gospel. It also provides an opportunity to share and celebrate the testimony of God’s grace in an individual’s life as they have been saved from death to life (Eph. 2:1-10). 

We regularly observe baptism at The King’s Church following our corporate worship gathering. We believe this is a family event to be celebrated with your brothers and sisters in Christ under the oversight of the leadership of the church. You can keep an eye on our events page for upcoming baptism Sunday dates!

Interested in being baptized or have more questions about baptism? Fill out the form linked below & one of our leaders will contact you with next steps!