Salvation & Baptism
What is Salvation?
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
- Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
- Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.
- Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.
- Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.
- Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
- Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
What is baptism?
When we enter the waters of baptism, we proclaim the gospel message. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and lives again. By joining in baptism, we’re identifying ourselves with Him.
If the meaning of baptism could be summarized in one word, that would be identification. Baptism speaks primarily to a personal relationship with God, through the Holy Spirit, because of Jesus Christ. That relationship of oneness with Jesus Christ, is then publicly professed to your new family in Christ as your personal identification.
In Romans 6:3-4, the Apostle Paul puts the matter this way:
If the meaning of baptism could be summarized in one word, that would be identification. Baptism speaks primarily to a personal relationship with God, through the Holy Spirit, because of Jesus Christ. That relationship of oneness with Jesus Christ, is then publicly professed to your new family in Christ as your personal identification.
In Romans 6:3-4, the Apostle Paul puts the matter this way:
"Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Notice the strength of the expressions "baptized into Christ," "baptized into His death," and "buried with Him in baptism." Someone may suggest that the primary reference here is to Spiritual baptism. That is true, but at the very least, water baptism is in the underlying message of this passage.For More information regarding what we believe, we mostly align ourselves with the Faith Message of the Southern Baptist Convention.
This message can be found Here.
This message can be found Here.
How important is your baptism?
It is your personal identification with the greatest act of human history—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism doesn't save you—salvation does that; and that salvation comes by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Your guilt before God is removed the moment you trust in Christ. But, baptism is your personal testimony to, and the inward assurance of, your passage from the old life to the new life.