Christian Baptism is the once-in- a-lifetime washing in water received according to God’s command and promise as a physical sign of God’s love and forgiveness for us.

Holy Baptism is a physical sign of a spiritual reality. Baptism is the physical sign that God loves and forgives us through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the physical sign of God’s action in our lives to save us through Christ from sin, death and evil. Baptism is a gracious gift of God so that we can have assurance of salvation according to God’s word of promise.

God’s Command:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (from Matthew 28:18-20).

God’s Promise:
“The one who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16a).

“Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (from Romans 6:3-5).

“… Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25b-26).

Note: Christian Baptism is not a baptism of human repentance like the pre-Christian baptism of John the Baptizer (Acts 19:1-7). It is God’s work, not our own work. Holy Baptism is truly God’s action – a baptism of God’s grace according to God’s command and promise through which we receive God’s Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8).

Why should I be baptized?

As soon as possible! There is no reason to delay. Since Holy Baptism is God’s gift to us for assurance, confidence, and peace of mind concerning our salvation, why wait? Now is the time to receive this gift of God’s grace according to God’s promise.

Absolutely! Since Holy Baptism signifies and certifies that our salvation is God’s free gift through Jesus Christ our Lord, then a person’s age or ability to understand does not matter. Lutheran Christians believe that faith is itself a 100% gift of God (I Corinthians 12:3). We also believe that faith is simple trust, not intellectual understanding. Therefore, even young children and infants are welcome to receive this gracious gift of God for their lives of faith as they grow in years. Lutheran Christians offer Holy Baptism to all people; whether you are an adult who has come to faith in Christ before Baptism or an infant who will grow to one day respond in faith to God’s baptismal grace.

Note: The New Testament understanding of Holy Baptism presented here teaches that it is an action of God that is a beginning of a life to be lived in the world. Through Holy Baptism God claims us for a life of loving and serving all people in Jesus’ name. Therefore, infants and young children must grow to affirm and live-out their baptismal life in response to God’s grace and love for them. Because God has graciously chosen them, they must grow to daily choose God in response.

Christian Baptism is always received in the name of God the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit, and it can be received using
any amount of water. You can use all the water you want, but without God’s word of promise with the water, it is not a true Holy Baptism. Soldiers on the battlefield have been baptized using only a cup of water. What matters is God’s word of promise with the water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Also, Christian Baptism is not a private affair. We are not baptized into isolation; we are baptized into community. Therefore, except in extreme circumstances, Lutheran Christians prefer to baptize within the Christian community at worship. This means that most Baptisms take place during worship on Sunday, the Lord’s Day (the day Christ rose from the dead).

No, BUT it is essential for the Christian life. While salvation can and does come to people outside of being baptized, Holy Baptism is a sure and certain means through which God saves us. Also, it is the universal gift of God (using water, the most basic element of physical life) so we can have assurance that we are saved by God’s gracious action alone through God’s gift of faith in Christ alone. Whether you came to faith before Holy Baptism or you grew in faith after it, Holy Baptism is God’s gift to us for assurance, confidence, and certainty concerning our salvation.

What does Baptism mean for daily living?

“It means that our sinful self, with all its evil deeds and desires, should be drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever” (Martin Luther, 1531 AD).

To receive Holy Baptism for yourself or for a child in your care, contact:

He will be happy to schedule a pre-Baptism appointment with you and to arrange for the date and time of the Holy Baptism to be received.