What's it All About?

Why should I be baptized?

We get baptized because Jesus commands us to do so! Jesus set the example by being baptized Himself (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:9). Obedience to Jesus shows that we believe in and follow Him. Because Jesus went public about His love for us, we can go public about our love for Him.  Being baptized shows that we turn away from a life of sin and towards Jesus, the only one who can change us (Acts 2:38-41).

When Should I Be Baptized?

For everyone who decides to follow Jesus, baptism is the next step. Anyone who commits their life to following Jesus is ready to be baptized (Acts 8:12). 

I was baptized as a baby. Should I be baptized as an adult?

Perhaps you’ve been following Jesus for years, or you were baptized or sprinkled as a baby… but you’ve never been baptized by immersion. We invite you to take that next step!

The word “baptism” actually means “immerse.” In Matthew 3:16, we read that Jesus, after His baptism, “came up out of the water ...” In Acts 8:38, we read about a man from Ethiopia who decided to follow Jesus: “He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.” It was obvious that this was a large enough body of water for both of them to go “down into” it.

Being immersed in the water represents our death to sin and the old way of life, and being raised out of the water pictures how Jesus gave us a fresh start in life (Romans 6:3-5).

Do I need to be baptized again?

If you’ve been baptized by immersion since you decided to follow Jesus, there’s no need to be baptized again. However, if you’ve never been baptized as an adult after personally choosing to follow Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we invite you to take your next step of being baptized. 

Is baptism necessary for salvation?

Paul tells us in Romans 10:9,10: "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved."

It’s not baptism that cleanses us from sin. We confess that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that we need Him for the forgiveness of our sins and the restoration of our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father.

So when you step into the waters of baptism, your sins are already forgiven. They have already been washed away, not by water, but by what Jesus did for us on the cross and through His resurrection from having been dead. 

Do you baptize children?

As parents, we can help point our children to Jesus, but they are the ones who decide whether to commit their lives to Him (Romans 10:9). At 3TwentyOne, we want children to make their own decision to follow Jesus and truly understand the meaning of baptism.

We encourage kids in middle school and younger to talk with their parent(s) and either our Middle School Ministry Director or our Children’s Director, depending on their age. 

What's my next step?

If you’re ready to take this next significant step in your spiritual journey, let us know! You can do that by filling out the form below or by stopping by the Next Steps desk to talk to one of our guest services staff.