Baptism is the initiation rite by which a person publicly declares his or her submission to Christ and so enters into the community of Christ, his Church. The sacrament of baptism was instituted by Jesus both by example (see e.g. Matthew 3.13-16) and by command (see e.g. Matthew 28.19), and has been observed by virtually all branches of the Christian Church since its inception.
As used in the New Testament, the word translated baptism means “immersion”: when a first-century person was baptized, he or she was submerged in water and then quickly raised out again. The New Testament writers describe the symbolism of this act in various ways: through baptism we act out the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (see e.g. Romans 6.3-4); through it we demonstrate that we are washed clean of our sin (see e.g. Acts 22.16); through it we affirm that we have been reborn as children of the Spirit of God (see e.g. John 3.5); and through it we testify that we have become part of the body of Christ (see e.g. 1 Corinthians 12.13).
Of course, the act of baptism by itself is not sufficient either to justify a person or to secure his or her membership in the Church. The New Testament clearly teaches that human beings are able to be made righteous before God only by means of the sacrificial death of Jesus of Nazareth, and are able to receive this righteousness only through faith in him (see e.g. Romans 3.21-26).
Nevertheless, for the earliest Christians, a person’s “internal” decision to put one’s trust in Jesus was viewed as occurring (in the typical case) simultaneously with the “external” act of being baptized in the name of Christ, and also with the divine gift of the Holy Spirit, so that they are practically a single action (see e.g. Acts 2.38). This is because one cannot become a follower of Christ without at the same time becoming part of the Church; and one cannot become part of the Church without at the same time becoming a follower of Christ.
Indy Metro Church recognizes the importance of the sacrament of baptism as an act of submission to the Lord Jesus; as a symbol that draws our attention to the sacrifice made for us by Jesus on the cross, and to the causes and consequences of that sacrifice; and as a means of demonstrating our inclusion in the body of Christ. For these reasons, we affirm that baptism is a crucial act of faith to be undertaken by every follower of Christ.
