We Celebrate God's Love,
proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ
and serve our neighbors
St. John's Lutheran Church, Glendale, AZ 85301
What is Baptism? (1 of 4)
Baptism is:
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water
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used with God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation and
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by Christ’s command.
Christ commands us
“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.” (Matthew 28:19)
God promises
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“He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16)
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Sins are washed away (Acts 2:38; 22:16)
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The Holy Spirit is given (Luke 3:21-22; Acts 2:38)
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God makes us members of the Church, the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27)
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God brings us into his Kingdom (John 3:5)
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We are adopted Children of God (John 1:12; Rom 8:14-16)
God does these things, not the water by itself
This means:
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The amount of water is not important—God can use just a few drops
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The type of water is not important—river, lake or tap water can all be used by God
God does these things, not the person being baptized
This means the baptized:
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Do not need to know anything, understand anything, or do anything except receive
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Can be an infant or adult
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Can be a professor of philosophy or mentally handicapped
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Does need to be trained and taught to believe God’s promises in baptism
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Does need to be surrounded by faithful Christians who will guide, support, and train them to follow Jesus.