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Question: Does baptism save you?
Answer: No. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Let us remember that the primary factor in our salvation is God’s grace. It is His grace by which we are saved. This grace is mediated through our faith, but even that faith is a gracious gift of God, so that no-one can boast. Baptism does not save you, church membership does not save you, not even repeating the "sinner’s prayer" saves you. We are saved only by God’s grace, through our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Question: Why then should we be baptized?
Answer: Simply put, each believer should be baptized because Jesus set that example for us in Matthew 3, and later commanded that the Church be his witnesses in all the world, baptizing in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28). We are baptized primarily in faithful obedience to Christ’s call upon us to be baptized.
Question: What is the purpose of baptism?
Answer: Baptism is the sacrament most closely associated as the initiation into the Body of Christ. Just as circumcision functioned as the conversion rite in the Old Covenant, baptism is the sign and seal of the New Covenant. It represents to us the washing away of our sin, the sprinkling clean of our hearts, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. As a Sacrament, we understand it to be the ordinary (not the only) means by which Justifying Grace is mediated to the believer, and Prevenient Grace is mediated to the infant. The ordinary water accomplishes something extraordinary in our lives, as we are washed clean and brought into the Body of Christ.
Question: Why does the Church of the Nazarene baptize infants and small children?
Answer: According to our Article of Faith, "Baptism being a symbol of the new covenant, young children may be baptized, upon request of parents or guardians who shall give assurance for them of necessary Christian training." We understand that male children born into a Jewish household were circumcised on the eighth day as a sign of the covenant. In many ways baptism is the sign of the new covenant the same way circumcision was the sign of the old covenant. While infant baptism is not specifically recorded in the book of Acts, we do know that entire households were baptized into Christianity. An example of this is the conversion of the jailer in Acts chapter 16. Further, we know from Church tradition that newborn babies were baptized into the faith of their parents. While those points may be enough, we have a theological understanding which drives our understanding of Infant Baptism. If baptism is a sacrament, and a sacrament is the ordinary means by which God’s grace is mediated to us, then we understand Infant Baptism as an expression of God’s Prevenient Grace. Remember that Prevenient Grace is that grace at work in our lives before we were even aware of our need for grace. It is that grace which called us, preserved us, and protected us until the moment of our rebirth. We understand then, that Infant Baptism is all about God’s Prevenient Grace. You see, the sacraments are never about what we have done, or about our choice, but are rather about God and His grace. Baptism isn’t about my decision to "accept Christ" as much as it is about His decision to search me out and redeem me. Baptism is my faithful response to God’s grace at work in my life. We therefore will baptize infants of parents who have given their assurance of Christian training and upbringing as an expression of our faith that God is at work in the life of that child.
Question: Is an infant who is baptized any more saved than one who isn’t?
Answer: Remember that baptism doesn’t save anybody, rather God’s grace saves us, and baptism is one of the primary ways in which that grace is mediated to us. We do not somehow control God’s grace through baptism, for grace is always "unmerited favor" and if we could control it then it would cease to be unmerited.
We also believe (see Article number Six on the Atonement) that "The Atonement is graciously efficacious for the salvation of the irresponsible and for the children in innocency but is efficacious for the salvation of those who reach the age of responsibility only when they repent and believe." In other words, we believe that the atonement covers all children who are not yet morally responsible.
Since infant baptism does not provide justifying grace for the child, it is important that we realize that the day will come when that child will have to either accept or reject the terms of their baptism. Nobody will be in the Kingdom of God because of the faith of their parents, but only because they have responded to God’s grace. It is important that children be brought up and nurtured within the Christian community that they might personally accept and respond to God’s grace, affirming those baptismal vows as their own.
Question: Does the Church of the Nazarene recognize baptisms from other traditions or denominations?
Answer: We are not baptized into a local church or into a denomination, we are baptized into the Body of Christ. In fact, Galatians reminds us that there are no divisions among the Baptized, for we have been baptized into one family, and have been made one in Christ. Hear these words from Galatians 3, verses 26-28: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." For this reason, many pastors (myself included) are very reluctant to rebaptize anybody simply because they were baptized as an infant or in a different denomination. An act of rebaptism is not an expression of faith, but in fact becomes an expression of doubt that God was at work the first time. We recognize as valid any Christian baptism which utilizes water and is done in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (in accordance with Matthew 28:19).
Question: What if I am unsure of whether or not I was baptized?
Answer: Perhaps you think that you might have been baptized as an infant, but don’t have any baptismal certificates, and don’t remember for sure. You would like to affirm your faith publically in this way, but don’t want to be rebaptized. In those instances, I will perform what is known as a "conditional" baptism, whereby in the baptismal liturgy I will simply state that "if you are not already baptized, then I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Question: What if I was baptized as an infant, but wish to make a public confession of faith as an adult? Or, what if I was baptized as an adult but wandered away from the church and have now come back?
Answer: Just like marriage partners take time to renew their vows to one another, it is always appropriate to allow people to reaffirm their baptismal vows publicly. This gives believers an opportunity to accept the terms of their infant baptism and publicly identify themselves with Christ. Those who have drifted from the Body are able to renew their acceptance of the covenant relationship in a public way. No water is used, but the candidate is examined and given the opportunity to publicly affirm the baptismal vows and the creed. For that reason, at our last baptismal service, opportunity was provided for those who were already baptized to publicly renew their baptism as well.
Question: What modes does the Church of the Nazarene utilize and recognize?
Answer: The Church of the Nazarene recognizes and utilizes three modes of baptism: immersion, sprinkling, and pouring. Each mode has historical roots within the Christian church, and early archeological evidence points to Christian baptism utilizing a shell to pour water over the head of the candidate. In addition to historical tradition and archeological evidence, each mode is enriched by images presented in Scripture.
Hebrews 10:21-23 lends meaning to the act of baptism by sprinkling:
"and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
In Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, Peter has just witnessed the baptism of the Holy Spirit among the believers, and explains the occurrence utilizing language from the prophet Joel. Peter says:
"Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem , let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ’In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'"
And so, we recognize that Baptism by pouring reminds us of the Pouring out of the Holy Spirit. This mode also has its roots in the anointing of the Kings and leaders in the Old Testament who were anointed by the pouring of oil.
Baptism by immersion is given rich meaning by the imagery found in Romans 6, beginning in verse 3:
"Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus 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."
Each mode of Baptism has a rich tradition within the Body of Christ, historical and archeological evidence for its use, and scriptural references which help us understand what God does for us through the sacrament of baptism. It is for those reasons that the Church of the Nazarene has accepted and utilized all three modes of Baptism. One Nazarene theologian may have summarized our position best when he said, "We believe that al believers should have some water by some means."
Question: If I have never been baptized, what should I do?
Answer: You should be obedient to what Christ has asked you to do. If you have already expressed faith in God’s saving work upon the cross, then baptism is the logical next step. If you have not already found that faith, then I urge you to seek forgiveness for your sins and enter into a right relationship with God. Jesus died on the cross for your sins, that you might be forgiven and washed clean. Once you’ve settled that question, then make no delay in seeking water baptism to make public your entrance into the Body of Christ and to encounter the supernatural through the natural waters.
Answer: No. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Let us remember that the primary factor in our salvation is God’s grace. It is His grace by which we are saved. This grace is mediated through our faith, but even that faith is a gracious gift of God, so that no-one can boast. Baptism does not save you, church membership does not save you, not even repeating the "sinner’s prayer" saves you. We are saved only by God’s grace, through our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Question: Why then should we be baptized?
Answer: Simply put, each believer should be baptized because Jesus set that example for us in Matthew 3, and later commanded that the Church be his witnesses in all the world, baptizing in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28). We are baptized primarily in faithful obedience to Christ’s call upon us to be baptized.
Question: What is the purpose of baptism?
Answer: Baptism is the sacrament most closely associated as the initiation into the Body of Christ. Just as circumcision functioned as the conversion rite in the Old Covenant, baptism is the sign and seal of the New Covenant. It represents to us the washing away of our sin, the sprinkling clean of our hearts, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. As a Sacrament, we understand it to be the ordinary (not the only) means by which Justifying Grace is mediated to the believer, and Prevenient Grace is mediated to the infant. The ordinary water accomplishes something extraordinary in our lives, as we are washed clean and brought into the Body of Christ.
Question: Why does the Church of the Nazarene baptize infants and small children?
Answer: According to our Article of Faith, "Baptism being a symbol of the new covenant, young children may be baptized, upon request of parents or guardians who shall give assurance for them of necessary Christian training." We understand that male children born into a Jewish household were circumcised on the eighth day as a sign of the covenant. In many ways baptism is the sign of the new covenant the same way circumcision was the sign of the old covenant. While infant baptism is not specifically recorded in the book of Acts, we do know that entire households were baptized into Christianity. An example of this is the conversion of the jailer in Acts chapter 16. Further, we know from Church tradition that newborn babies were baptized into the faith of their parents. While those points may be enough, we have a theological understanding which drives our understanding of Infant Baptism. If baptism is a sacrament, and a sacrament is the ordinary means by which God’s grace is mediated to us, then we understand Infant Baptism as an expression of God’s Prevenient Grace. Remember that Prevenient Grace is that grace at work in our lives before we were even aware of our need for grace. It is that grace which called us, preserved us, and protected us until the moment of our rebirth. We understand then, that Infant Baptism is all about God’s Prevenient Grace. You see, the sacraments are never about what we have done, or about our choice, but are rather about God and His grace. Baptism isn’t about my decision to "accept Christ" as much as it is about His decision to search me out and redeem me. Baptism is my faithful response to God’s grace at work in my life. We therefore will baptize infants of parents who have given their assurance of Christian training and upbringing as an expression of our faith that God is at work in the life of that child.
Question: Is an infant who is baptized any more saved than one who isn’t?
Answer: Remember that baptism doesn’t save anybody, rather God’s grace saves us, and baptism is one of the primary ways in which that grace is mediated to us. We do not somehow control God’s grace through baptism, for grace is always "unmerited favor" and if we could control it then it would cease to be unmerited.
We also believe (see Article number Six on the Atonement) that "The Atonement is graciously efficacious for the salvation of the irresponsible and for the children in innocency but is efficacious for the salvation of those who reach the age of responsibility only when they repent and believe." In other words, we believe that the atonement covers all children who are not yet morally responsible.
Since infant baptism does not provide justifying grace for the child, it is important that we realize that the day will come when that child will have to either accept or reject the terms of their baptism. Nobody will be in the Kingdom of God because of the faith of their parents, but only because they have responded to God’s grace. It is important that children be brought up and nurtured within the Christian community that they might personally accept and respond to God’s grace, affirming those baptismal vows as their own.
Question: Does the Church of the Nazarene recognize baptisms from other traditions or denominations?
Answer: We are not baptized into a local church or into a denomination, we are baptized into the Body of Christ. In fact, Galatians reminds us that there are no divisions among the Baptized, for we have been baptized into one family, and have been made one in Christ. Hear these words from Galatians 3, verses 26-28: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." For this reason, many pastors (myself included) are very reluctant to rebaptize anybody simply because they were baptized as an infant or in a different denomination. An act of rebaptism is not an expression of faith, but in fact becomes an expression of doubt that God was at work the first time. We recognize as valid any Christian baptism which utilizes water and is done in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (in accordance with Matthew 28:19).
Question: What if I am unsure of whether or not I was baptized?
Answer: Perhaps you think that you might have been baptized as an infant, but don’t have any baptismal certificates, and don’t remember for sure. You would like to affirm your faith publically in this way, but don’t want to be rebaptized. In those instances, I will perform what is known as a "conditional" baptism, whereby in the baptismal liturgy I will simply state that "if you are not already baptized, then I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Question: What if I was baptized as an infant, but wish to make a public confession of faith as an adult? Or, what if I was baptized as an adult but wandered away from the church and have now come back?
Answer: Just like marriage partners take time to renew their vows to one another, it is always appropriate to allow people to reaffirm their baptismal vows publicly. This gives believers an opportunity to accept the terms of their infant baptism and publicly identify themselves with Christ. Those who have drifted from the Body are able to renew their acceptance of the covenant relationship in a public way. No water is used, but the candidate is examined and given the opportunity to publicly affirm the baptismal vows and the creed. For that reason, at our last baptismal service, opportunity was provided for those who were already baptized to publicly renew their baptism as well.
Question: What modes does the Church of the Nazarene utilize and recognize?
Answer: The Church of the Nazarene recognizes and utilizes three modes of baptism: immersion, sprinkling, and pouring. Each mode has historical roots within the Christian church, and early archeological evidence points to Christian baptism utilizing a shell to pour water over the head of the candidate. In addition to historical tradition and archeological evidence, each mode is enriched by images presented in Scripture.
Hebrews 10:21-23 lends meaning to the act of baptism by sprinkling:
"and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
In Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, Peter has just witnessed the baptism of the Holy Spirit among the believers, and explains the occurrence utilizing language from the prophet Joel. Peter says:
"Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem , let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ’In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'"
And so, we recognize that Baptism by pouring reminds us of the Pouring out of the Holy Spirit. This mode also has its roots in the anointing of the Kings and leaders in the Old Testament who were anointed by the pouring of oil.
Baptism by immersion is given rich meaning by the imagery found in Romans 6, beginning in verse 3:
"Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus 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."
Each mode of Baptism has a rich tradition within the Body of Christ, historical and archeological evidence for its use, and scriptural references which help us understand what God does for us through the sacrament of baptism. It is for those reasons that the Church of the Nazarene has accepted and utilized all three modes of Baptism. One Nazarene theologian may have summarized our position best when he said, "We believe that al believers should have some water by some means."
Question: If I have never been baptized, what should I do?
Answer: You should be obedient to what Christ has asked you to do. If you have already expressed faith in God’s saving work upon the cross, then baptism is the logical next step. If you have not already found that faith, then I urge you to seek forgiveness for your sins and enter into a right relationship with God. Jesus died on the cross for your sins, that you might be forgiven and washed clean. Once you’ve settled that question, then make no delay in seeking water baptism to make public your entrance into the Body of Christ and to encounter the supernatural through the natural waters.