Water Baptism at Victory Faith
At Victory Faith Church, we like to say that baptism is the "outward expression of an inward change." The Bible teaches that baptism is the first step of obedience after making our decision to follow Jesus. Baptism allows believers to communicate their heart-felt commitment to Christ to the church.
Baptism Facts
WHY BE BAPTIZED?
Those who are baptized are following Jesus’ example and obeying His command.
- “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” —Matthew 3:16–17
- “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go 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 I have commanded you.’” —Matthew 28:18–20
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM?
Water baptism is a public declaration of three very important things:
- You are a follower of Jesus Christ.
- “Those who accepted his message were baptized.” —Acts 2:41
- You are beginning a changed life in Christ.
- “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.” —Romans 6:4
- You are part of a new family.
- “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” —Galatians 3:26–27
I HAVE ALREADY BEEN BAPTIZED. SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED AGAIN?
Your baptism should have signified you becoming a follower of Jesus, beginning a changed life, and uniting with a new family. If your baptism did not reflect this change of life, then you should be baptized again.
CAN MY CHILD BE BAPTIZED?
Every child can have a personal relationship with Jesus, and in Victory Faith Kids we encourage them to make a decision to follow Him. Our children are encouraged to not just learn about Jesus but learn from Him by walking with Him everyday. Water baptism is the public declaration of your child’s internal decision to follow Christ. We advise parents to wait until their child can answer the following questions before being baptized.
- When did you decide to follow Jesus and become His forever friend?
- What does it mean to be water baptized?
CAN MY INFANT BE BAPTIZED?
Throughout the New Testament, the Bible teaches that baptism is a public expression of worship symbolizing the new life we have when we follow Jesus. In the Bible we see that Jesus’ parents dedicated him to the Lord (Luke 2:22–40), and he was later baptized as an adult (Matthew 3:16–17).
We understand that some churches practice “baptism of confirmation” for children. This ceremony is intended to be a commitment between the parents and God on the behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his or her own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed and is different from the biblical examples of new believers being baptized to publicly profess their faith in Jesus.
So at Victory Faith we provide opportunities for child dedication and believer’s baptism.
Upcoming Events
If you are interested in being baptized, or dedicating a child to God, here are our upcoming events!