What Jesus Said About BaptismSýnishorn

A public declaration that cut all ties with the past

Baptism is a public declaration that we cut all ties with our previous lives. We turn away from all allegiances to other gods, a lifestyle of sin and rebellion against God.

With baptism, we proclaim the message of the gospel: "I have died with Christ, and I have been raised from the death." It is a proclamation of what we believe. It is a faith statement.

It does not mean that we reject our family and friends. But by being baptised, we declare that Jesus is the Lord of our lives. We submit to Him and Him alone. We are saying that we will obey Him in everything. Other relationships are important but can never replace Jesus as our last and final authority.

Baptism normally has an enormous effect when someone comes from another religion and embraces Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In the Roman Empire, where other gods and Caesar were worshipped as gods, it led to much resistance, rejection, and persecution. The same is still true today. When someone was baptised, they were irrevocably saying: "From this point onward, I am not identifying with any other god(s). Jesus is Lord. Before Him alone, I will bow my knee."