The word gospel means, “good news”. The “good news” of the gospel is that God saves sinners through the life, death and resurrection of His one and only Son, Jesus. It is through repentance and faith in Jesus, and what He did for us on the cross that one receives salvation. Some of the benefits of Salvation include forgiveness of sins, a new family here on earth (The Church), a new purpose (The Mission of Jesus), and a new eternal destination (With Jesus and everyone else who has believed). At GBC Redmond we desire all people in Redmond and the surrounding areas to come to a saving faith in Jesus! John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Acts 2:37-38, “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

It means a lot! -Baptism is a conscious identification with the person of Jesus and his work on the cross to provide salvation to anyone that would repent of their sin and believe by faith. The New Testament pattern is: repent, believe and be baptized. Baptism is the outward expression and public declaration of the inward reality that the Lord Jesus has saved you, and that you have received Him and the salvation He provides.

Baptism is immersion into water; this is the basic meaning of the word “baptism”. Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; John 3:23; Acts 8:38-39

Baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord’s command and follows His example. Matthew 28:18–20

The Bible seems to know of no unbaptized Christians. Acts is full of references to baptizing those who had confessed faith in Christ. Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12–13, 16, 36, 38; 9:18; 10:37, 47–48; 11:16; 13:24; 16:15, 33; 18:8, 25; 19:3–5; 22:16.

Matthew 3:13–17, “…permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness…” Jesus submitted Himself to baptism.

Baptism is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21.

Baptism is a symbol of what God has accomplished in the life of the believer. Romans 6:3–11; Colossians 2:9– 14; 1 Peter 3:21

Baptism is a symbol of washing and cleansing from sin. Titus 3:5, Acts 22:16.

Baptism is a symbol of our entrance into the Body of Christ, the Church. 1 Corinthians 12:12–13.

Baptism is a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ. In baptism we express, with our whole body, our heart’s acceptance of Christ’s Lordship. Becoming a Christian involves the body as well as the heart. In conversion, the heart is freed from sin to be enslaved to God. Since the Lordship of Christ lays claim to our whole body, it is fitting for us to express our surrender to His Lordship with our whole body “from head to toe.” Romans 6:12–13; 12:1; Acts 2:38, 41.

Baptism is for believers. We baptize believers in the Lord Jesus Christ based upon their profession of faith, and their desire to follow Jesus with their entire lives. What follows is the discipleship of all believers within our church as we seek to teach all believers to obey the commands of Jesus as taught by the Lord in Matthew 28:18-20.

Anyone who has trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior through repentance and faith-

Repentance: Acknowledging your sin and need for a Savior. Repentance is a change of heart and mind which involves a turning away from sin (acknowledging your sin, and having a sincere sorrow for it), and a turning toward God (desiring to receive the gift of forgiveness through the death of Jesus on the cross).

Faith: Trusting and believing that you have received salvation through Jesus. Faith is a belief and trust in what the Bible reveals about the person and work of Jesus even though you did not witness it personally.

Repentance and faith always work together – they are an acknowledgment of sin, and a heartfelt trust in Jesus for salvation. Acts 20:21, “…repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Repentance = acknowledgement of sin with a sincere sorrow.

Faith = Trust and belief that Jesus is God and that he died for me!

Romans 10:9-10, “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

It is a wonderful truth that many people have known Jesus from childhood. Jesus welcomed children in His days on earth, and He is pleased to save children now. At what age should a child be baptized? We believe baptism is not only a symbol of how one enters into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, but it is also a declaration of one’s understanding of how this happens as well as a declaration of one’s readiness to follow Him.

Above all we want to be sure that the child’s desire to be baptized is because of their own personal faith in Jesus Christ, that they fully understand their need for a Savior, and they desire to live for Jesus. This is best affirmed over time with repeated conversations with parents, caregivers, people within a church family, and also church leadership.

We encourage parents to read through all of our baptism content and discuss baptism with your child or teen, seeking to discern if they are ready for baptism. If the parents or guardians determine the answer is yes then we encourage parents or guardians to talk with church leadership before proceeding filling out the baptism form on the “Be baptized” link. It is important that anyone getting baptized understands their salvation and why they want to be baptized.

What if I was sprinkled as an infant? We believe that baptism is for believers who have understood the gospel who can give a clear testimony of their saving faith in Jesus. Therefore all believers (if physically possible) should be baptized by immersion.

What if I was baptized before I truly believed or understood the gospel? We believe that baptism is for believers who have understood the gospel who can give a clear testimony of their saving faith in Jesus. Therefore all believers (if physically possible) should be baptized by immersion.

Should I be re-baptized? This is a matter of conscience. Did you truly trust in Christ at the point of your previous baptism? We must not be re-baptized each time we experience greater joy and sanctification.

Baptism is an act of obedience, but it is also a part of discipleship. What comes after baptism can be summarized with the great commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and the great commission (Matt. 28:18-20). A baptized disciple of Jesus commits oneself to learning how to love God, learning how to love people, and learning how to be a disciple, and make disciples.

Mark 12:30–31, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Matt. 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

But will I still sin? Yes, sin still continues to be removed, due to the consquences of the past and a heart that is in a process of being made new. But, now a desire to know the Father grows in us and the hope of his kindness is experienced.

Biblically, according to 1 Corinthians 12:13 we know that it is through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we become part of the universal church (for an explanation see our statement of faith). It is then through water baptism that a believer publicly testifies of their salvation as well as their presence in the body of Christ not only universally, but also locally. Since membership is the formal covenant commitment among believers at a local church to corporately live as disciples of Jesus Loving God, Loving People and Making Disciples then baptism and membership go hand in hand within the context of the local church.

Baptism is also connected to membership through the believers’ engagement in learning to obey the commands of Christ as taught in Matthew 28:18-20 (see above). As a matter of discipleship, obedience is part of the covenant commitment members make in order to represent Christ to the unbelieving in our city and the surrounding areas.

The Bible gives no prescription for the requirements to perform baptism. At GBC Redmond we allow anyone who has been baptized by immersion to assist with or perform the baptism under the authority and direction of the elders.

If you’re a child, talk with your parents.

Talk with your Community Group leader.

Talk with an elder at the church.