Raised to Walk in a Newness of Life: Four Reasons Why Baptizing Students Is So Important

“Upon your profession of faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; buried with Him in baptism … raised to walk in a newness of life.” These words are a beautiful declaration that I heard spoken over me at my own water baptism and one that I’ve shared thousands of times over other believers that I’ve personally baptized in my 22 years of ministry.

Baptism is one of my favorite biblical ordinances to witness. It never gets old! Every baptism matters to the Lord and should be celebrated by the church. No baptism should be followed by “golf claps.” (For all my non-golfing fans, that means a quiet and dignified way to clap!) Thunderous applause, hearty Amens, and an exuberate celebration should follow every baptism. Baptism should be a party for the glory of God because of all the eternal things it represents!

Here are four of the many reasons why baptizing students is so important.

1. Baptism is a command of Jesus.

   One of the last commands that Jesus gave His followers while He was still on earth was to “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).

   This is known as the Great Commission, not the Great Suggestion. The church’s purpose is to glorify the Lord and make and baptize disciples.

2. Baptism is a visual picture of the gospel.

   When a follower of Jesus is baptized by immersion, it’s one of the most literal and beautiful visual illustrations of the gospel. The person being lowered into the water illustrates being lowered into a watery grave. Coming out of the water represents being raised again. It’s a symbol of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus! However, it’s also an outward symbol of what has happened inside the believer. The old life of the sinner separated from God, the death and burial of that old self, and then being raised as a new creation in Christ who is now reconciled to Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

   Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). That’s why we say, “buried with Him in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life!”

3. Baptism is a step of obedience for the believer.

   One of the first steps of obedience for the follower of Jesus is baptism. Water baptism should always follow salvation. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey My commandments” (John 14:15). Christians are marked by a lifestyle of obedience. This doesn’t mean they will be perfect, but there should be a desire to obey their Lord. People will have a hard time walking in a lifestyle of obedience if they don’t take the first step of obedience: baptism.

   Jesus was baptized to set an example and for the Father to declare publicly that Jesus was His Son (see Matthew 3). Jesus commands disciples to make and baptize other disciples (see Matthew 28:19-20). Throughout the Book of Acts, people repent, believe in the gospel, and are immediately baptized.

   If you’re a follower of Jesus, you need to be baptized. If you were baptized before you became a follower of Jesus, you still need to be baptized. Let me explain. It’s called believer’s baptism because you need to be a believer before you get baptized. Any kind of “baptism” that took place before salvation was not a believer’s baptism. That was just getting “dunked” in church. Remember, baptism doesn’t save you. Instead, baptism publicly declares that you are already saved.

4. Baptism is an effective opportunity for evangelism

   As a pastor, I would always encourage people getting baptized to invite their spiritually lost friends and family to witness it. Your loved ones may not accept your invitation to church on a regular Wednesday night or Sunday morning. This doesn’t mean you don’t invite people, but they will often come watch and support you getting baptized. You never know how the sermon and the gospel may impact them in those moments.

   Many times over the years, I’ve seen people repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus for salvation at church services when they were visiting to see someone else being baptized. It’s the perfect opportunity to declare what Jesus has already done in your life and impact someone else’s life!

October 27 is Student Baptism Sunday. Join us in celebrating what God is doing among students by participating with your church and using #studentbaptismday on social media to post videos and pictures of baptized students.

Find out more: https://www.gensend.org/studentbaptismsunday/

Published September 13, 2024