Baptism

The word “baptize” comes from the Greek word that means “to immerse.” In baptism, a person who has professed faith in Jesus Christ is immersed under water as demonstration of what the gospel has done in his or her life. This is a one-time act in the life of a believer, which should follow shortly after professing faith in Jesus (cf. Acts 2:41; 22:16). 

Baptism is one of the two ordinances of the church. An ordinance is a practice that was ordained for the church by Jesus himself. The two ordinances of the church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, also known as Communion. Baptism is what we might call the inaugural ordinance – it is done only once and is the symbolic entryway into the church. The Lord’s Supper is the ongoing ordinance – it is practiced regularly by the church.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples…” Matt 28:19