07.05.2026
Mark Eby
Baptism is one of only 2 sacraments that we recognize as protestants. The other is known as Communion or the Lord’s Supper. The purpose of this article, is to explore what baptism is.
As Christians, it is Jesus who raises baptism to something central in the life of the church. In Matthew 28:18-20, the passage that we call the Great Commission, Jesus tells us as Christians that we are to go forth and baptize. The challenge for us today is to remember why He gave that command. Unless we understand the significance of baptism, we either will set it aside as an empty sacrament and no longer practice it, or it will be reduced to simply a tradition we practice that is void of meaning.
As we begin our exploration of baptism, we want to begin with its roots. The roots of baptism are a little uncertain but seems to originate from 2 sources. The first is proselyte baptism, which was practiced by those who were not Jews (Gentiles) who were embracing the Jewish faith. The other source is that of Johannine baptism. John baptized Jews for repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
Though both Jewish rites mentioned above seem similar to Christian baptism, there is something different about Christan Baptism as it was inaugurated by Jesus. The baptism Jesus calls us to includes the receiving of the Holy Spirit at baptism (Matt 3:11). This would not be possible until after the day of Pentecost (Acts 3) when the Holy Spirit was poured out for the first time on believers.
The Significance of Baptism
The question becomes, but what does it mean. In his book Grace, faith, and Holiness, Nazarene theologian H. Ray Dunning gives 3 things that are significant about Christian baptism.
1. Identification With Christ
The first is that baptism is our identification with Christ. This is not only because he submitted Himself to baptism by John, but in Romans 6:4 we read, “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.” In baptism, we not only follow Jesus into the sacrament of baptism, but we follow Him by faith into His dying to the old life and being raised into new life.
While we understand that it is by grace, through faith that we are saved (Eph. 2:8-9), baptism becomes the public statement or outward sign of that reality. As we are united in Christ by faith, we are no longer the person we once were. Our sin has been forgiven and we have been born again (John 3:3). This new life is significantly different from the old life because we have been gifted the Holy Spirit and we are on a journey of being transformed into the image of Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18)
2. Incorporation Into the Church
In the Old Testament, entrance into the covenant people of God was through circumcision. In the New Testament church, circumcision was replaced with baptism. While at the moment of our conversion we become a part of the people of God under the new covenant in Christ, baptism is that moment when we signify publicly that we now identify as a follower of Christ Jesus.
In the church of the Nazarene, local church membership is not connected with baptism. We believe that in baptism we become part of the Church of God that encompasses all of God’s children regardless of denominational affiliation.
3. Reception of the Holy Spirit
The final significance of baptism according to Dunning is the reception of the Holy Spirit. While we often speak of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with entire sanctification, the reality is that all believers receive the Holy Spirit in conversion (Eph. 1:14). It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives that we can know the will of God and be able to live according to His will. In Entire Sanctification we do not get more of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit gets more of us.
There is debate as to when the Holy Spirit is received. It seems to happen differently on different occasions in the New Testament but often we find it happen in conjunction with baptism (Acts 2:38). While we do not want to limit the way the Holy Spirit works, neither do we want to limit the Holy Spirit by foregoing the sacrament of baptism.
How Does Baptism Happen?
In the Church of the Nazarene, we predominately baptize by emersion. This is where one is fully submerged in water during baptism. The reason this is the preferred method by many is that it clearly signifies being buried with Christ and then rising to new life.
In the Church of the Nazarene, we also allow for other methods of baptism as long as they involve water. These methods include sprinkling or pouring. Alternative methods are often used because of lack of enough water available to submerge someone or because of extreme fear of water. The amount of water is not what is important for the water itself has no cleansing power. We must always remember that it is by grace through faith that we are saved.
When Should Somone Be Baptized?
In the church of the Nazarene, we do not have a specified age someone must reach before being baptized. Normally we practice believer’s baptism which means that someone is baptized after they have accepted Christ as their Savior and when they have sufficient understanding of what God has done in their lives. For those under 18, we leave this up to the discretion of the child’s parents.
There is also no set time that must elapse between a person accepting Christ as their Savior and their baptism. Some, like the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 26-40, may have such a profound moment of salvation that they request to be immediately baptized. Others may desire to have time to understand the faith they have accepted and have a chance to have family and friends available to witness their baptism. The moment of baptism for one person may be the moment of conversion for someone who witnesses it.
What About Infant Baptism?
In the Church of the Nazarene, the normal practice is to dedicate an infant, not baptize them. Sometimes how we conduct a dedication leads to confusion. Dedication should never include water, and the primary focus is on the parent’s commitment to Christ.
Infant Baptism is different than dedication, because it includes water, and is the moment of baptism for the child. For parents who do this, it is a significant time of commitment. They pledge as Christian parents to raise their child so that early in life they will know and love Jesus. This includes diligently setting an example for their child by holy living. Though the child must make their own profession of faith, for they like everyone else have free will, if by the grace of God, a parent is faithful to the task of raising the child God has entrusted to their care, their child may never know a time in their life where they do not know and love God.
The reason many parents choose to wait until their child chooses to be baptized is because they want their child to be able to look back on that moment as a significant moment of God’s grace. If an infant is baptized, they will not remember that moment. Because of this it is imperative the church give the baptized infant a way to confirm their own faith when they are ready.
If after reading this you believe you are ready for baptism, please speak with your pastor and let them know. They are ready to celebrate your faith with you.
