Baptism
Baptism is a celebration of new life with Jesus! Valuing the ways of Jesus and Word of God, we live out the Great Commission, joyfully baptizing new believers in the spring and fall during our Family Services in the IFLC building.
why do we baptize?
In Acts 2:37-47, Peter teaches a crowd cut to the heart by the majesty and magnitude of the Gospel, the only proper response to Jesus’s death and resurrection. Those who heard were deeply convicted, asking what they should do. Peter called them to repent—a turning from sin and a turning toward God, a complete change of the trajectory of their lives. This repentance is not just remorse but a fundamental shift in one’s mind, heart, and life. To mark the repentance, Peter instructed his hearers to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
This baptism isn’t simply a ritual washing but a profound act of allegiance to Jesus, turning away from the old life and firmly committed to a new life identified with Christ. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward commitment to faith and a symbol of being united with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism in Jesus’ Name, represents the forgiveness of sins and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, marking the beginning of a new, Spirit-filled life. This promise of forgiveness and the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit is for all who will repent and be baptized.
