Who Should Be Baptized?
Each of us was created by God in his image, but our sin separates us from God. The payment for sin is death, but God provided the perfect, sinless sacrifice through his Son, Jesus Christ, who died, was buried, and rose again. He died in our place, paying the price for our sin. Christ made it possible for our sins to be forgiven, but we each are faced with a choice: do we continue to live in sin, separated from God? Or do we place our trust in Christ, accept God’s gift of forgiveness, and live our lives as Christ’s follower?
Anyone who has surrendered their life to Christ, choosing to follow him, is ready to be baptized. Baptism is how a follower of Christ “goes public” with their faith.
What Baptism Symbolizes
Your baptism identifies you with Jesus Christ. It shows others that you have entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
It symbolizes what took place in your life at the time of salvation:
You placed your faith/trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
You shared in His death and resurrection, symbolized by going under the water (dead to your old life), then rising again (your new life in Christ).
You were washed clean, and your sins were forgiven by His death on the cross.
Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is an act of obedience. While it is not necessary for salvation, it demonstrates submission to God. At ACF, we immerse in baptism because we believe Scripture shows that Jesus modeled that for us as the way to publicly acknowledge our faith in Him.
Baby Dedication
Some denominations choose to baptize infants. While we recognize the right of other churches to practice infant baptism, we understand Scripture to teach that only those who have made the choice to follow Christ qualify for baptism. Baptism does not make you a believer, rather it shows that you already believe.
We recognize that parents may want to dedicate their children to God (1 Samuel 1:28, Luke 2:22) and publicly commit themselves to raise their child in a God-honoring home.