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Last year I had the privilege to be a part of something that brought emotion and tears to my eyes—something my family will remember for the rest of our lives. It was a milestone. It was symbolic. It was an act of obedience. It was a celebration. My oldest son, Jase, who had just turned seven at the time, decided to take his next step in following Jesus by being baptized at Relevant Church. To some, this may not be a big deal; but let me explain why it is a HUGE deal and answer any a few questions you may have.

Baptism is a BIG DEAL because…

  • It demonstrates that I really have placed my trust in Jesus. While baptism does not make you a Christian, I firmly believe that people who have had a true life-changing experience with God will take their next step of obedience and be baptized. It is a simple step, yet a significant one. While some who are baptized may be simply faking it and may not have had a true encounter with Jesus, I believe those who refuse to be baptized have not truly encountered him. While that is very controversial statement, I believe the full weight of the Scriptures supports that theology.
  • You have the opportunity to celebrate the grace of God in your life with other believers. Baptism is a celebration of what God has done in your life and a statement of faith in what he will continue to do. At Relevant Church, we celebrate life-change and thus we regularly celebrate baptism together.
  • It is a gateway to other blessings in your life. God blesses obedience. Likewise, there are consequences for disobedience. If we want to experience the full blessings of God in our lives, we must be obedient in the act of baptism. Even the account of Jesus being baptized demonstrates for us his obedience to his Heavenly Father.

Since baptism is such a big deal, here are two things to consider if you are contemplating this important step:

  1. Don’t wait! If you have received Christ into your life and have not been baptized since that time, do it now!
  2. Get past your objections. You will think of all kinds of reasons to wait or not to take the step. Let it go. Just obey. Practically every baptism recorded in the New Testament occurred immediately after the person confessed Jesus as Lord—there were no excuses.

If you still have questions about baptism, learn more here. You can also listen to a message on baptism that I shared at Relevant.

Carl Nichols

A native of south Atlanta, Carl has a passion for God, Julie, and sports. He and Julie have two sons, Jase and Trey. They have a heart to see people understand how crazy God is about them! Carl is the Lead Pastor at Relevant.

4 Comments

  • Carolyn Aulds says:

    Do you baptise in a local body of water or in a tank in your church? Though I live in Nashville, TN, a very dear friend goes to your church and ABSOLUTELY LOVES it!!! I am way older than her and pretty much from the “old school”…I prefer the King James version of the bible etc…but, I truly do feel that I am ready and NEED to be baptised and just feel like your church is where I should do it…my heart just tells me that even though I cannot attend your church regularly as I live so far away, this is where I need to be baptised, please let me know what you think and again if you baptise ia tank in your church or a local body of water.
    Thank you,
    Carolyn Aulds

    • Hi, Carolyn! Thanks for reaching out. We baptize at Relevant in a baptism pool at the church. You are more than welcome to come down and be baptized…just register using the form on our baptism page. However, we would also be happy to help you connect with a church in your area where you can get more involved. Interestingly, we had another person from Tennessee come to be baptized at Relevant a while back, so you wouldn’t be the first! Hope this helps. Blessings to you!

  • MB says:

    I’m from an old school faith where we understand Acts 2:38 is the proper way to speaking baptism over a person’s new commitment; in JESUS NAME, not Matthew 28:19 (father, son and Holy Ghost) as these are “titles.” We believe scripturally …there is no other NAME given among men whereby we MUST be saved but by JESUS NAME. I firmly stand on this and my son is expressing interest in baptism. I need to know your method or words spoken over an individual during baptism.

    • Hi, MB!

      Thanks for your question. While Jesus himself does instruct us to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we do see baptisms in the book of Acts that are in the name of Jesus only. For all intents and purposes, these affirmations are basically the same. Clearly Scripture teaches that it is only by Jesus’s name that one receives salvation, so baptism in his name only seems appropriate; at the same time, acknowledging at baptism that we belong to the Father, we are saved by the Son, and we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is also appropriate, especially given the instructions of Jesus. Regardless of the words spoken, they are words of public affirmation and neither phrase in and of itself legitimizes one’s baptism any more than the other. At Relevant, we simply follow Jesus’s instructions to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

      Hope this helps. Blessings to you!

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