Baptism is entrance into God’s visible church (local churches) for those who profess faith in Christ because it is a visible sign that points to our cleansing from sin and union with Christ in his death and resurrection. There is newness of life by the power of the Spirit as believers are marked as God’s very own.

‍

Baptism is administered only once by the washing of water, in the Triune name, by a minister of the gospel. (1 Corinthians 6:11; Romans 6:4; Ephesians 4:5). For adults who have enbraced the good news of the Gospel and believed in the spiritual reality that baptism signifies, they shall be baptized after their profession of faith.

‍

This sign is also given to children who are born into Christian families. We see this practiced in the early church as baptism was administered to adults / heads of the households who professed faith in Christ and their children (Acts 16:15,33). In the New Testament, baptism has replaced circumcision as the visible sign that points to the same spiritual reality of being made spiritually alive and cleansed from our sin (Colossians 2:11-14). In the Old Testament, circumcision was applied to all males in the households of God. (Genesis 17:12), but in the New Testament, this sign is administered to both male and female children who are born into Christian families.

‍

Infant baptism brings both parents and children into the covenant with God as parents bind themselves to bring their children up to obey God’s law and worship with God’s people (Deuteronomy 6:4-25). It reminds the Christian parents of their spiritual responsibility to nurture and disciple their children in Gospel love and reality. And, it encourages covenant children that the same spiritual hope and promise are available to them by faith in Christ.