God created people to be in relationship with Him, with each other, and with His creation. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect relationship, and in a perfect place. When they decided to follow their own desires and disobey God, the world started to decay because of sin (Genesis 2:25-3:19). Before we throw too much blame their way, we need to know that the Bible says we’ve all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and plan for our lives (Romans 3:23). Our sin damages our relationship with God and with other people.
The bad news: it’s impossible for anyone to do enough to fix that. The Good News: God has! Jesus, the only Son of God, led a sinless life, was crucified, and was raised to life. His sacrifice means we can be seen by God as holy and without sin by placing our faith in Him (John 3:16). In other words, it’s not what we do; it’s what Jesus has already done (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8-9). By God’s grace, placing our faith in Jesus restores our relationship with God and gives us salvation: the promise of living forever with God here and in the “new heaven and earth” (Revelation 21:1-7). When we surrender to Jesus and are baptized, we are “clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). So when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our faults, blemishes, and sins, He sees Jesus!
What does it mean to place our faith in Jesus? Honestly, it’s not a series of check boxes. Faith is trusting in Jesus — who He is and what He’s done. Our faith in Jesus includes a change of heart that leads us back into our Father’s loving arms. The Bible teaches that this heart change is obediently lived out through belief, confession, repentance, baptism, and following Jesus. Let’s briefly look at each of these.
Belief: Jesus himself said, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Faith is the conviction and confidence that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by his death on the cross, and the certainty of His victorious resurrection back to life. In John 14, a follower of Jesus named Thomas asks a vital question, “How do we know the way to God?” Jesus responds, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We must believe that Jesus is our only hope. “There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Confession: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). An important piece of your relationship with God is to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. What does that mean? Confessing Jesus as Lord of your life means you release control over your life and give it to Him. You’re declaring that you will live with Him, following His Word (the Bible), His Spirit, His plan and design for your life.
Repentance: Repentance is more than just being sorry, it’s a choice we make and an action we take. It literally means to make a 180 degree turn away from what we were pursuing, and faithfully pursue a relationship with Jesus. The Bible tells us, “He (God) commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him” (Acts 17:30).
Baptism: Being baptized connects us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. “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.” Baptism is more than a symbolic act; it is an act of obedience (Mark 16:16; Matthew 20:19-20). Through baptism we surrender to God, die to ourselves, and receive new life as we place our faith in Jesus (Romans 6:3-5). We realize there are many views of baptism, so for a little more information on what we believe at Discover, see the questions and answers about baptism below.
Following Jesus: God has “given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our new life in Jesus is fueled by hope-filled living in a dynamic, daily relationship. Following Jesus includes making more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), which we believe is the personal responsibility of everyone who follows Jesus. This all aligns with our definition of being a disciple of Jesus from Matthew 4:19 — follow Jesus (belong), be changed by Jesus (grow), and live on mission with Jesus (serve).
All of these elements are vital, interconnected, and not necessarily linear. With the exception of baptism, we repeat them consistently and authentically as we continue to grow spiritually.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT BAPTISM
Why is baptism important? A person’s last words are significant. Matthew 28:19-20 records some of Jesus’ final words on earth (known as The Great Commission): “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Being baptized is obeying what Jesus said. Also, in the Book of Acts, which records the history of the early Church, each story of life-change includes baptism as part of a person placing their faith in Jesus. See Acts 2:38, 8:12-13, 36-38, 9:18, 10:34-46, 16:14-15, 31-34, 18:8, 19:1-7, 22:14-16 for these salvation stories.
Isn’t baptism a work? Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly says we can’t be saved by anything we do: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” So, since Jesus said part of making disciples includes baptism, and God says we can’t be saved by works, then baptism clearly isn’t a work; just as belief, confession, repentance, and following Jesus aren’t works. Baptism isn’t something we do, it’s something done to us. Baptism is simply surrendering to what Jesus does in us and for us.
What about baptizing infants? It’s wonderful when parents commit their children to God in faith! At Discover, parents are encouraged to dedicate their newborn or young child to the Lord. The commitment to raise each precious child to know and fall in love with God is made both by the parents and the church family. However, we believe that choosing to follow Jesus is a decision that each person must make on their own. An infant cannot choose to believe, confess, repent, be baptized, or follow Jesus. Therefore, we do not baptize babies at Discover.
Why is baptism done by immersion (going under the water completely)? The word baptize is a Greek word that means “to immerse or to submerge” (the New Testament was primarily written in Greek). This form of baptism has been used since people began following Jesus. In addition, baptism by immersion is a tangible picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (again, see Romans 6:3-5).
Who can baptize someone? Any immersed disciple (follower) of Jesus can baptize someone. In fact, we encourage people to be baptized by a family member, friend, LifeGroup leader, or other person who has influenced them as they’ve made the decision to be immersed. We’re here to help with the details of how to baptize someone if needed. (Staff members or elders are also available to baptize people.)
I was immersed a long time ago, and I’m not confident I knew what I was doing. Should I be baptized again? Each person’s story is unique, so if you’re considering this, we’d love to have a personal conversation with you. Ultimately, the decision is yours, as you’re led by the Holy Spirit — whether that’s being assured that your baptism was through Jesus sufficient, or if it means being immersed again (which is rare, honestly) because you want to be certain your decision is “authentic.”
Do I have to be baptized as part of a worship service? On certain occasions a baptism can be done in a more private setting. However, the preference is that your baptism is done within the local faith community. The church family is greatly encouraged by seeing you confess your faith in Jesus and connect with His sacrifice for you through baptism. Being immersed in public also connects you more closely with your brothers and sisters at Discover.
What other verses talk about baptism? In addition to the verses already listed, please read 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 4:4-6; Colossians 2:11-14; 1 Peter 3:18-22. And again, be sure to read the accounts of people choosing to follow Jesus in the book of Acts noted previously.
Do I have to be baptized to become a member at Discover? We don’t believe anyone should be baptized just to become a member of a local church. Again, baptism is part of placing your faith in Jesus. So if you’ve already been immersed somewhere else, you don’t need to be baptized again. However, official membership at Discover does require that a person has been immersed. (For more information about becoming a member, see the separate document called “Membership at Discover.”)
What’s my next step? Talk with your Life Group leader or another leader at Discover as you prepare to take this important step of faith with Jesus. Also, sign up for the next baptism class, which is offered periodically. We’d love to help you however we can! Get started by contacting someone on staff today.