salvation/baptism
ABC’s OF SALVATION
You are invited to accept Christ. If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you can do so now.
Here’s how:
A – Admit that you are a sinner and need to be saved. (Romans 3:23; 6:23)
B – Believe that the death of Jesus paid for your sins before God. (Romans (5:8)
C – Confess openly that you are sincerely sorry for the sins of your past and that you now accept Jesus Christ as both your savior and Lord. (Romans 10:9)
D – Do what the Lord requires of his followers which includes joining a Bible believing church where you can grow in Christ.
Prayer:
“Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner, and that Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sin. Please come into my heart and save me right now in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
Your decision to be baptized may be one of the most important you will make. Thank you for allowing us to share it with you. We believe that Baptism is not for the purpose of joining the “local” church, but to express your decision to follow Jesus Christ.
Three things happen during the Baptism experience:
● Baptism is an outward expression of an inward reality. People who wish to be baptized are aware that something has happened to them spiritually; that they have had a spiritual rebirth. Jesus put it like this in John 3:3; “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” The water symbolizes what has happened to our soul – a complete washing away of the effects of sin. God begins to paint His picture of us on a clean canvas.
● It is a statement of identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
A young woman once asked me if she could get baptized, but told me that she really wasn’t into “the Jesus-thing”! But “the Jesus-thing” is exactly what Baptism is about: we acknowledge that at a specific point in time Jesus literally died, was buried, and rose again…conquering death once and for all, and offering real life to all who would have it. In Baptism, we’re illustrating that we have died to our old, self-centered ways, are buried in the water, and are raised up as new–spiritually alive for the first time.
● It is a public confession to the personal Lordship of Jesus Christ. When we are baptized, we are conscious of a fresh decision and desire to walk in obedience to God’s will. Life is no longer about what I want, but rather, what does God want to do with my life. We often say around here, this is not about us…it’s about Him. We are letting our friends and family, the community of believers, and all spiritual principalities and powers know that we are under new management– God’s management.
We are honored that Shiloh Baptist Church has played a part in so many people’s decision to be baptized. This is the start of the adventure of a lifetime and we applaud your obedience!