What is baptism?
Baptism is an outward declaration of an inward transformation. It's the way that believers celebrate what Jesus has done for them and commit to being with Him, growing in Him, and sharing with the world.
At Ironbridge, we practice baptism by full immersion, as we see it done through Scripture (Read: Matthew 3:16, Acts 8:37-38). Baptism is for anyone who has crossed the line of faith and made a personal decision to follow Jesus. If that's you, your next step is to be baptized...
Still have some questions?
The only prerequisite to being baptized is making a decision to follow Jesus and make Him your Lord and Savior. You commit to be with Him, grow in becoming like Him, and sharing what He’s done with others in your life so they may know Him too. You don’t have to clean up your act, get things “right” with Him, or become a “Super-Christian” before you can step in the water and ask Him for salvation. He loves you as you are, and the Bible says that anyone who calls on His Name will be saved. Have you called on His Name? If you have, then you’re ready to be baptized.
We believe that the choice to follow Jesus and be baptized is a personal decision. If your parents or guardians had you baptized, dedicated, or sprinkled as a child, a great way you can honor their prayers and hopes for you when they did that is to profess Jesus personally and decide to be baptized as a declaration of your own faith.
Yes, you can, but remember, baptism is a symbol, not your salvation. Salvation precedes baptism and never depends upon it (Ephesians 2:8-9). If you decided to follow Jesus before and have made some mistakes along the way, you do not need to be baptized to be cleansed again. The cross has accomplished all the cleansing you need, so as long as you trust in Jesus and the redemption He has already accomplished for you, baptism is simply a symbol.
If you are ready to rededicate your life to God, the best next step is to get connected to a Bridge Group, where you will be surrounded by others who can encourage and challenge you in your faith journey and help you take steps to be with Jesus more intimately and to become more like Him.