Their main aim in life then becomes the sharing of God’s love and forgiveness through good works with others and building their relationship with God through the person of Jesus by being part of group of people who believe (a church), through reading Scripture and through prayer.
At a baptism service an individual will be asked to express their faith by answering the following question:
In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ
means dying to sin and rising to new life with him.
Therefore I ask:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
I reject them.
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
I renounce them.
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
I repent of
them.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
I turn to Christ.
Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
I submit to Christ.
Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
I come to Christ.
What is Baptism?
The Church baptises because Jesus instructed his first disciples to do so:
Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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. Matthew 28 v.19,20
A baptism begins with teaching about the ‘Good News’ (or Gospel) of Jesus Christ. The individual may then freely choose to respond to the person of Jesus by repentance (which means saying sorry to God) followed by the placing of their faith and trust in the person of Jesus and the belief that by the blood of the cross Jesus has taken away the sin that separates us from God.
In response to this confession of faith, which must be freely made, the individual is washed in water (traditionally this meant immersing the individual in water but today water is often just symbolically poured over the head) and their name and the following words recited: “I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
An individual chooses to be baptised once they have heard and responded to the message about Jesus Christ. Before the actual baptism the individual repents of their sin and accepts Jesus as the one who is able to free them from their sins by his death and resurrection. They are then baptised with with water which symbolises the washing away of sin. They receive God's grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit and become a member of the church. The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into the heart of a person and changes them. Jesus said that a person is ‘born again’ through baptism to express the new life they are given.
Baptism (and Confirmation)
or Thanksgiving
How do I choose between a Service of Thanksgiving or a Baptism?
The main difference between the two is that the former doesn’t not require anyone to make to make a public confession of their faith if they are not sure about their belief.
A Service of Thanksgiving
Many people seek baptism for their children because they want to give thanks to God for their child’s arrival into the world. From a Christian perspective, it is right that they should want to do this, but, as can be seen from what is said about baptism below, this is not what the baptism service is for.
However, the Church of England provides a service of Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child. As its title indicates, this service is about giving thanks for the miracle of new life, and it is not an alternative to baptism since it is not part of the process of Christian initiation. If a service of thanksgiving is held, baptism may then follow at a later date.
As the notes accompanying the service in Common Worship explain, the service is designed to meet the needs of: