It’s critical to grasp the meaning of baptism before delving into its significance in the Christian life and figuring out what happens when Christians are baptized. Baptism is derived from baptisma, a Greek word that means to wash or immerse anything in the water. According to the Bible, it’s a passage that signifies religious purity and commitment once the person is washed and dipped in water. In the Old Testament, this procedure of purifying someone with water was used to obtain ritual cleansing, and it was fervently used.
The significance of baptism for both the worshipper and the church is emphasized throughout the New Testament. The early Christians practiced baptism in the manner prescribed by Jesus. It indicated personal identity with Jesus, gave a chance for a public faith declaration, and made a way to be part of the Christian family.
Jesus Ordained Baptism
Upon ascending to the Father, Christ gave his followers his final instructions, currently referred to as the Great Commission. And when Christ arrived, he told them he had been granted authority by his Father that rules both Heaven and Earth (Matthew 28: 18–20). He asked his disciples to assemble believers of all lands and get them baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
Jesus told his disciples to teach his followers and instruct them to obey what he had commanded. In that way, Christ will always be with them until the end of time. The significance of baptism for Christians and the church is emphasized in Christ’s final instructions to his followers. The followers accepted Christ’s teachings and had the opportunity of becoming his disciples. They obeyed Christ’s instructions and baptized the newly converted to the faith.
Personal Identity With Jesus
Once we accept Christ as Lord and the only one who can grant us our salvation, our existence becomes intertwined with Jesus’s. We go on a faith journey with Christ as our guide. We give up our allegiance and ability to sin in favor of Jesus. Baptism allows people to identify with Jesus’s crucifixion and ascension.
We become united with him in his death through baptism. This points to the fact that the way Jesus was resurrected due to Father’s glory, the same way we also get to breathe newness into our life through this act. Baptism will serve as a constant message of how we have died to servitude and devotion to sin, just like Jesus has been reborn.
Christian Family Acceptance
A converted Christian needs a family with roots in spirituality, a family who shares their love and trust in Christ. We rely on one another to grow in our faith as we all are Christ’s sisters and brothers. Baptism represents the beginning of a faith journey with the new Christian family.
The Christian unity of friendship and love in serving the Lord is sealed through baptism. According to Paul, relating as one of the things that unite Christians together is baptism. In Ephesians 4:4, he exclaims that we are all made to have one body and spirit meant to worship God. He regards how we have one God, and we are united under his faith and therefore united in baptism as well.
Open Admission of Faith
Baptism is regarded as a rather public act by its very nature. When baptism is being performed on a novel believer, they make a public admission and declaration regarding their faith in Christ in front of all their peers and others present there. They mark this as an official connection with the Church and Christ.
Christ instilled in his followers the necessity of publicly and privately practicing their faith. Christ compelled his disciples to profess their faith in front of others and present themselves as his followers. Baptism gives a new convert the chance to publicly declare that Christ is our Savior and the only one we worship as our Lord.
Forgiveness of Sins
All sins, including the Original Sin and the sins committed personally, are forgiven. The temporary suffering and retribution because of sin are eliminated by baptism. Nothing can stop a person from entering God’s Kingdom after being reborn in Christ. Even though all sins have been forgiven, the desire to sin known as “concupiscence” persists due to the Original Sin.
The proclivity to commit sins manifests itself. We often feel as if our minds are getting darker, and we aren’t making those decisions anymore, i.e., a failure to discern clearly whether the thing we’re doing is right or wrong. We feel our strength weakening, and we cannot resist the urge of temptation. We should always disregard these feelings and do the right thing no matter how hard it gets for us.
The consequences of Original Sin do not have to hurt us if we seek power to challenge them via the Sacrament of Eucharist and Penance and through prayer. By completing relying on God and maintaining a deeper spirituality, we’ll be able to resist all urges.
Children of God
Baptism also provides us a new start as Lord’s adopted children. Due to God’s generous and loving nature, we get to be called righteous and dwell in grace which means we live in a partnership with Him. Our Lord sanctifies us, meaning we become one of his holy people. Lord continues to support us in various ways that are referred to as real graces.
Our Final Thoughts
Baptism is an extremely significant act in a Christian’s life. So next time if someone asks what happens when Christians are baptized? Let them know that we get a chance to start all over and live our lives with the grace of God and his worthy people.
