Baptism is not necessary for salvation but is a beautiful act of worshipful obedience designed by God and intended to create fellowship with God and God's people.
In the New Testament we see Jesus and the Apostles teach Baptism as an outward symbol of inward cleansing from sin and also to initiate a right relationship with God and with the people of God (the church).
When Jesus was baptized, God the Holy Spirit landed on Jesus in the form of a dove and the Father spoke from heaven declaring how pleased He is with His Son (Matthew 3:13-17). Jesus did not need salvation, He was perfect. Yet he was baptized to symbolize his righteous obedience and fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. His baptism also foreshadowed the death, burial, and resurrection he would experience for the good of those who believe in Him.
In Romans 6:1-11 we read that when a believer is baptized by immersion it is a picture of dying to sin, burying the old self, and walking in a completely new and righteous life in Christ made possible only by His death, burial, and resurrection to pay the cost of our sins. It is for this reason that baptism is a beautiful picture of the Gospel–the good news of salvation by faith in Christ alone through grace alone. As the church seeks to proclaim the Gospel to all people, Baptism is a profound act given to believers to publicly share how they believe in salvation and new life in Jesus Christ!
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 and Acts 2:41 we see that baptism after belief in Christ for salvation was the initiation of church membership–becoming part of the body of Christ. Therefore, at University Baptist Church we require that a person receive baptism as a believer first to proclaim the Gospel and to become a member of our local church.
