The word for “baptism” in the New Testament is the Greek word baptizo, which means “to immerse in water.” The New Testament says baptism represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:1-5). Baptism serves as a symbol of the burial of the old self and the resurrection of the believer’s soul to walk in life with Christ. Therefore, at Compass, we baptize people by immersing them in water. If you have been sprinkled, we would love to talk to you about why immersion is important.
A person should be baptized at the time he or she trusts in Christ. The Bible teaches we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), but in the New Testament church, a person’s baptism was always the first expression of faith, not separate from it. Therefore, baptism was not just a symbol or a memorial of faith, but was intended to offer a means of union with Christ and a benchmark of transformation, marking the place and time a person made a commitment to Christ (Romans 6:1-8).
At Compass, we are attempting to restore the original intent and practice of baptism. Therefore, we ask a person to be baptized at the point that he or she is ready to make a commitment to Christ.