Water Baptism is an outward, public profession of the inward, spiritual regeneration that has occured in the heart of a born-again Christian. Therefore, regardless of age, those we baptize need to have the capacity to understand the gospel message and be able to communicate their acceptance of Jesus as their personal Savior. There are no other requirements.

Water Baptism is not a personal choice, but a command for believers. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16) Jesus established the ordinance of Water Baptism. Water Baptism is a public outward testimony that incites a personal inward faith. It gives evidence of the inner change that has already occured in the believer's life when he or she was "born again" through faith in Jesus Christ.

Water Baptism identifies the believer with the message of the Gospel, the Person of Jesus Christ and other believers. It associates the believer with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and signifies the believer's death to the old life and his or her resurrection as a new creation in Christ. (Romans 6:1-8; Colossians 2:12.) Romans 10:8-10 tells us, "But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart- (that is, that is the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We are to be baptized because Jesus Christ commanded it in Mathew 28:19 and because we love the Lord. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." John 14:15

Throughout the book of Acts, we read how the early church gave importance to Water Baptism. (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 38, 9:18. 10:47-48, 16:15, 33 and 19:3-5).

All born-again believers in Jesus Christ and only believers should be baptized. (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 8:12, 36-38, 16:31-33, 18:8).

After Peter spoke at Pentecost, "those who gladly received his word were baptized." (Acts 2:41) In the New Testament, every instance in which a person was baptized and his or her identify was given, that person was an adult. In light of Scripture infant baptism must be ruled out because infants cannot receive the Word of God and understand it. However, infants are dedicated to the the Lord (See 1 Samuel 1:26-28) Children may be baptized if they receive and understand God's Word.

As part of the Great Commission, Jesus instructed the disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and according to God's mercy (Titus 3:5). The thief on the cross next to Jesus had no time to be baptized, yet Jesus promised that he would be with Him in Paradise that day (Luke 23:43) The Bible contains no record of Jesus baptizing anyone; a strange omission if baptism was essential for salvation. The Apostle Paul declared, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel..." (1 Corinthians 1:17) This clearly indicates that salvation is a response of faith to the gospel, not the act of baptism. Therefore, water baptism is not an act of salvation, but an act of obedience.