What the Bible Says About Baptism

Baptism is one of the clearest, most powerful ways a person can say, “Jesus has changed my life, and I am His.”

It’s more than a church tradition or religious ceremony. Throughout the Bible, baptism marks the beginning of a new life with Jesus. It’s a public declaration of faith, an act of obedience, and a celebration of the transforming work God has already done in someone’s heart.

If you’re wondering whether baptism is your next step, or simply trying to understand why Christians practice it, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions people ask after deciding to follow Jesus.

The good news is that the Bible paints a clear and beautiful picture of what baptism is, why it matters, and how it points to the hope we have in Christ.

What Baptism Really Is

At its core, baptism is an outward sign of an inward change.

When someone is baptized, they’re publicly identifying themselves as a follower of Jesus. Going down into the water and being raised again is a powerful picture of what has already happened spiritually: our old life has died, and we’ve been raised to new life with Christ.

The apostle Paul describes it this way:

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too might walk in newness of life.” —Romans 6:4

Baptism doesn’t make someone a Christian. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus, not by anything we do (Ephesians 2:8-9). Instead, baptism tells the story that Jesus has already changed us. It is a visible celebration of God’s invisible work in our hearts.

Why Baptism Matters

Jesus showed us its importance

Before Jesus began His public ministry, He was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17).

Jesus didn’t need forgiveness. He had never sinned. Instead, His baptism identified Him with the people He came to save and marked the beginning of His public ministry. In doing so, He demonstrated that baptism is a meaningful step of faith and obedience. When we’re baptized, we’re following the example of Jesus Himself.

Jesus calls his followers to be baptized

After His resurrection, Jesus gave His followers what we often call the Great Commission:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” — Matthew 28:19

Notice that baptism isn’t presented as an optional tradition for especially committed Christians. It’s part of what Jesus instructed His followers to do.

Throughout the book of Acts, we see the same pattern repeated. People heard the good news about Jesus, believed in Him, and were baptized. Baptism wasn’t something they put off for years; it was the natural next step after placing their faith in Christ (Acts 2:41; Acts 8:36-38).

Obedience doesn’t earn God’s love. It grows out of it. Baptism is one of the first ways we joyfully respond to what Jesus has already done for us.

Baptism makes faith visible

Faith is deeply personal, but it was never meant to be private. When someone is baptized, they’re publicly saying:

“Jesus is my Savior.”
“My old life no longer defines me.”
“I belong to Him.”

That declaration matters. It strengthens our own commitment to follow Christ. It encourages other believers. And it serves as a witness to friends and family who may be wondering what it looks like to trust Jesus.

For 2,000 years, followers of Jesus have stepped into the waters of baptism as a way of identifying themselves with Him. When you’re baptized, you become part of that same story.

Baptism is more than getting wet

It’s possible to walk into the water dry and walk out wet without anything truly changing. But biblical baptism is much more than that. It represents repentance, a turning away from our old way of life, and a wholehearted commitment to follow Jesus.

Paul writes,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” —2 Corinthians 5:17

Baptism celebrates that new identity. It declares that your past no longer has the final word. Your mistakes no longer define you. Your identity is no longer found in your accomplishments, failures, or circumstances. It is found in Jesus Christ.

Baptism doesn’t earn God’s acceptance. It celebrates the acceptance you’ve already received through Christ. It’s a line in the sand: a joyful declaration that you’re no longer living for yourself, but for the One who gave His life for you.

Who should be baptized?

The New Testament consistently connects baptism with a person’s own decision to trust and follow Jesus. If you’ve placed your faith in Christ and want to live as His disciple, baptism is your next step. That includes people from many different stories:

• Someone who recently became a Christian
• Someone returning to Jesus after years away
• Someone who was baptized as an infant but has now personally placed their faith in Christ
• Someone who has followed Jesus for years but has never taken this step of obedience

Children can absolutely place genuine faith in Jesus, and baptism can become a beautiful expression of that faith. Rather than focusing on a specific age, we encourage parents to consider whether their child can personally understand the gospel and explain why they want to be baptized.

For children who are too young to make that personal decision, child dedication provides a meaningful opportunity for parents to publicly commit to raising them to know and follow Jesus.

Is baptism your next step?

You don’t have to know everything about the Bible before you’re baptized. You don’t have to have your life completely together. You don’t have to have every question answered.

You simply need to know who Jesus is, trust what He has done for you, and be ready to publicly identify yourself as His.

And if that’s where you are, baptism may be your next right step.

Download our app
The Fairhaven app is a spiritual guide that will help you take your next right step in your relationship with God.

Get baptized at Fairhaven
If you’re considering baptism, we’d love to help you take that next step. We offer baptisms regularly throughout the year and will walk with you through the entire process, from answering your questions to celebrating with you on the day you’re baptized.

Plan your visit
Looking for a church that helps connect faith with everyday life? At Fairhaven, we believe following Jesus transforms every aspect of our lives, not just an hour on Sunday. If you’re looking for a place to ask questions, grow in your faith, and discover practical biblical wisdom for everyday life, we’d love to meet you.

We’ve celebrated dozens of people beginning relationships with Jesus, 126 baptisms, and more than 150 kids and students making decisions to follow Christ at summer camps. Families are finding community, people are discovering purpose, and lives are being transformed by the hope of Jesus. 

Your generosity helped raise more than $100,000 to equip leaders reaching unreached people in the Asia Pacific region, and our mission teams have traveled over 17,000 miles to share the hope of Jesus! Closer to home, our new Eldercare ministry is serving 20 care facilities! 380 people learned how to share their faith more confidently through our summer Bible study “Home Edition” groups, and 100 people have become new covenant members of Fairhaven this year.

Behind every number is a person who found hope, someone who faithfully served, a conversation that pointed a friend toward Jesus, or a quiet act of generosity that only God fully sees.

Thank you for being part of how God is moving through Fairhaven. Whether you’ve served on a team, invited a friend, prayed faithfully, or given generously, God is using your faithfulness to build His kingdom.

Most of us spend more waking hours working than doing almost anything else.

Whether you work at an office, a school, a hospital, a construction site, at home, or in retirement through serving others, work shapes much of your life. It influences your schedule, your relationships, your stress, and often your sense of purpose.

Yet for something that occupies so much of our lives, work can leave us asking big questions.

Does God care about my job?
Is my work actually meaningful?
Can an ordinary career have any spiritual significance?

The Bible answers those questions with a resounding yes.

From the opening pages of Scripture to the very end, we see that work matters to God. Your career isn’t your purpose, but it can become one of the primary places where you live your purpose out. Whether you love your job, feel stuck in it, or are searching for what’s next, God wants your faith to shape not only what you believe on Sunday, but how you live on Monday.

Work was created by God

The Bible begins with God at work.

Before there were cities, businesses, schools, or careers, God was creating the world. He formed light and darkness, oceans and mountains, plants and animals. Then He created people in His own image and gave them meaningful work to do.

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” — Genesis 2:15

That verse often surprises people because it comes before sin entered the world. nWork wasn’t part of the curse. It was part of God’s good design.

Because we’re made in God’s image, we were created to create, cultivate, organize, solve problems, and serve others. Whether you’re teaching students, repairing cars, designing websites, caring for patients, raising children, or running a business, your work reflects something about the God who made you.

The Bible doesn’t begin with humanity trying to escape work. It begins with humanity flourishing through work that was meaningful.

Sin changed work, but not its purpose

If work was created to be good, why does it often feel so difficult?

Genesis 3 tells us that when sin entered the world, it affected every part of creation – including work. God told Adam that the ground would now produce “thorns and thistles” and that his labor would be marked by struggle.

Notice what changed. God didn’t curse work itself. He cursed the ground. The purpose of work remained, but the experience of work became frustrating.

That’s why even a job you love can involve difficult people, impossible deadlines, disappointment, exhaustion, or seasons where your efforts seem unnoticed. The struggle wasn’t part of God’s original design. It’s part of living in a broken world.

Understanding this helps us avoid two extremes. We don’t have to believe work is meaningless simply because it’s hard. But we also don’t have to pretend every difficult situation is good. God acknowledges the reality of brokenness while inviting us to find purpose in the middle of it.

Your work is not your identity; it’s an opportunity to worship

Our culture often tells us to find our identity in what we do. We introduce ourselves by our careers. We measure success by promotions, salaries, accomplishments, or recognition. When work goes well, we feel valuable. When it doesn’t, we wonder if we’ve failed.

But God offers something far more secure. Your identity is not found in your career. It is found in Christ.

That’s important because work makes a terrible foundation for identity. Jobs change. Companies close. Careers shift. Retirement comes. But your value doesn’t rise and fall with your résumé. Instead, God invites us to see work differently.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” — Colossians 3:23

Notice Paul doesn’t say, “Whatever ministry you do.” He says, whatever you do.

That means your work can become an act of worship – not because every task is exciting, but because every task can be offered to God.

When you choose integrity over shortcuts, patience over frustration, excellence over complacency, or compassion over selfishness, you’re reflecting God’s character through your work. Monday doesn’t have to compete with Sunday. It can become an extension of it.

When work becomes our identity, it replaces God. When work becomes meaningless, it forgets God. But when work becomes worship, it reflects God.

Your work has eternal value

One of the most encouraging truths in the Bible is that faithful work is never wasted.

“Blessed indeed… that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.” — Revelation 14:13

Titles, promotions, and paychecks won’t last forever. But God sees every act of faithfulness done in His name. That doesn’t mean every project changes the world. It means every ordinary act of obedience matters to the God who is redeeming the world.

Whether you’re caring for children, stocking shelves, serving customers, leading employees, studying for exams, fixing broken equipment, volunteering in your community, or searching for your next opportunity, your work has value because people have value.

Your work may not always make headlines. It may never earn awards. But when it’s offered to God, it becomes part of a much bigger story than your career alone.

Monday matters

What would change if tomorrow morning you walked into work believing Jesus was your ultimate boss?

Would you approach difficult people differently? Would you do your work with greater excellence, even if no one noticed? Would you see opportunities to encourage, serve, and reflect God’s character throughout your day?

The Bible reminds us that work is more than a way to earn a living. It’s one of the primary ways we love our neighbors, steward the gifts God has given us, and bring Him glory.

Your career is not your purpose. But wherever God has placed you today, your work can become one of the greatest expressions of it.

Download our app
The Fairhaven app is a spiritual guide that will help you take your next right step in your relationship with God.

Go deeper
Watch our sermon Finding Purpose in What You Do to explore more of what the Bible teaches about work, careers, and living each day with purpose.

Plan a visit
Looking for a church that helps connect faith with everyday life? At Fairhaven, we believe following Jesus transforms every aspect of our lives, not just an hour on Sunday. If you’re looking for a place to ask questions, grow in your faith, and discover practical biblical wisdom for everyday life, we’d love to meet you.

Beginning May 31, kids going into kindergarten will begin their elementary experience, current 5th graders will start attending Sunday morning worship services and Fairhaven Students events, including Middle School Wednesday, and our graduating seniors will join Young Adults.

Transitions are exciting times, and we want to celebrate these exciting milestones. Click on the links below for more information.

Kids Ministry (kindergarten-5th grade)

Fairhaven Students (grades 6-12)

Young Adults (ages 18-29)

Thank you for serving and giving so faithfully and for being part of what God is doing here. You’re helping create spaces where people can encounter Jesus and take their next right step.

Watch the video to see the impact you’re making!

When you support this year’s Global Impact giving project, you get to be part of reaching the unreached. You’re supporting a training program equipping local leaders to make God known in hard-to-access places where many cannot go.

In many of these regions, access is limited and opportunities are few. But by investing in training and sending local leaders, you’re helping take the hope of Jesus into communities, languages, and people groups that have never heard His name. We’re equipping leaders, multiplying impact, and helping make sure every people group has access to the hope of Jesus!

Three easy ways to give

1. Text the word GLOBAL and a dollar amount to the number 32000
   
2. Give online and select “2026 Project – Asia Pacific”
   
3. Write a check to Fairhaven Church with “Global Impact” in the memo

Global Impact Brunch

Saturday, April 25, 10:00 AM–12:30 PM
Centerville Campus

You’re invited to a special brunch during Global Impact Weekend. Hear from guest speakers about reaching unreached people groups in hard-to-access places. Connect with others and take part in breakout sessions as you explore how you can “make God known” here, near, and far. Cost is $12.

Mission Experience 

Saturday, April 25, 11:30 AM-2:30 PM
Centerville Campus

A self guided, interactive mission experience for all ages. Through Scripture centered stations:

• Discover local and global opportunities
• Learn about unreached people groups
• Experience the role of prayer

No registration needed. Come anytime and explore at your own pace.

Monday Mission Night

Monday, April 27, 7:00–8:30 PM
Springboro Campus

Join us for a dessert reception and mission gathering with our global staff serving here, near, and far. Hear stories from the front lines, including a special update from Andy and Lora Brake, and discover ways to be part of what God is doing around the world.

2026 Global Impact Giving Project

We will support the Antioch Training Program, which equips Asia Pacific leaders to make God known in hard-to-access places where others cannot go.

This summer, our Young Adults are heading to the Dominican Republic to serve with local churches, build relationships, and support ministry happening in everyday places. One of those places is The Greenhouse Coffee Shop, a ministry hub reaching college students and professionals near a university of over 100,000 students. It’s a place where conversations happen, lives are changed, and the hope of Jesus is shared.

Here’s how you can help:

• Purchase a bag of authentic Dominican coffee ($20), roasted in the DR and served at The Greenhouse
• Sign up to receive prayer prompts and support the team spiritually
• Make a tax-deductible donation to help send and equip our Young Adults

Every step you take helps our team partner with local believers, invest in communities, and help people find hope in Jesus. Be part of what God is doing!

Baptism

Baptism symbolizes a believer finding new life in Jesus and publicly identifying himself or herself as a Christ-follower. And at Fairhaven, we’re thrilled to see people being baptized every month.

If you’ve never taken this step, we would love to make it happen! You can be baptized at whichever campus you attend, and you can sign up online.

First Step

Would you like to learn more about who Fairhaven is and what we believe? First Step is the perfect place to start. At First Step, you can ask us all your questions and learn more about our vision, our values, and the truths we live by.

This small group experience also provides an opportunity for you to meet new people and build relationships with others.

Seek God daily

One of the best ways to grow in your renewed relationship with Jesus is to spend time with Him each day. In the Daily tab of the Fairhaven app, you’ll find fresh content each day – guided prayers, Bible readings, short videos, and journaling prompts – to help you connect with God and grow in your faith.

Daily Bible-reading guide

Recommitting your life to Jesus is a meaningful decision. This 21-day devotional was written especially for new believers, but it can also be a helpful resource for anyone making a spiritual decision. Each day includes a short passage, reflection questions, and encouragement to help you reconnect with God and grow in your relationship with Him.

As you move forward, know that God is with you, and we’re here to support you along the way.

This small group experience is also a great place for you to meet new people and build relationships with others. You will also learn more about our denomination, the Christian & Missionary Alliance, and how we do church, meet staff, and hear about serving opportunities and church membership.

Click on your campus for upcoming dates and registration information.

Beavercreek Campus

Centerville Campus

Northmont Campus

Springboro Campus

Those interested in becoming covenant members of Fairhaven Church will attend First Step, followed by a welcome meeting with a member of the First Step Team.

Watch video