Water baptism is a significant milestone in the life of every Christian. In City Harvest Church, we believe that water baptism is a biblical teaching and a sacred practice for true followers of Christ. While baptism itself has no power to cleanse or save from sin, it is an important step of obedience in a believer’s life as an outward acknowledgment of the salvation experience that has already taken place. The act of immersion and emerging from the water represents the death of our old self, and mirrors the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

During baptism, when you are immersed into water, you are identifying with the death and burial of Jesus Christ—testifying that your old, sinful way of life is dead and is fit to be buried. As you come out of the water, you identify with the resurrection of Christ into the newness of life, signifying that you are now a new person with the life of Christ in you (Rom 6:3, 4). By going through this act, you demonstrate your sincerity in wanting to live with a clear conscience before God (1 Pet. 3:21).

When a man repents from his sins and believes in Jesus, his sins are forgiven (Rom. 10:9-10). He is saved from the guilt of his sins. Then he can testify through baptism what he has already experienced. Baptism follows salvation. It is not baptism that brings the forgiveness of sins, but repentance and faith in Jesus. Those whose sins are forgiven can go to heaven even if they have not been baptised in water, like the thief who repented and believed in Jesus while hanging on the cross (Luke 23:39-43).

Baptism is a public testimony of your personal faith in Christ and an important demonstration of your commitment to Him. However, there are times when one has to act wisely rather than recklessly. Do seek counsel from your church leaders regarding your situation and take note that according to the legal requirements in Singapore, parental consent is needed for baptism candidates under the age of 21.

What follows after baptism is the regular Christian life with its battles and temptations. In fact, just after Jesus was baptised, He faced strong temptations from the devil. The important thing is to set your heart to follow Jesus for the rest of your life.

Baptism is one of the first steps in following Jesus. Make a point to follow Him in every part of your life. Jesus was baptised in the Holy Spirit immediately after He was baptised in water. As such, you should ask God to baptise you in the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11, 16).

To grow in your faith and relationship with God, you should also take time out to pray and talk to God daily. Start reading the Bible and join a cell group in the church so that you can get to know other Christians and learn more about the Christian lifestyle.

White clothing (shorts/pants, T-shirt)
Bath towel
Swimwear (for the ladies)
An extra set of clothing
Any other items you may need after the baptism, i.e. personal toiletries, hair dryer, etc.