The Meaning and Significance of Baptism

The Meaning and Significance of Baptism

Baptism is a very important part of the Christian faith, in the Roman

Catholic Church it is the initial sacrament of initiation, the other

two being Holy Communion and Confirmation. It is the start of the

religious journey through Christianity. By being baptised it is

showing a commitment to the Christian faith it is both a public as

well as personal commitment and declaration to show your dedication to

your faith. Baptism signifies a life long covenant between God and

the candidate. As Christians we share a private relationship with God

and baptism is commitment to that relationship.

Baptism is also special as it is a tradition of the Christian church.

It has been a significant part of the church for a very long time;

even before Christianity the Jews were performing a ritualistic

cleansing to rid themselves of sin. Jesus said to the people “turn

away from your sins and be baptised.” God also showed he believed

baptism was the way to begin the faith as at Jesus’ baptism in the

River Jordan by John the Baptist, the skies opened and a voice said

“you are my own dear son, I am pleased with you.” This moment

signified the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and for us too as

Christians it signifies that before we may begin to do God’s work we

are baptised. Jesus expressed his thoughts on baptism, saying “go,

then to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples, baptise

them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Peter

also reinforced this telling people to turn away from their sins and

be baptised. Most Christian denominations believe in the importance of

baptism, with excep...

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...ns they must make while their child

is still young. As well as religious benefits for the baby, practical

benefits include being accepted more easily into a Christian school.

In my personal opinion, I think the advantages of being baptised as a

baby outweigh the disadvantages. I do however understand that a baby

has no credible understanding of the concept of baptism; this is why I

believe it is important to have confirmation at a much later age,

where a young person can make the decision on whether to continue

their faith. As a young person who was baptised as a baby, I feel it

helped me to develop my individual identity, also by being part of a

church community I have been able to expand my knowledge on different

faiths but as well as have the opportunity to believe that God has

control over certain things in life.