BECOMING A BELIEVER

About Salvation

Following Jesus is a journey and every journey has steps. Whether you have just begun to follow Jesus or have been on the journey for years, you 
have a next step to take. Our hope is to help you take each step with confidence and community. Read through the following information to find out more about what your next step might be. We look forward to walking with you.

SALVATION

Jesus said, "Follow me." The Son of God invited simple, common, broken, imperfect people to follow Him. This means that somehow, even with our shortcomings and failures, God is willing to accept us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

The most important step in your faith journey is making the decision to follow Jesus. Will you leave your old life and receive the new life He wants to give you? How you answer this question will determine the rest of your journey. Being a follower of Jesus is not about being good enough. It is certainly not about being perfect. It is not about earning forgiveness. It is simply about accepting the fact that God loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. Are you willing to receive God's free gift of salvation:

ADMIT you are a sinner (as we all are).
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

BELIEVE that God sent Jesus to pay the ultimate price for our sin, offering a new life of forgiveness.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
"Therefore, if anyone in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

CONFESS that Jesus is Lord and your one and only connection to God.
"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" (Roimans 10:9-10).

There is no magic prayer or ritual. All you have to do is receive God's free gift of salvation. Admit, Believe and Confess.

About Baptism

Baptism is the immersion of a believer into water. It is an act of obedience symbollizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior. It illustrates the believer's death to sin, the burial of his or her former life and the resurrection into newness of life in Christ Jesus.

After taking the step of salvation, the next step for a follower of Jesus is baptism. In the act of baptism, a follower of Jesus is immersed in water and then lifted up out of the water.

Baptism is not salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a symbol of salvation. Just as married couples wear rings to symbolize their union, baptism is the public expression of the change that Jesus has made in one's heart. 

Baptism follows the example set by Jesus...
"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodlily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased'" (Luke 3:21-22).

Baptism is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus...
"We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4).

Baptism is a picture of how Jesus has washed one clean from all sin...
"Paul said, 'John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is in Jesus.' On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:4-5).

Baptism is an important step of obedience to demonstrate your decision to follow Jesus...
"We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands" (1 John 2:3).

Baptism FAQ's

Does New Hope practice immersion or sprinkling?

We baptize by immersion becaue: (1) Jesus was  baptized that way (Matthew 3:16); (2) Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion (like Acts 8:38-39; (3) The word "baptize" means "to dip under water"; (4) Immersion best symbolizes a burial and resurrection (Romans 6:1-11).

What if I have already been baptized or sprinkled?

The Bible teaches that followers of Jesus should be baptized. There is not a clear mandate that someone has to be baptized in a particular local church. If you have been baptized elsewhere, that was your act of obedience. If you have been sprinkled, we ask that you be baptized.

Do you baptize children?

We do baptize children. If your child is asking questions & is curious about salvation, we encourage you to speak with your child and then you and your child meet with
Dr. Campbell. We want to ensure that your child understands the meaning of baptism before choosing to experience it.

What about infant baptism?

Because we believe baptism should follow a personal decision to follow Christ, we do not baptize infants. 

How do I know if I am ready to be baptized?

Baptism is for anyone who has chosen to become a follower of Jesus. Baptism will not give someone eternal life. That comes through faith in Jesus. Baptism is a way of publicly identifying with Jesus. If we waited until we were perfect before being baptized, we would never be baptized.

How does Baptism work at New Hope?

We shcedule baptisms every week when someone comes forward for salvation. You will be contacted by our office and by a letter to schedule your baptism and to let you know what the procedure is.