Baptism is an outer sign of inner change. The outer sign is the celebration afterwards and the Anointment with the Oil of Catechumens and the inner change is the first sacrament in which you are deciding and choosing to believe in God and follow in Jesus’ footsteps.
When a Baby is baptised it is called an ‘Infant Baptism’, it is done to rid the child of ‘Original Sin’ and so that the child can grow up in the Christian Faith and be forgiven for any sins they commit throughout their life. The decision for a child’s baptism is up to the parents, but as an adult it is one’s choice. A ‘Believers Baptism’ is the name given to the baptism of an adult. The reason for baptism and for choosing Christianity is a symbol that the person wants to change spiritually.
Being baptised as an adult shows your commitment and dedication to God, it shows that you are ready to begin your spiritual vocation and you are ready to start a life long journey into Christianity. When Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan it was the start of his vocation, from the day he was baptised he started to spread the word of God.
There are several reasons for baptism, many of which come from the Bible. Quotes such as Mark 1:4 ‘John appeared in the desert baptising and preaching. “Turn away from your sins and be baptised,” he told the people “and God will forgive your sins.” are what convincing people into getting baptised. From the forgiveness of sins people are given a second chance in life. This then gives an opportunity to start from scratch and follow what God asks of them. Another reason for baptism is to receive everlasting / eternal life. Through forgiveness of sins, we are granted a place in Heaven and will forever remain with God in his Kingdom. Through choosing to be baptised you are receiving forgiveness for all of your sins. In a symbolic way it shows you choosing good which is baptism over evil, which is the sin.
In Acts 2:38 ‘Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit’. This also shows Christians today that other reasons for baptism are so that the Holy Spirit will guide you spiritually. It shows that baptism offers help and the strength to be strong and resist temptation through the Holy Spirit as well as through God and Jesus.
Baptism is the first of Seven Sacraments. Through accepting to take these sacraments in the Catholic church we are accepting the responsibility to carry out and spread the word of God and Jesus. Sacraments are just like stepping stones allowing us to get closer to God and by having a baptism we are allowing God to communicate to the world through us. The reason that this would encourage baptism to Christians today is because just as Jesus was a messenger we can follow in his footsteps once more and also be messengers.
Some people choose to get baptised around the time of Easter. The reason for this is because it is the start of a new church year so it is like beginning the year again with a new life.
Finally, the meaning and significance of baptism for Christians today would be that it unites a Christian with other worshippers. This allows the individual to be part of a community. This community is not only special because people with the same beliefs get to talk to each other and discuss interests but it is a community that has gone on for hundreds of years with dedication to God, and through getting baptised that person can also be part of history that will hopefully remain forever.