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Baptisms

From this practice developed the idea that the act of baptism
alone guarantees new life and a place in heaven. This is
called the sacrament of Baptism and has been practiced by
parts of the church for many centuries. It does not require the
child to believe for him or herself but that others should be-
lieve on their behalf, at the time of the baptism.

However, the church in New Testament times and large parts
of the church, during past 300 years or so, could not separate
the act of believing from salvation. Nor did they link
Regeneration (being born again) directly to baptism but link it
to believing in Christ. Those who believed this way then
made baptism an ordinance (an obedient act) that signified
being washed clean and made whole before God.

In other words Baptism became the outward sign of the
cleansing that God alone had done to the one whom had
believed in His Son Jesus Christ.

At the start of the twent-first century, this is the predominate
view amongst the part of the worldwide church that holds the
Bible alone to be the infallible Word of God and does not
accept additional or other traditions as having equal status.

 What is the purpose?

It is that the believer should declare what God alone has
done in washing a sinner clean and declaring that they stand
and identify with Jesus Christ, in a public manner, as
prescribed by the Bible.

 What happens to the one baptised?

There are not magical or mystical happenings with baptism;
but believers who have been obedient to God and who have:

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