14th of June 2009, Sunday - the day I confessed my faith in the public. First of all I would like to thanks my friends who attended the baptism even though exam is coming and there is many annoying insects beside the river.
After having sunday service in the church, we went to the west bank of Volgo River for baptism. Three persons were baptised, Yu Zheng, a brother from China; Xiao Nan, a sister from China also; and me. Like I have mentioned just now, there is many small flying insects, I don't know what they called. They just keep flying around you, annoy you and some even they into your hairs. Before the baptism start, our pastor, Frank, preached a bit to us, then he explained a bit about the meaning of baptism. Then the three of us were given chance to share about our testimonies, and how we came to Christ. After that, the three of us, Frank, and a brother called Joshua walked into the river, then Frank and Joshua baptised three of us. After baptism, we went to Joshua and Jean's flat, which is located beside the river, to have some sandwiches, cakes and some drink.
That is me in the middle, on the left is Frank, on the right is JoshuaBaptism, or water baptism is a ceremony that submerse a believer into the water.
"So baptism changes/turns a person into a christian?"
No, the word christian = Christ + ian, so it means follower of Jesus Christ, those who believes and put their faith in Jesus Christ. So a baptism don't make a person becomes christian.
"So a person is baptised so that he or she can be save/gain salvation/enter heaven?"
No, baptism is not necessary for the process of salvation.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
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)
Paul* said that our salvation** is not by works, that means we cannot enter heaven by doing good deeds or any other act of humans, including baptism. We are justified by our faith in Jesus Christ, by believing that Jesus Christ is Son of God that died for us on the cross so that our sins may be taken away and declared as righteousness. And the faith that we have to believe in Jesus Christ is a grace that given by God himself, so that it is that no one can boast.
* Paul, the apostle of Christ, who wrote most of the New Testament of the Bible, including Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, etc.
** Salvation, from the word 'save', is the deliverance from the guilt and power of sin. By His death and resurrection, Jesus brings salvation to people who believe in Him
"Baptism don't changes a person into christian, nor it is necessary for salvation, so why christians are being baptised for?"
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus gave the commands, one of them is to baptise those who repent and believe in Him. Baptism is an outward expression of the inward changes that God has started and will complete in the life of those who believe in Him, i.e., it is a public proclamation or testimony of what God has done in a believers. It is an act of obedience before God. Baptism is not necessary done by submersion into water. It can also be done by taking a bowl with water and pour it on the head of a person (affusion), or just by sprinkle some water on that person's face (aspersion).
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