The Bible lays out several ordinances for believers in Christ. Our Lord gave us these ordinances to serve as symbols and reminders of the salvation he gave us. Some have confused these symbols as requirements for salvation however, in the book of Ephesians, God was clear that: ” For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)

In the book of John 3:3 Jesus declared “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”. Baptism serves as a symbol of this process of being born again. As you go into the water, you are symbolically going into the grave, your old self is passing away. As you rise from the water, it symbolizes your resurrection into your new life as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. As water washes away dirt, so the blood sacrifice of Christ washes away your sins.

The second ordinance given by Christ was observance of The Lord’s supper. This serves as a symbol and reminder that Christ gave his body and blood to redeem you from your sins. Observance of the Lord’s supper is not required for salvation, but is required for obedience.

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