DEFINITIONS
Baptism can be defined two ways. First, some say that it is an outward expression of an inward decision. What this means is that you have already accepted Christ, but now you are just showing that publicly just as the early church and Jesus did. It doesn’t save you, but it still is a good idea since we see Jesus do it, and many celebrate the day they get baptized. Another way people view it is as a way of salvation. This means that you do get saved through baptism. Some believe you have to get baptized to be saved, but most believe that it is just one of three ways you can be saved. This is a Lutheran idea called the three sacraments of salvation (I have more studies on this idea that I will have available below).