“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Ps 51:7)

Baptism is the Holy Sacrament through which we are born again by being immersed in water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Sacrament of Baptism has the primacy among the Seven Holy Sacraments for it is the door through which the individual enters the Church (as a congregation) and is given the right to partake of the rest of the Sacraments.

Institution of the sacrament

Lord Jesus Christ instituted this Sacrament after His blessed resurrection, having completed our redemption and having made salvation available, He said to His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:18-19), and “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk 16:16). Thus baptism is necessary for salvation as the Lord indicated, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5).

How does baptism save us?

Salvation simply means remission of sins and it is written, “Without shedding of blood [death] there is no remission” (Heb 9:22). Salvation is made available through the redemptive death of Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. In order to have a share in this salvation, we must share the death and resur rection of the Lord. Therefore, St. Paul said, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering being conformed to His death” (Phil 3:10). Unless a person undergoes such death, he/she will not be saved! Now how can we undergo such death? How can we share the death of the Lord? The answer is “Through Baptism”. St. Paul said, “Or do you not know that as many of you were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death” (Rom 6:3-4). It is our death and burial with the Lord through baptism that saves us and makes us share the glories of His Resurrection. St. Paul affirms, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death baptism], certainly we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection… now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom 6:5-8). The salvation that began with our death and burial with Lord Jesus through baptism continues to be effective in us also through death. We obtain salvation through death and our bodies must always remain dead in relation to worldly lusts. For as long as the body is dead to sin, salvation lives in it, but when carnal lusts rise from this death, we become liable to lose our salvation since salvation is only attained through death.

— This is why St. Paul says:

• “Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts.” (Rom 6:11-12).
• “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Rom 8:13).
• “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh and its passions and desires.” (Gal 5:24).
• “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20).
• “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col 3:3)
• “Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.” (2Cor 4:10).
• “Therefore put to death your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Col 3:5).
• “He who has died has been freed from sin.” (Rom 6:7).

In what ways can a person receive baptism?

The most common way we receive the true baptism submersion into water at 40 days and 80 days (boys and girls respectively). Baptism is not restricted to this time period but rather can occur at any age before or after.

A second way a person receives baptism is through martyrdom. Martyrdom is dying because for your faith (while confessing your faith etc.). We know that Jesus suffered through this during his crucifixion. He himself says “… Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with…” when speaking the sons of Zebedee. At this time Jesus had already been baptized in the Jordan and was rather referring to the baptism of martyrdom. This is the baptism that the thief on the right hand side of Jesus was baptized with. He believed that Jesus was the Son of God and Jesus promised that on that day he would be in paradise with him. This is the reason why Jesus mentioned “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men , him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 10:32). The thief confessed before the people at the cross and he received his promised reward.