The act of baptism is a very important and necessary part of our repentance
for salvation, through baptism we open up our human spirit to the reception of
God's spirit into our life to begin working within us. But the act of baptism
itself is of no effect in our life until we are in a true repentant frame of
mind, both believing and accepting the word of God, completely.
Baptism is the full immersion of oneself in water, it is the symbolic death and
burial of sin in our life, and the rebirth of a new life committed to removing
sin from our life.
As soon as you come to believe and repent, willing to live according to Gods
ways, you should be baptized.
Matthew 3:13-16 "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to
John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered
him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went
up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo,
a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am
well pleased."
If baptism were not necessary, why then would Jesus set us such an example to
follow?
Matthew 28:19-20 "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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo,
I am with you always, to the close of the age."
Mark 16:15-16 "And he said unto them, Go into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall
be saved, and he that disbelieves shall be condemned."
Romans 6:3-5 "Do you not know that all of us who have been
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried
therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly
be united with him in a resurrection like his."
Ephesians 4:4-5 "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you
are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all."
1 Peter 3:21 "This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you
also - not the removal of dirt from the body, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God, it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ."
Colossians 2:12 "and you were buried with him in baptism, in
which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who
raised him from the dead."
John 3:1-5 "Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to
him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one
can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him." Jesus answered
him, "I tell you the truth, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the
kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born
when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be
born?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
Acts 2:38-41 "And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the
promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every
one whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many
other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this
crooked generation." So those who received his word were baptized, and
there were added that day about three thousand souls"
Acts 8:26-40 "And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying,
Get up, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem
to Gaza, which is desert. And he got up and went: and, behold, a man of
Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the
Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to
Jerusalem to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Isaiah
the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and stay close to this
chariot. And Philip ran up to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah,
and said, Do you understand what you are reading? And he said, How can I,
except someone should guide me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit
with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, "He was
led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so
opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and
who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the
earth." And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I ask you, of whom is
the prophet speaking? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened
his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached to him Jesus. And
as they went on their way, they came to some water: and the eunuch said,
See, here is water; what keeps me from being baptized? And Philip said, If
you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to
stop: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch;
and Philip baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit
of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more: but he went
on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he
preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea."
Acts 22:16 "And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and
wash away your sins, calling on his name."
Galatians 3:26-27 "For you are all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ."
Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewal of the Holy Spirit"
Baptism saves us not by cleaning the dirt from our bodies, but by changing
our attitude towards God.
Re-Baptism
What about those who have been baptized before or as infants, would it be
appropriate to be re-baptized?
Acts 19:1-7 "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at
Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and
finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy
Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as
heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then
were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John
verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that
they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ
Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were
about twelve."
Paul re-baptized them in the name of Christ, clearly he did not feel that
doing so was wrong, and the Lord validated it with the gift of the holy spirit.
Had the men rejected Paul's teaching of Christ, there is no doubt that Paul
would have withheld re-baptizing them.
The baptism of an infant would be wrong on the basis that they would in most
cases not truly understand the responsibility and importance of the the act.
Someone baptized as an infant most likely should be re-baptized as an adult.
Sincere people who are qualified for baptism need not fear re-baptism.
