Jesus’ order of events was, 1st) PREACH THE GOSPEL, 2nd) BAPTIZE repentant believers, 3rd) TEACH THEM THE COMMANDMENTS (Matt. Certainly, commitment is a part of the process, but people commit themselves to noble endeavors on a regular basis. by Jim Servidio. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Acts 16:33 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Mark 16:16 Mark 16:16He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.American King James Version×says, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." This verse and others show us that baptism is a necessary step in everyone's life. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website. Paul baptized the jailer and his household ‘the same hour of the night’ (Acts 16:33). The profound elements that are a part of the baptism covenant take deep thought and a sober surrender to God. On the other hand, once we understand what sin is and have truly repented of our sins, and once we believe in the gospel message of Jesus Christ and all that it entails, we are to be baptized immediately. God’s ministers must be assured of a genuine repentance and belief in Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Peter had said: ‘REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38). Question: "Should a new believer be baptized immediately?" “Notice now several examples from the Bible: “1. They should know what role the Church and the ministry will play in their lives. The individual seeking baptism will be excited and anxious to be God's son or daughter and a part of His family. You’re a Christian who has decided not to be baptized. CLOSE to a million people were baptized by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the last three years. They kn One denomination will not baptize people until they come to ‘see’ and accept God’s Law, and many of this denomination’s doctrines, and usually there is a six-months’ probation period. Baptism is intended as a public profession of faith for a person who has believed in Jesus Christ. Baptism is a public expression of that private dedication. The question of whether or not to be baptized depends on whether or not a person is old enough to understand and believe in the gospel. Paul explained it another way in Galatians 2:20 Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.American King James Version×, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." If you’re a believer, you should be baptized! Yet even he was commanded to be baptized IN WATER. When Should You Be Baptized? Perhaps your interest in this article is an indication. Here are four good reasons: 1. “And so I was baptized forthwith and without delay. oly Spirit as well as we?’ And he COMMANDED them to be baptized in the name of the Lord’ (Acts 10:47-48). While ministers will always encourage people to respond to God, they will not improperly goad or shame someone into being baptized. Acts 9:1-18, especially verse 18. When considering baptism, counseling with a minister is an important and valuable part of the process. They saw their own personal need. That’s not all that important compared to the things I’ve just been talking about. “It was a command. … because Jesus was baptized and wants us to baptize others. Understanding what baptism is can help us answer this important question. Immediately on meeting him, Ananias said: ‘And now WHY TARRIEST THOU? Because baptism is a covenant—a contract—with God. Should I be baptized again if I've sinned? What shall we say then? Floating idly on clouds in heaven or as part... By His power, God can and will cleanse you of all your past guilt, pain and... United Church of God is a 501(c)3 organization. Jesus answered and said to him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him. However, baptism is more than a commitment! Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. A third line of reasoning may go this way: ‘I need to be perfect before I can get baptized. Peter had said: ‘REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:38). They did not even wait until daylight! If we break that promise later, God certainly holds us accountable for doing so. If the Son of God pursued baptism, so should we. What is baptism and what does this ceremony represent? There are two key aspects of preparation. Defining Baptism. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul. The first six verses of Romans 6 show the profound reality of what baptism symbolizes. It is a matter of a lifetime of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ AFTER one is baptized… If a person knows that God commands baptism, knows he should be baptized, and his conscience convicts him–then he SHOULD BE BAPTIZED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Should You Be Baptized? “When we examine the biblical record, we find that when people were ready for baptism, they were baptized immediately. Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that, like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should … Later, Paul described his experience with these words, ‘Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law…came to me; and he stood and said to me…“And now why are you waiting? It tells others that you have given up ownership of yourself and … Prior to that my wife and I had read the Bible clear through–but I had not understood a WORD of it!… I simply could not UNDERSTAND the BIBLE! The order of God is: 1st) preach the Gospel, leading to a conviction of sin in the hearts of those God calls, leading to REPENTANCE and FAITH in Christ; 2nd) BAPTISM; and 3rd) they shall receive the HOLY SPIRIT, which renews their minds, teaches them, reveals spiritual truth. they chose to wait until I was old enough to choose my own path. Where will you spend eternity? Their role is simply to provide guidance as you contemplate the most important decision in your life. They should also know keys to living successful Christian lives, and whether there is a devil. But it was UNDERSTANDABLE! …, “For six months I had struggled night and day, with a carnal mind, to learn the truth about one single doctrine in the Bible. Is Peter's command to "repent, and let every one of you be baptized" still relevant today? They did not delay, nor did the ministers have the disciples go through time-consuming ‘courses’ of baptismal ‘requirements’ before they were willing to baptize the person. Though by definition baptists agree that a person should be baptized only after confessing faith in Jesus Christ, there are several views on how old a believer must be, or should be, before such a confession can be trusted and acted upon. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. As will be seen from the following quotes, our position is exactly the same as the one that Mr. Armstrong taught. We are quoting from pages13 and 14 of his booklet (copyright 1948, 1954, 1972). We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. I realized, as never before, how futile and useless and foolish are the ways of this world, on which most people set so much store. They knew they needed Christ as their Savior and desperately wanted their sins blotted out by His shed blood. This includes the following: an understanding of what sin is; the fact that the death penalty hangs over our heads because of our own sins; the fact that Christ died for us so that we can have forgiveness of our sins when we truly repent of them and accept His sacrifice as payment for our sins; the fact that we need to put our carnal nature into the watery grave, and leave it there; the fact that we can acquire God’s divine nature ONLY through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us; and the fact that we must be baptized in order to receive God’s power to be able to change the way we think, speak and act. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. That is why we MUST HAVE GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT OF POWER to help us to overcome our problems. Here we see that being baptized is more than just making a commitment. “Sincere, heartfelt repentance and belief are the only prior conditions for baptism given in the Bible! But they readily accepted the word of God (Acts 2:41); they were not in doubt; they were sincerely and deeply repentant (verse 37). Philip explained to him the Scriptures as they relate to Jesus and the eunuch was baptized within a few hours. Download Video (MP4) | Audio (MP3) This Week's Free Telecast Offer 2012: Mystery and Truth. Many tragic circumstances have occurred because of failure to be sure of these points, interpreting temporary remorse for true repentance. “We find that on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 believers were baptized the same day when they heard Peter’s inspired sermon and were motivated to come to genuine repentance (Acts 2:41). For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. In Acts 8 Philip speaks “the good news about Jesus” to the Ethiopian eunuch, and, “as they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Thoughts and ideas can easily come into our mind to discourage us from doing so. Regardless of the circumstances, the important thing is that we be receptive to God's call and respond to it when we understand the basic concepts of the baptismal covenant. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. But when the conditions Christ set are all met, one should be baptized immediately.”. Many young people accept that being baptized is in their future, but what is the best time? ew they were the slaves of sin, and did not have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within them. Then there are those who hesitate to request baptism because they do not feel they ‘know enough.’ This fear is usually unfounded. Later, Jesus told us in In this program, Richard Ames asks, “should you be baptized?” If you are asking this question yourself, then listen today. Under the heading, “How Long Should We wait,” Mr. Armstrong wrote: “One or two denominations insist to be put off until the candidate has PROVED HIMSELF–has proved he has the Holy Spirit and is living a righteous life–or has come to certain spiritual KNOWLEDGE. Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV . It is not something to rush into. 7:14 and 8:7). So, you might still be wondering—why should I get baptized? “If we reason that we don’t want to get baptized yet because we don’t want to miss the fun, then our concept of what ‘fun’ is must be corrected immediately. Repentance means being sorry for and running away from our sin. In the same section mentioned above, the document notes clearly, “An infant should be baptized within the first weeks after birth” (No. Three thousand believers were baptized on the … Is it time for you to be baptized? “COMMENT: Neither of these men put off water baptism. Just fill out this form and let us know when you would like to be baptized. As a pastor, I’m often asked a very important question by members of the church I pastor and by friends in the ministry – “When should my child be baptized?” As I begin, I want to be clear that I will be writing from a distinctively Baptist position, first because I’m Baptist and also because it’s the right position as I like to tell my Presbyterian friends. This comes to an average of 824 per day, or 4 persons baptized every 7 minutes. “On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 were baptized THAT SAME DAY. Baptism is a symbol of God’s grace. arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Did he put it off? For instance, some teach that a Christian must not dance, watch television or movies, drink alcohol, or play cards. Premise #1 – … Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. We are quoting the relevant sections below. It MADE SENSE!”. Philip baptized the eunuch AT ONCE. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. If baptism is a hurdle to us because we don’t want to give up ‘fun,’ then we are, indeed, missing the point. Answer: In the New Testament, new Christians were often baptized immediately after confessing Jesus as Lord. well, I wasn't baptized as a baby even though both my parents are pastors. With this in mind, the Christian tools of Bible study, prayer, fasting and meditation can help one prepare for making this important decision. All Rights Reserved. Paul baptized the Philippian jailer and those in his house ‘the same hour of the night’–and it was after midnight (Acts 16:33). God decides at what point to intervene and when to allow circumstances to register a deeper meaning. My conscience was clean and clear. 28:19-20). If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Paul said in Romans 6:4 Romans 6:4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.American King James Version×, "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death." A person failing to qualify in any one of these areas should not be baptized. John 6:44 John 6:44No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.American King James Version×says that God must call an individual to be a part of the Body of Christ, and touch his or her heart (Acts 16:14 Acts 16:14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul.American King James Version×). Full immersion baptism visibly symbolizes what happens to us spiritually through the power of the gospel. Well, should you get baptized in the name of Jesus only or the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? This refers to his surrendering his life at baptism. You should resist any pressure someone may try to place on you to decide one way or another. Because you want to follow Christ’s example (), and Jesus told all believers to do it and set an example by being baptized (Matthew 28:19-20).Baptism is an opportunity to identify ourselves with the Savior and show the world that you are a follower of Christ! But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. This teaching is also captured in canon law: “Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks” (Canon 867). “God WANTS us to be baptized. They feel they are too infirm, too old, too weak–or they feel they are ‘not ready’ yet spiritually. God holds us accountable for what we know and what we do with the knowledge we have been given. In addition, properly prepared individuals should also be able to grasp basic truths including why they are here on the earth and what God's overall plan for mankind is. There was a quiet, wonderful happiness of mind in the sure knowledge that now I was actually a begotten son of GOD! American King James Version ×). “But this does not mean that God’s ministers should be hasty in baptizing one until there is evidence of a REAL CHANGE of mind and heart–a real surrender to God and the will of God. “Immediately upon coming up out of the water, I definitely experienced a change in attitude and in mind generally. After Christ appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, He sent to him a man named Ananias who spoke the words above that Paul might regain … We have answered this question in our free booklet, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation,” beginning on page 24. Perfection will not be achieved in this life based on our own strength. A new believer in Jesus Christ should desire to be baptized as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if you were saved 20 years ago or just last week… it’s time to take the next step in your faith journey. Satan will attempt to thwart our intentions by putting into our minds certain concepts, ideas and arguments in order to make us think that we should not get baptized—at least ‘not yet.’, “These diverting ideas come in different disguises. “Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized [immersed!] Baptism is a step only an adult-minded individual can take, and there are no accounts in the Bible of children being baptized. This shows there is a certain amount of understanding and belief a person should have. Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. In Matthew 3:11-17, John the Baptist is baptizing people in the Jordan River and telling them about Jesus: “I baptize you with water for repentance. All past sins were now blotted out by His blood. No one should make this pivotal decision "for" you. Our weakness and inability to overcome our bad habits only proves that we must get baptized and that we must receive God’s Holy Spirit to HELP us with our battle against our sins. Mark 16:16 says, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." God sent Ananias to baptize Saul, whose name was changed to Paul, the apostle. Since one cannot spiritually understand God’s spiritual Law or spiritual things UNTIL he receives the Holy Spirit, and he must be baptized before he has a promise of the Holy Spirit, he should be baptized FIRST. There was no longer doubt. 11: You Should Be Baptized As Soon As Possible And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was... And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. Is the law sin? We should also know that God exists and that we must live by His every word (Matthew 4:4 Matthew 4:4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.American King James Version×; Hebrews 11:6 Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.American King James Version×; etc.). We should be baptized because it is what Jesus commanded and it is a sign and seal of our faith in Him. But now, from this point of baptism on, a strange, wonderful, delightful new thing took place. “Paul says God’s Law ‘is spiritual,’ and that the carnal (unconverted) mind is not subject to the LAW and CANNOT be (Rom. Although a person may have experienced God's presence growing up, he or she now begins to see the need to make the step that establishes a real Father/son or Father/daughter relationship. A look at the New Testament reveals this is not the case. When a teenager or adult is baptized, it is typically a personal decision resulting from a commitment to Christ. 8.3). Privacy Policy  Terms of Use. I could really call God Father! I had already repented and surrendered to God’s rule over my life. It is a deeply personal decision to be made by mature teens and adults. It is NOT necessary to know all the books of the Bible in their order, the acrostic psalms, the background of the minor prophets, and have a complete understanding of the political situation in the cities Paul traveled! But once a person is old enough to comprehend the meaning of baptism, when should his baptism occur? Thus, someone who is ready for baptism will have a strong desire for God to work in his or her life in a more personal and distinct way. When we are baptized, we are not just making a commitment to live our life as a member of a particular church or committing to a set of doctrines, but we are actually giving up our life to God. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences! This person will also be sobered knowing that he or she faces a formidable spiritual battle and will need to stay close to God in order to endure to the end. Christianity is not a works based religion. It is not a decision to be made based on emotions. There simply is no acceptable excuse for not being baptized when a person UNDERSTANDS this vital, urgent spiritual truth and is physically able to obey it.”. The decision whether to be baptized again or not it yours to make. One time I was witnessing in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I live. To Cornelius and his house, who already had received the Holy Spirit, Peter said: ‘Can any man forbid WATER, that these should not be baptized, which have received the H PO Box 270519 EVERYONE knows he has sinned, and lived contrary to God’s will, though he may not have spiritual understanding of God’s will. “All of these arguments miss the entire point as to WHY we must get baptized. As God leads us to baptism, the prodding of the Holy Spirit becomes stronger because God desires to dwell in us. He COMMANDS us to be baptized. “Therefore, as soon as was possible, they were baptized. I still had to study it a doctrine at a time. It is not a matter of being good enough or worthy enough—only that you have a desire to overcome this world and grow in character as defined by God's spiritual law.

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