When Jesus talks about ‘you have to be baptised’, is it a physical Baptism or a Spiritual Baptism?

Question

When Jesus talks about ‘you have to be baptised’, is it a physical Baptism or a Spiritual Baptism. I’ve never been baptised but have had an experience in that past; that I will never forget and cannot explain.

How do you know if you're already baptised?

Answer 1

Being baptized is like starting over in God's eyes.

Answer 2

I think that Jesus talks about water Baptism here. He says believe and be baptised - believe in Him and show others that you do. The spiritual Baptism didn't happen until after Jesus ascended to heaven. I haven't experienced this yet, but would love to. I imagine it would be a feeling of being real close to God, in His presence. - perhaps with you feeling so liberated and the only way you feel you can get yourself across to God is in tongues - there just doesn't seem to be any English words to speak out what you feel.
Our pastor would say if someone asks you how you know something (like your salvation) - he would say "you just know in your knower" (knower being your head) So if you have the feeling that you know in your knower you had an experience with God - don't let the devil put doubts around it.
God Bless
Joy

Answer 3

When Jesus says it, he's referring to a 'spiritual' baptism only. As others have answered you should do both if you're a believer but the physical baptism is NOT a 'requirement'.

Remember when Christ was on the cross, the one theif on his left recognized him as lord and Christ said he would be with him in heaven. That man did not get a physical baptism but he did have a spiritual baptism. And that was sufficient.

WP

Answer 4

It sounds like your experience was a moment of salvation as some might call it. Often baptism is used in churches as an outward expression of the said change.

Like anything else, I think feeling spiritually prepared would be more important than physical.

What type of church do you go to? This often changes the meaning or use of the baptism. Some baptize & bless babies, some after salvation, etc.

Best wishes

Answer 5

Actually it is both: The baptism of water as Jesus himself set the example when he asked John the Baptist to baptize him/representing being buried,and resurrected a new person:This is what Jesus ment when he said you must be reborn.
And the Spiritual baptism,that comes when you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost: Jesus said this would be the baptism of the Holy ghost: The Pentecostal faith that I believe in,believes both are important for a persons spiritual salvation.

Answer 6

In the book of Acts the apostles speak of 2 baptisms, one which you have experienced is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is God's power in you. The other is water baptism. The literal translation from the original is equal to full submersion, we do this in the sea in our church. Water baptism is not essential to salvation, but is obedience to Jesus. It's like a public declaration of your faith, like a wedding is a public declaration of marriage. I've known people with an intense fear of water get baptised in obediance. Jesus did it, and told us to do it too, so we do.....simple as that.

Answer 7

The Baptism must be real.In life it is hard to prove you have done something without doing it.The physical act of baptisim proves your spritual comittment or belief.Having said That !God knows all and he knows if you are a phoney baloney or not but YOU can't really know until you go through with the physical act. The old Saying is "The Road To Hell is Paved With Good Intentions"

Answer 8

Both. Physical Baptism shows obedience to His word and is symbolic of the spiritual Baptism you experience when you make the decision to 'Come unto Christ'.

Answer 9

Baptism is a serious thing. A ceremony which first requires the individual to give his religious life over to the continuous service to God. He/She must dedicate him/her-self to finding and teaching Jesus sheep.
The ceremony consists of a qualified believer / elder to temporarily place a person completely under a water source such as a swimming pool, or river, so as to totally immerse the individual.
it is symbolic of dieing to the world and being reborn as a child of God. Done in public, it is a declaration by the individual that he / she has repented and will follow Jesus to God, and will agree to do God's works as long as they live.
Read about it on our website below

Answer 10

Spiritual. It is 'with spirit and power' It refers to the new birth. Baptism was a symbolic ritual of cleansing. When Jesus referred to baptism, he was referring to the ritual cleansing that his blood gives. This cannot be achieved through water baptism. It is baptism by fire (cleansing) and blood( sacrifice made for) and spirit (God's power in us).

Answer 11

When Jesus spoke of being baptized, it was a symbolism that you died in your sins and became born again.

Now, let me explain the baptism. I am an Independent-Fundamental Baptist (or Baptist for short). Before I got saved, I was baptized as an infant, which is clearly the wrong kind of baptism you should receive. Any church who endorses infant baptism is not actually getting that infant saved.

With IFB, we baptize members when they reach of age and are able to know salvation unto Christ, to know the Word of God, and to understand what the baptism does for them. I have been baptized when I was 23 years old so I died in my sins and became born again.

Baptism in the IFB sense is baptism by water. We don't walk around water and declare ourselves baptized. We are immersed into the water, TOTALLY immersed, that we come out of the water. This clearly defines the baptism that symbolizes the death of sin and joy of being born unto Christ Jesus.

Now, let me ask you one question. Is this a physical or spiritual baptism? It's both because I was immersed into the water physically by a deacon, and I revived myself in life spiritually by believing in Jesus as my personal Lord Savior. So it's both.

Believe what you want on infant baptism but that does not clearly say you are saved. Want to know why infants are not really saved? Because they don't understand the Word of God. They don't understand salvation unto Christ Jesus. They don't understand what it means to be baptized. They have not developed their brains and thought, "I know I'm saved." Do they? No. So, in essence, they're not saved.

I am already saved because I got baptized in water 23 years of age. Now... I am 24 years old and still go to my church. Praise God for allowing me to know Him and to continue to go to a God-fearing church. Amen.

So, it's up to you to know which baptism is right or not.