Why is Being baptized so important?

Question

When you think about it, its just water. I remeber my minister says "Now that this child is baptized he is greater than before". The minister acts like its such a big deal when its not the infants choice at all. This made me think, can you still be a christian without baptizing and why even do it.

Answer 1

Baptism is important because God says it's important. God decided that baptism would be the primary sacrament of initiation into his family, and into his church.

When you're baptized you became an adopted member of God's family, a co-heir with Jesus, a temple of the Holy Spirit, and a member of the church.

Without baptism, none of that is necessarily true.

And whether or not you knew about it, or even consented, makes no difference. The sacrament is effective because God and his church intend it to be, as God desires that all be saved.

His church acts according to his will, supplying all that's necessary to accomplish it, even providing the water and the faith.

You make your choice every single day, and God certainly knows it.

You sound somewhat confused and ungrateful. Get your head straight before you do something stupid.

Answer 2

By being baptized as an infant, your parents would have been following a covenant that existed since the days of circumcision in the Old Testament. This rite was replaced in the New Testament by baptism, and when you look at the passages that say entire households were baptized, this is where infant baptism fits in -- not as an "age of reason" issue, but rather an authority issue. The head of household was responsible for his wife, servants, and any infants in the house, and this was a covenant with God to conduct that house in a Christian manner. This baptism was a "marking" of God's own, identifying them as being separate from the rest of the world. And while water itself has no "magical" properties (blood under the appearance of water, for instance), it does hold a significance of what has been done for you by your Creator, through the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you, as your minister said, "greater than before"? I would have to say yes, there is incredible value in being "tagged" as God's property.

Answer 3

Asking intelligent questions like this is exactly how you can become free of religious doctrine and ceremony.

Most Protestant doctrines do not baptize as babies and believe it is a personal choice to make when one is older. Many from both sides (Protestant and Catholic) believe you must be baptized to enter into Heaven or receive Salvation. I believe this is only another form of religious control and is not required for any sort of salvation and is not even Biblical.

So in conclusion, you are right, it is only a religious ceremony that is meaningful to the recipient but not to the religion itself. Yes, you can be a Christian and not be baptized but you will very likely at some point be guilted into it or feel as though it is your duty as a Christian. After all, you have ministers telling you what to believe about it. At least this was my own experience.

Keep up your critical thinking and always ask the tough questions! Much love, Andrea.

Answer 4

Christ taught that Baptism is a Sacred Ordinance of our Heavenly Father. It is a symbolizes our taking on his Name and joining his church. It is an act of such great importance, even Christ himself - whom most would view as a perfect being - was baptized by John the Baptist. Christ never discussed the baptism of infants, and is clear that baptism is a decision, therefore infants are NOT able to have this ordinance performed on them. The act of being a Christian is to behave in a Christ Like manner. Does one have to be baptised to do that, no, I don't think so. Infant Baptism by the sprinkling of water is a Catholic belief, based on the ideal that man is born of sin - the act of the parents, not the childs. Baptism is also for the remission of sin. If the child is born from / into sin, and the sin is of the parents, then the parents should be baptised / rebaptised. Christ was VERY Clear that a Child is without sin, and gained immediate access to him, both on Earth, and in Heaven.

Answer 5

You must baptized. Baptized at the age of consent (12 or 13) and you must be baptize in troubled and flowing water, a river. The Old Testament required that at the age of 8 days you must be circumsized. You must be born again. You must forget every thing you were ever taught, and learn new.

Answer 6

It is not necessary to be baptized. People get baptized as a symbol or a sign that they have accepted Christ as their Savior and that they are a new person. It's like, before you go in the water, you are still your old self. Then you are dipped in the water and 'cleansed' of your sins and you rise from the water to your new life in Christ. That is the way that I have always viewed baptism. I was baptized and I think it is a good thing. But, it is not necessary and I do not think that people who choose not to do it, should be looked down upon. Remember,though, Jesus Himself was baptized.

Answer 7

The act of baptism comes only after a person is saved and is not performed as a means of getting saved! The only ones who are candidates for baptism are those who have received Jesus as their savior and therefore must be of an age of understanding. To baptise an infant is totally wrong and solves nothing. The new birth spoken of by Jesus to Nicodemus in John Ch.3 is not baptism but rather literally means to be "born from above" and happens as Jesus described to Nicodemus as thats exactly how it happenrd to me. Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus that he has already been born once when he said that you must be born of water (physical birth) and of the spirit. The act of baptism can't save any one but it is a requirement of the Lord as he will not accept a persons service to himself if the servant is not firstly baptised as in every case in the new testament any one at all who was saved (born again) was required to be baptised before they could commence their service to the Lord. The act of baptism is an outward sign to the world that the person has been saved and is identifying themselves with the death burial and resurrection with Christ.

Answer 8

Being baptized is a symbolic act. It is an acknowledgment that you have sinned and that you repent of those sins. That you have accepted Jesus as your savior and that you will try to follow his teachings. The baptism symbolically washes away your sin and lets you start with a clean slate.

Answer 9

To be Christian means to follow Jesus Christ and to do as He commands.

In John 3: 5, Jesus says that no one may enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. "Being born of water and Spirit" is the sacrament of Baptism.

In the Gospel of matthew, the last thing Jesus tells His disciples is "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."

To Jesus, baptism is very important.

Answer 10

ok, let's positioned it this way. You positioned on a wedding ceremony ring as an illustration and a seal of your promise on your better 0.5. you pick to positioned on it, and anytime you seem at it, you keep in options the covenant that you both entered into. similar way with baptism. it really is a covenant between God and his human beings, an illustration and seal that all started consisting of his covenant with Abraham. Circumcision contained in the former testomony meant a "removing" of sins. Baptism contained in the recent testomony is a "washing away" of sins by way of the blood of Christ. Circumcision pointed to obedience of the regulation. Baptism factors to the obedience of Christ, the sacrificial Lamb who fulfilled the regulation. He did not replace it, he did not supplement it, and we've a continuity of promise right here. even as John baptized Jesus, no longer some thing replaced with the delivers given to Abraham. in consumer-friendly words the administration of the ceremony replaced, to mirror a sparkling symbolism of a blood sacrifice made by way of a Lamb who might want to eliminate the choose for animal blood being spilled as a fashion to make amends for sins.