Baptism. I had backsliden a while back. I have since started a relationship again with God.?

Question

I have been baptised before my fallen ways need I be baptised again? I am praying about this just looking to see what some say. Either scriptural support or just your opinion. Thanks to all answerers in advance..........Peace out.............

Yes I have repented already. I am back walking with the Lord. Just asking if about being baptized again since I had fallen. I know baptism is not a requirement to get to Heaven. But it does say repent and be baptized. Im just asking your opionions on whether I need be baptized again. Thanks Peace out...........

Answer 1

An alien sinner (someone who has never become a christian) needs to be baptized for the remission of sins, to be saved. (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16) It is at baptism that one enters "into Christ" and comes into contact with His death. (Romans 6:3-4, Gal. 3:26-27, Col. 2:12).

At Christ's death was where His blood was shed and offered for our sins, so if we are to contact His blood, we must contact His death. It is at that point that an alien sinner has those sins washed away (Acts 22:16). It is the blood of christ that washes away sin (Revelation 1:5). To wash in the blood we must contact it.

It is at baptism that we become a Christian. After we become a Christian (saved), "if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) This literally means that if we live faithfully, the blood keeps cleansing us from our sins.

The word "if" implies there is another option. If we stop walking in the light, then we step out of fellowship with other believers and we step away from the cleansing blood. We become an erring child of God and we turn our back on the only source of salvation. We enter again into a lost condition.

Now if we are in that condition, how do we return to a saved condition? We do not have to be baptized again if we have been properly baptized before. (By "properly baptized", I mean we have been baptized in the way the Bible instructs, and for the reason the Bible instructs. We have been baptized according to the instructions (authority) of the Lord; in other words, "in the name of Jesus Christ" - Acts 2:38)

For one, the Bible teaches there is "one baptism". There is no biblical example of anyone who was properly baptized being re-baptized. At baptism, we rose to walk in newness of life, ie. we were "born again" (Romans 6:4). We do not have to be born again, again.

The only example of a re-baptism in the Bible that I know of is in Acts 19:1-5. These had been baptized, but they did not understand the baptism of Christ correctly, so Paul taught them, and they were baptized according to the correct authority.

But when someone has been baptized correctly to become a Christian, and then he sins, to return to a right relationship with God, he needs to do as Simon was instructed in Acts 8.

In verse 13, the Bible records that Simon believed and was baptized. He then sinned. To be forgiven, and to return to a right relationship with God, he was told in verse 22 that he needed to "repent and pray". Notice he was not told to be baptized again.

Another example is the church at Laodicea. They were guilty of growing lukewarm. To return to a proper relationship with God, they were told to "repent" (Rev. 3:15-19).

There is a difference between a fallen child of God and someone who has never become a child by being born into the family of God.

In the story of the prodigal son, the son became a member of the family when he was born. Then he left the family and entered a condition where he was considered to be "lost" and "dead" (Luke 15:32). To return to the family, he changed his mind about desiring to be seperate from the father, and he changed his action (He repented). To become a son he was born. To return to living a life as a son, he repented.

Answer 2

If you have been saved and Baptized, you became an adopted son of God. Backsliding mean you got away from God and you need to come back and ask Him for forgiveness with a true heart.
God will forgive the same as any Father would when his son returned home. Remember the prodigal son? There is no need to be Baptized again. As an Independent Baptist, we believe in eternal security. That don't mean you have a free ticket to sin, but as a child if you continue to sin, He will chastise you. Some denominations differ on that they think falling from grace means falling from salvation, but it don't. The Blood of Christ was was applied to my heart when I got saved, and His Blood is not going to Hell. You're not the only one to backslide, I've been there.

Answer 3

I don't know that any mainstream Protestant denomination would baptize you if you have already been baptized, at least if you went back to the same church. On the other hand, some churches would require documentation of prior baptism and they will perform the rite again if you don't have a way to confirm that you had been baptized before.

Answer 4

Baptism is a matter of faith...first let's understand the meaning of baptism......it has a duel purpose ...
firstly it represents a washing away...not to say ..it takes away your sin..like the blood of Jesus...but when you are washed in the blood of the lamb as the high priest took the offering...(started out as a live animal)after killing it took the blood to sprinkle it on the holy seat...also burned the meat as a burnt offering...after killing and getting the blood he is bloody...and the laver of waters was designed for him to wash off the bloody mess...which baptism representsa washing away of the blood...the sin is in the blood that washed you and now before you enter the holy place..you must be cleansed...

secondly as a act of faith when you are baptised and go down into the water it symbolizes...the death burial and ressurection of Jesus..so in essence you are aligned with him in it when you are baptized....It is totally up to you...if it is in your heart to be baptized again go for it ..but it is not necessary if you've done it already...the bible says to work out your own souls salvation...it is between you and God...amen..

Answer 5

Well, that was my situation. But I was water baptized as a youth. Fell away. Suffered the conscequences. Recommitted to God. I just didn't think water baptism was necessary for me to do again. I asked others and prayed about it. But the water baptism is what happens when one first confesses Jesus Christ ones Lord and believes in their heart all that He Is. God let me know in my spirit that it wasn't necessary to be water baptized again.

But, if one was baptized as a baby, or in a mormon church, then one never really confessed Jesus Christ ones Lord and believed in ones heart the atonement for sins and resurrection. So actually needs to be water baptized, with this confession.

Once a person is saved and baptized, then what a person does when person messes up is confess ones sin to God. He is faithful & Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from them.

Answer 6

I was raised catholic and was baptized catholic, but I renounced that religion and became a born again Christian. I too am going to be baptized again, just that I don't know when. There is alot of scripture that talks about being baptized, although it is not a requirement to get to Heaven. I am not sure where the verses are, but I know I saw alot about it in Romans.

Answer 7

Congratulations on your renewed relationship in God! If your life away from God was known publicly then your return should be public - the point of water baptism. However, if your "backsliden" condition was more of a recognition of yourself away from God but not generally known as such by those around you - then it probably isn't necessary. However, in either case I would certainly ask the Lord what He feels you should do in your specific case. If He impresses on your heart that you really should - then do so.

Answer 8

There's only one baptism to a customer ... forever.

True contrition for sins, plus actual repentance, is what's normally required to obtain forgivness from God.

If you're Catholic, the sacrament of reconciliation adds considerable flexibility, and makes things quite a bit easier to manage, especially in the case of serious or repetetive sin.

Answer 9

Baptism is simple symbolic of the washing away and coming up whole. Jesus is married to backslider. He has not divorced you and will take you back. No you do not have to be baptized.

Answer 10

You don't need to be baptized again. What you need is to repent and be forgiven. If you've already repented to God, believe in Jesus, then God has forgiven you. Jesus has already washed away your sins by dying on the cross.

The hard part might be forgiving yourself and moving past it. While it is easy to wallow in one's sin, we need to move past and share the love of Christ with others.