then in jr. high and highschool I quit living a "Christian life" and went out and did my own thing. I came back to Jesus in my Junior year. I've never been re-baptized, should I be?
2007-03-15 10:55:14 · 13 answers · asked by real illuminati(Matt) 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That is truly a personal decision between you and God. There is nothing in the scriptures to indicate that a second baptism is necessary. However, many people do it as a reaffirmation of their faith. It really wouldn't hurt anything if you did.
I, too, was baptized in the 3rd grade. Turned my back on God for a while and then found my way back to Him. I have never felt the need to be rebatpized because I was very sincere about it the first time.
2007-03-15 11:01:37 · answer #1 · answered by lawnmoweromomma 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like my story, except I quit the Christian life after I graudated highschool and came back to it quickly when I saw what my heart was like without God. I was baptized around 3rd grade too, as well!
Now that you ask this, I am thinking if I should do this too.
Acts 2:38: "Then Peter said unto them, 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 Ghost."
We were probably before the age of accountability when we were baptized, I think we should swallow our pride and go do it now, for Jesus!
2007-03-15 18:04:09 · answer #2 · answered by Adam S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no such thing as rebaptism. You either are baptized or you are not. It's spiritual rebirth. You cannot be born physically more than once and you cannot be born spiritually more than once. There are of course churches which will go through the motions, especially if they don't care for the church where you were baptized. But it is just motions. The second "baptism" is invalid, and the first remains valid no matter what.
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2007-03-15 18:13:44 · answer #3 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you belive you made a valid and real public profesion of faith back then, then probably not. However if you're unsue you really understood waht it meant back then or also if you're in a large and differnt christian body ( church) now it might make sense.
The point of baptisim is to make a public act to show you are saved so that's what you have to consider, if there's a good reason to renew that act.
2007-03-15 18:00:09 · answer #4 · answered by Dane_62 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. My church believes the Bible indicates that only one Baptism is necessary for salvation. Of course Baptism doesn't guarantee it you've got to have faith too. Which you've refound. That is wonderful. Congratulations--and Good luck with your continual walk with God. There is no mention in the Bible of anyone getting baptized more than once.
2007-03-15 18:00:16 · answer #5 · answered by psycho-cook 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you feel that you never gave your life to Christ and repented back when were in 3rd grade, you should do so. If for no other reason than to put the matter to rest.
2007-03-15 18:05:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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 and 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 for the remission of sins and 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, and enjoying the blessings of being a son, he repented.
If you understood the purpose of baptism, and you were baptized in the right way (immersion) and for the right reason when you were a child, then you do not need to be re-baptized. In other words, if you were baptized according to the instructions of Jesus and his apostles, then you do not need to be baptized again.
The attached link will take you to a site where you can watch a series of video lessons. One of these lessons is about baptism. These lessons are mainly about the church that Christ built (Matt. 16:18). I hope you will watch all 6 lessons. (The first one is 15 minutes long. The other 5 are about 40 minutes each.)
I'm glad for your decision to come back to Jesus!!!
2007-03-15 18:19:18 · answer #7 · answered by JoeBama 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Most Christian denominations (including Catholics) follow the Nicene creed where is says:
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
With love in Christ.
2007-03-16 01:42:58 · answer #8 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
no, according to the Church, a person should only be baptized once!
2007-03-15 18:01:29 · answer #9 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you don't. But you can ask the Lord if you want. Hallelujah you were saved! Continue pursuing the Lord!
2007-03-15 17:58:42 · answer #10 · answered by Hannah 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋