2007-09-21 14:25:55 · 2 answers · asked by lubbie 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Dedication is when you privately dedicate yourself to God in prayer, promising to Him that you will do His will forever. Basically telling Him that you no longer want to live for yourself, but for Him, disowning yourself by making sure that personal goals and desires don't get in the way of your pleasing and serving God.
Baptism is your public dedication. It's showing everyone that you've taken a stand for true worship and that you've dedicated yourself to God. When you are Baptised, you are fully immersed in water to show publicly that they have made a dedication to Jehovah. Jesus said that his disciples would be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) This means that a baptism candidate recognizes the authority of Jehovah God and of Jesus Christ. (Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:18) He also recognizes the function and activity of God’s holy spirit, or active force.—Galatians 5:22, 23; 2 Peter 1:21. However, baptism is not a mere bath. It is a symbol of something very important. Going beneath the water symbolizes that you have died to your former life course. Being raised up out of the water indicates that you are now alive to do the will of God. Baptism does not guarantee salvation. The apostle Paul wrote: “Keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) Baptism is only a beginning.
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2007-09-21 14:41:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When God blesses a couple with a child, the child has been given to the parents to raise and take care of.
The parents dedicate the child back to the Lord in thanksgiving.
When the child becomes old enough and knows right from wrong, he is of age to
make his own choice to accept Jesus as his Savior.
The bible says accept and be baptized.
So the child (or adult that has finally realized that Jesus died for his sins) is
emersed in water to wash the old self away and emerges new.
Just like Jesus dies on the cross, was buried and arose from the dead.
2007-09-21 14:41:30 · answer #2 · answered by Blessed 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋