i am a born again christian. when i was four i commited my life to God. now i am much older i have done it several times over to renew my relationship with God. Jesus is my life and i wouldn't have it any other way and i am very serious about it. i have been wondering about getting baptised for the past four years (i am now 16). but i am so scared about getting it done....should i be?? what does it all actually mean?? is it something to worry about? or should i just go with the flow and hand it all over to God??
2007-10-16 01:26:27 · 19 answers · asked by ? 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The IMPORTANT Thing is 2 Be Baptized Into JEHOVAH God's TRUE "Organization" ! ! !
2007-10-16 01:38:18 · answer #1 · answered by . 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
"You have done it several times"? committed your life to Christ? It should only take but once, when you get saved. I understand if you backslide but if not than maybe you don't know what salvation means? No you shouldn't be scared because it is something that shows your obedience to the Lord. Jesus Christ was baptised wasn't He? It is symbolic, some will say it is literal. But seeing that you are a born again than you should know that it is symbolic. Being saved is what gets you to heaven, point blank. You can be baptised and never be saved and you won't go to heaven. The baptism shows the newness of life, the new creature that you are in God. You go in the water as a sinner, and than come back up as the water rolls off it's like it washes away your sins. Now to say it literally does this is to say that baptism takes away sin from our lives. Now how is that possible when we were born with it? Tell me someone that has never sinned after being baptised? But yes you should do not because people tell you to but because God is directing you to. Pray about and I bet you will get an answer.
2007-10-16 08:42:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
Baptism is absolutley necessary. Peter commanded it in Acts 10, Paul REbaptised a group that were originally baptised by John the Baptist...there are more verses all throughout the Bible that say that you must be born again. Jesus said it in John 3:5. You MUST be born again of water and of the Spirit. Jesus was baptized, so should we too. When we are baptised, we are killing the "old man" and putting on the robe of righteousness. It is not works, it is an outward sign of an inward condition. If you need more, email me.
2007-10-16 08:42:13 · answer #3 · answered by tcjstn 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't you worry about what effects might result from the sort of upbringing that causes a four year old to commit their life to God? I mean obviously your parents didn't want you to experience religious freedom, but aren't you even remotely curious about the fact that most of the world believes your religion is a myth?
If you want to be baptised, go ahead. It means whatever you want it to mean, and there's no reason to be scared about getting it done unless you value independent thought.
Also congratulations on making such an absolute decision about religion after just sixteen years, when plenty of much cleverer people have spent their entire lives looking for such answers. And how convenient that the one true faith was the one you were taught at age four.
2007-10-16 09:27:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry about it because the baptism done these days is not at all like the Original Baptism that Jesus and John the Baptist were doing.
The truth is, no one knows what those original baptisms were like since there are no records of what they did when they baptized people, so If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't be concerned about it.
The more important thing is to find something that will change a person and improve their life. That's the main thing.
2007-10-16 08:51:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to Mark 16:15-16, "Go into all the world preaching the gospel. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved."
Its not something to worry about, but it is something that should be done. As someone else already said, it is an outward/public expression of your inward/personal decision to follow Christ. By that, it includes following Christ in baptism.
The method of baptism is up for debate, so whatever your church practices is ok. What it symbolizes, though, is dying to your old self and coming to life anew in Christ.
You need to have this discussion with your youth pastor or the "Senior" pastor at your church. They can walk you through everything you need to know and answer all your questions through the lens of your church. For instance, at our church, when someone wishes to be baptized, they have a few meetings with the pastors, who help them write their testimony, which is then read to the congregation before they are baptized. But, that is a different process then the church I grew up and was baptized in.
2007-10-16 08:41:37 · answer #6 · answered by capitalctu 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Water baptism is the outward display of an inner faith. But understand, water baptism is a matter of getting wet. It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that is important, and this does not always happen in association with water baptism.
To whom does God give His Spirit? Those who believe the gospel.
Do you know what the gospel is and the ramifications of the gospel?
Make sure you understand the gospel.
.
2007-10-16 08:58:05 · answer #7 · answered by Hogie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Were you baptized as an infant?
There are varying doctrines regarding baptism, depending on your denomination, and my best advice is to check with the practices of your specific church.
Some churches baptize as infants and are not proponents of "re-baptism". Some advocate being re-baptized as an adult, or at an age when you can consciously make a choice for Christ.
If you have never been baptized, then yes, I think you should. It's nothing to be afraid of! It's a beautiful experience!
Baptism literally means being purified by water, and it symbolizes the washing away of your sins, as you dedicate your life to Christ.
Best of luck in your quest!
2007-10-16 08:40:59 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe it to be this way...Salvation is kind of more private between you and God and Baptism is kind of a public testimony of your salvation...As for whether you should that is a personal decision and no one can really answer that. What are you scared about? If you want to know more research it like you would if you were writing a report and maybe talk to your pastor. My sister was afraid as well, though I she has a serious fear of water immersion.
2007-10-16 08:41:08 · answer #9 · answered by littlemisscontroverse 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
One of the most nagging questions in Christianity is whether or not baptism is necessary for salvation. The answer is a simple, "No." But you might ask, "If the answer is no, then why are there verses that say things like ‘. . .baptism that now saves you . . . ‘ (1 Pet. 3:21, NIV) and ‘ . . . Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins . . ." (Acts 2:38, NIV)? This is an honest question and it needs a competent answer.
http://www.carm.org/questions/baptnec.htm
2007-10-16 08:33:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Baptism is simply a outward statement of the decision within your own heart. It's like, for example, learning say a math equation. You know it in your mind, but when your put it into practice it comes out. Learning is like accepting Jesus in your heart, applying the maths is like being baptized (sorry for the math reference, only thing i could think of at the time).
Simply a outward expression, of what has happened in your heart
2007-10-16 08:51:57 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋