~ Baptism: Why? When? How? ~
Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
— Matthew 3:6 —
A confession of sin… and choosing to repent. Baptism represents a turning from sin. To take that step towards God and away from sin…
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire…”
— Matthew 3:11 —
“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
— Acts 1:5 —
It is a symbolic act. The true baptism is not with water… it is with the Holy Spirit. I am not really concerned about what other people think of me. I am concerned about what those close to me think. I avoid tripping people up on stuff… and baptism doesn’t seem to make people trip… so there’s no real problem with not getting baptised, right?
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”
— Matthew 10:32-33 —
“in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:6 —
Even though it is only a symbolic ceremony, there is still acknowledgment before man and God. Kind of like the marriage ceremony. A marriage is official as soon as the judge hands over those marriage papers. But the marriage ceremony is proclaiming before God and men, We’re married! Baptism seems to carry the same type of ideas… I’m God’s!
After the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs, then baptism by water is an acknowledgment before God and man of what God has done in your life. The above passages make pretty apparent what happens to those who disown Jesus. You must acknowledge God in all things. Identify yourself with the Christ…
“…Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, …”
— Matthew 28:19 —
Do I want to be a disciple? a follower of the Christ? Then I must get baptized. I am all tied up right now and things are looking really… painful. Pray for me. I’m disheartened and I don’t know what else to say… I think I know what must be done and it’s going to turn my relationship with my dad to … Just pray… *sigh*
Father, Your will be done. I’ve been praying about that for longest time and I’ve been thinking about Your will, Your plans for my life. Baptism. Such a tangle, such a mess. Guide me, Lord. Lead me and keep me from straying, my Shepard. Help me, I can’t do this myself. I am so fearful… and even though I know there is no basis for my fears, I fear still…. Pick Your time, pick Your words… I pray all this in my Savior’s name, Amen.
Hon, you’re feeling some of the same things I have over the last few days.
C.W.
I’m ignorant on how baptism work, therefore I have some questions
First you do it with Holy Water then regular water, in one procedure; which one is first? What’s the different between the Holy Water baptize and the regular water baptize?
to vegito: nobody baptizes with the Holy Spirit but Jesus Himself. yes i mean today. you can’t see the Holy Spirit or contain Him in some ethereal matter like water. that’s silliness. you can see the fruit of Him in your life and in others’ lives. you ask Jesus to baptize you and you’ll hear from Him. He might get a big old smile and let it pour; He might tell you to repent. then you’ll have to make some decisions.
to ha256: when i am baptized into the Church; and become a member of a local body, does my baptism carry accountability to church discipline?
i believe we’ve spoken about this before =) i’ll be praying for you bro – hang in there…. =)
oh, i didn’t realize your real dilemma.
i accepted Christ when i was eleven. i didn’t get baptized, because my mom said, “baptism is like saying to the world, ‘Jesus is my King, my first commitment.'” and i really didn’t make that commitment until i was twenty-one.
then when i was twenty-two/three i was at a church that i felt comfortable in, and they were having a baptism “service” and the Lord let me know that it was time – actually He had been building some pressure for about six months – and i said to the pastor, “i’ve never been baptized, and i need to be.” and he said “ok.” because he knew i was ready.
it’s really about you and the Lord. baptism is a serious thing, an expression to the world that you are 100% committed to Jesus. don’t do it if you’re not, because satan will use that lie against you big time. but if it’s time, and it sounds like it is, don’t let all the bull***t get between you and obedience. ’cause really it’s only the Lord who will judge you in the end, and He will judge in truth.
i don’t think there’s a “right way” or a “wrong way” .. some people believe that only a baptism by immersion in “living” water is valid, some people think that it needs to be “holy water” or whatever. do what you want – the point is your obedience to the Lord and communication to the Church and the world. the details shouldn’t be stumbling blocks.
also, there’s a couple verses. i’m not going to ref them ’cause i’m lazy. one is where Jesus tells his disciples this hard thing: “if anyone loves his father more than me he is not fit for the Kingdom.”
aaaah!
and this other wonderful true thing: “if anyone leaves his parents or home for the Kingdom, he will both now and in the future receive what he left behind, ten-fold.”
so do you believe Him? it’s ok not to. i’ll attest, however, that what He says there has been true in my life.
talkin about some devine appointment, bro! I went to a baptism class today, and i’m actually thinking of getting baptized on Palm Sunday. please pray for me, and i will keep u in my prayers.