Is Re-Baptism Ever Necessary?.


Is Re-Baptism Ever Necessary?.

Is it ever necessary to be re-baptized? Once you've been baptized, is it ever necessary to be baptized again? The answer is generally, "No."

The Bible does not teach that baptism is a way of rededicating your life to the Lord. You don't have to do this every two or three years. So, if you found Christ as your personal Savior and have made a public profession of your faith in the assembly of the saints, you never again need to be baptized. Are there some circumstances under which a person should be re-baptized? Yes, there are. Let me suggest to you three. First, a person should be re-baptized if the first baptism was not a Christian baptism. Some people have been baptized as part of a cult group or other non-Christian group. Even if they were born again at the time, that is not a biblical baptism since baptism has its meaning in the context of the assembly of believers.

The second reason why a person may need to be re-baptized is if the baptism was not biblical in its character. Acts 19 relates an incident in Ephesus where some believers had been baptized, but they had been baptized according to John's baptism. John's baptism was a call to repentance and preparation for the Messiah but not a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. How could such a profession of faith be made since Christ had not yet come on the scene? Although these Ephesians had been baptized, they hadn't even heard about Jesus. They were asked, "Have you been baptized?" That's another way of asking, "Do you know the Lord?" They said, "Oh, yes, we've been baptized." They were asked, "Whose baptism was it?" And they answered, "John's." They were finally asked, "Well, how about being baptized with the Holy Spirit?" Well, they didn't know about the Holy Spirit. So these believers were re-baptized, only this time it was a Christian baptism.

What is "Christian" baptism? It's a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you were baptized but at the time there was no acknowledgment on your part that you received Christ as your personal Savior, that is not a biblical baptism.

There's a third reason why a person may need to be re-baptized that could affect many of you, and that is if you were baptized before you found the Lord as your personal Savior, before you personally made a commitment to Christ.

If you were baptized as an infant in a Christian church, you ought to thank your parents for bringing you up in a Christian tradition. If anything ought to bring joy to the hearts of parents, it should be their child saying, "Mom and Dad, I have come to know the Lord as my personal Savior and now, having found the Lord as my Savior, I need to proclaim that in the context of the assembly of believers, just as the Bible teaches. I want you to come and celebrate with me to see that what you started many years ago has now grown to maturity."

So if you were baptized before you found the Lord, you really were "dedicated to the Lord," not baptized in the biblical sense. You need to do what the Bible says. Once the Gospel has come to you and you found Jesus Christ as Savior, you need to be baptized "in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
Image may contain: 7 people, people smiling

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Why is Adam blamed for the fall of humanity? However, based on the context and other details in the passage, most Bible scholars believe Adam was likely present during Eve’s encounter with the serpent. Here are some key points to consider: Genesis 3 opens with the serpent approaching Eve, but does not indicate Adam was absent. This may prove helpful in understanding the presence or absence of Adam while the serpent and Eve were having a conversation. 1 Timothy 2:14 (NIV) And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. If this verse is true, it sounds more like Adam was absent when the deception by serpent was going on or was not listening to their conversation. If Adam heard their conversation, he might have interrupted. So the question is, was Adam present when the serpent was talking with Eve or not? The Bible notes that Eve was the first to eat the fruit from the tree after being deceived by the serpent. Where was Adam during that time...
Read more
Image
  How long did Moses stretch out his rod over the red sea? “How long did Moses and the millions of Israelites stand at the Red Sea with his rod stretched out until the waters backed up and they walked across on dry land? Was it hours, days, or how long was it? Was it instantly? Are there any Scriptures to back up your answer please? Thank you It took some studying but I believe I have some Scriptural insight. I can tell you that it was certainly not days. The Bible does indicate a rough estimation of how many hours. Let me show you how we can use verses to approximate the time. "But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." - Exodus 14:16 This particular verse is found in the context of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, specifically during their escape from the pursuing Egyptian army at the Red Sea. The Israelites had been delivered from slavery in Egypt b...
Read more

What is the one-world religion described in Revelation?

Image
What is the one-world religion described in Revelation? What will be the one-world religion of the end times?. Revelation 17 speaks of a "great prostitute" (or "great harlot") that is generally understood as a metaphor for a false religion that will exist during the tribulation period. Many have debated the identity of this religion, with some arguing the Roman Catholic Church, Islam, or another  large religious movement will be the end-times, one-world religion. However, it is more likely that the false religion of the last days will consist of an inclusive religion that allows for a pluralistic view of God. This would include even liberal monotheistic groups that see "all religions as one" and are willing to worship the Antichrist in the last days. Whatever this religion is, it will certainly exclude any faith that is exclusive and refuses to worship the Antichrist or his image. Revelation 17:6 states, "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of ...
Read more