Baptism
Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Here are presented two requirements for those who accept the gospel truth—faith in Jesus, and baptism. The first is the inward acceptance of the salvation so lovingly provided by the death of the world’s Savior; the second is the outward token of an inward change of life.
“We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:4–6).
Baptism points to two directions, back to believer’s death to sin and forward to his new life in Christ. As the death of Christ had the resurrection in view (Romans 4:25), so also the conversion does not end with the believer’s death to sin. Rather, this death to sin looks forward to a new and victorious life over sin. Thus, justification anticipates the believer’s full sanctification.
Rebaptism
Rebaptism should be conducted in the following cases:
1-When a person receives more light.
When Paul was preaching in Ephesus, he found 12 men who had been baptized by John the Baptist, but who had never heard of the Holy Spirit. So, upon receiving this new light, they were re-baptized.
“They said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:2-5).
2-If a person backslides, then comes back to the Lord.
When a person abandons his Christian experience, then repents and comes back to the Lord, he should be rebaptized to start a new life with the Lord. “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38 also Acts 19:4).
3-If a person was baptized in a non-biblical method.
Baptism by immersion is the only biblical method of baptism (Mark 1:9,10; John 3:23; Acts 8:38, 39). This kind of baptism is the only one that adequately illustrates what this rite symbolizes—believers dying, being buried with Christ, and being raised to newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). If the method of baptism was sprinkling or pouring, then it does not match the definition of baptism for the word baptize means “to submerge in water.”
4-If a person was baptized as an infant.
A person needs to do the following before baptism:
- Learn God’s requirements (Matthew 28:19, 20).
- Believe the truth of God’s Word (Mark 16:16).
- Repent and turn away from your sins and experience conversion (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19).
An infant can’t mentally learn of God’s plan of salvation, believe in the Lord as a personal Savior nor repent of his sins. Therefore, rebaptism is necessary for a person, who has been baptized as an infant.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
