Introduction
- First of all, if you have been baptized, and then committed some sin, that by itself does not mean you need to be baptized again.
Back when you were baptized …
… did you understand that you were personally guilty of sin?
- Acts 2:38
- I Peter 3:21
- Acts 9:5-6, 9; 22:16; 2:23, 36-38
- People in the Bible felt relief and joy after baptism
… did you know the good news?
… were you truly convinced?
- Mark 16:15-16 – Belief is a prerequisite of baptism.
- Acts 2, 8; 17:2-4, 11-12; 18:8
- Hebrews 11:6
- Romans 10:8-10 – The true believer is able to confess Jesus as Lord.
- John 12:42-43
… did you start a new life?
The Bible itself does NOT give any of these reasons to be baptized:
- To make my family or friends happy.
- Because it seems like a grown-up thing to do.
- I want to start taking the Lord’s Supper.
- Someone told me, “It’s about time,” even though I wasn’t ready.
- Someone else got baptized and I didn’t want to feel left out.
- To join a denomination.
- To accomplish something other than obeying God’s plan to put on Christ and receive forgiveness of sins.