In this three part series, we intend to cover commonly asked questions on water baptism. If you have any question that you want us to address, please email it to [email protected]
(By Derrick & Kim)
1. What is water baptism?
The word ‘baptism’ is derived from the Greek word “baptizo”, which means to immerse. Water baptism is a symbolic act that a believer participates in proclaiming to heaven, earth and hell that he belongs to Jesus. Just as a wedding ring is a sign that a person is married, water baptism is a sign that a person has decided to follow Jesus. When you are immersed in water, it implies your old sinful past has been buried with Christ’s death, and when you come out of water it implies you stand as a new creation in the resurrected Christ. Also, water baptism doesn’t make you a believer, rather you take water baptism when you become a believer.
2. I believe in Jesus Christ as my only Lord and Saviour. How long should I wait to get water baptised?
You don’t have to wait any longer. In the biblical New Testament church, people were baptised as soon as they believed (Acts 2:41, 8:38, 16:37). The Scripture is almost consistent in using the two words ‘Repent’ and ‘be baptised’ together. If you have accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life, your response should be like that of the eunuch in Acts 8: 36 who says, “What’s stopping me from getting baptised?”
Water Baptism. Pic Courtesy: HillSong
3. Is water baptism necessary for my salvation?
No it is not. Romans 10:9 says: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
It is the precious blood that Jesus shed on the cross, not water, which cleanses us from sin. Having said that, water baptism is important because it is the commission of Jesus. In Matt 28:19, Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Remember obedience to God’s Word always carries His blessings.
4. Although I am a believer, my family isn’t and I don’t want to hurt their feelings. Should I postpone water baptism?
Derrick says: I can never forget the day Jesus came into my life, I was transformed in an instant. I was born again and soon got baptised in water and the Holy Spirit. Nobody forced me or even asked me, I read it in the Bible and was led by the Holy Spirit to obey. The reason I’m saying this is because, if you truly have had an encounter with the LIVING GOD, trust me you won’t need anyone to tell you or convince you to do anything that His Word says. You will place a million more times priority on what God has to say rather than how anyone on planet earth may think or feel about your actions!
I like what the early church had to say when they were threatened by the world to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:19 says – Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God”. Jesus makes it even easier in Matthew 10:37. He says “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
So the guideline is simple – if you have met HIM, you will know what to do. If you still don’t know what to do there is a good chance you have not met HIM.
Make sure you don’t miss our next post on this topic covering an additional set of questions. Also do leave your thoughts below.