Should I be baptised again ?

[1watchman]

I was baptised as a baby but only recently because a Christian at 20 ?
should I be baptised again?

I would, for baptism is 'taking a stand with the Lord Jesus before the world' as a public testimony of faith honoring God ----babies cannot do that. Being "born again" (John 3:16) is an understanding of mature personal faith in Jesus--the Christ, as needed for salvation and eternal blessing (note John 3; John 14; Romans 8; etc. One can see more on this at the Biblecounsel.net site and ask questions there, I found. Parents cannot save us. Look up!

 

[1an]

In my opinion you're already baptized, no need to do it again

Jesus blessed the little children, there is no record of John the Baptist or the disciples baptising babies, and sprinkling is not baptism.
.

 

[Albion]

Jesus blessed the little children, there is no record of John the Baptist or the disciples baptising babies, and sprinkling is not baptism.
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But Christ himself told his Apostles to go into the world, converting and baptizing all nations.

These are the men who were entrusted with the great commission of presenting the Gospel to the world and leading his church, not John the Baptist.

 

[Ancient of Days]

I was baptised as a baby but only recently because a Christian at 20 ?

should I be baptized again?

1 Peter 3:21
“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Baptism is a pledge of a good conscience towards God. Its also the point where (but not necessarily at the same moment) we "confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is our Lord and king"

A baby cannot make those decisions so the parents make it for them. When we come of age and the Lord prompts our heart let the hearer of his words make that decision based on the words the holy spirit places in their heart. Jesus was around 30 years old when he got baptized. The man hanging on the cross next to Jesus was not baptized yet Jesus told him:
Luke 23:43
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Ask God what he wants you to do, he will tell you.

 

[1an]

What happens to them if they die unbaptized?

In my opinion a baby is innocent until they are old enough to steal, lie, commit adultery and murder etc. and then, when they come of age, they are old enough to decide for themselves. I think the Catholics have a place for babies? But anyway, I do not see babies as breaking the law of God. In my church we dedicate babies to the Lord like Hannah did with Samuel, and we bring them up in the way they should go.

 

[Albion]

Baptism is a pledge of a good conscience towards God.

It does involve a commitment, but it is not just a gesture on our part to go through that ceremony. Baptism marks a person as a member of Christ's church, imparts Grace, and reassures us of the forgiveness of (our) sins. It is, therefore, something God does for us more than something we do for God.

A baby cannot make those decisions so the parents make it for them. When we come of age and the Lord prompts our heart let the hearer of his words make that decision based on the words the holy spirit places in their heart.

It's true that when we baptize a child, that does not guarantee him salvation. It puts him on course, but he must also make a personal commitment sometime later on in life.

 

[Soyeong]

I was baptised as a baby but only recently because a Christian at 20 ?

should I be baptised again?

Jews regularly practiced immersion for repentance, so there is nothing wrong with getting baptized again, especially if you were baptized as an infant. There are no examples of infants being baptized in the Bible, but rather it was done after a confession of faith in repentance of their sins.

 

[1watchman]

But Christ himself told his Apostles to go into the world, converting and baptizing all nations.

These are the twelve Disciples who were entrusted with the great commission of presenting the Gospel to the world and leading his church, not John the Baptist.

Certainly the meaning Jesus was stating is that His Apostles should go forth preaching the true Gospel that the world would come to Him, RECEIVE Him, that many would THEN WANT to take a STAND with the Lord Jesus publically as a testimony in baptism ---the real thought, I see.

 

[Albion]

Jews regularly practiced immersion for repentance, so there is nothing wrong with getting baptized again....

If your first "baptism" were the so-called "Baptism of John," that might be so. You would need to receive Christian baptism later. The Baptism of John is described in Scripture as defunct and as merely a forerunner to Christian baptism.

 

[Albion]

Certainly the meaning Jesus was stating is that His Apostles should go forth preaching the true Gospel that the world would come to Him, RECEIVE Him, that many would THEN WANT to take a STAND with the Lord Jesus publically as a testimony in baptism.

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Sure, but baptism as traditionally practiced among Christians isn't at odds with what you wrote here. If you are attempting to support what Ian wrote, then that would be a different matter.

 

[Soyeong]

If your first "baptism" were the so-called "Baptism of John," that might be so. You would need to receive Christian baptism later. The Baptism of John is described in Scripture as defunct and as merely a forerunner to Christian baptism.

Christians should also receive the baptism of the Spirit, but baptism of repentance is nevertheless still part of Christian baptism.

 

[Dave L]

Christians should also receive the baptism of the Spirit, but baptism of repentance is nevertheless still part of Christian baptism.

All believers have the Holy Spirit. The fulness comes through repentance. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was only for the Apostles and those they laid hands on, outside of the two outpourings.

 

[Navair2]

I was baptised as a baby but only recently because a Christian at 20 ?

should I be baptised again?

Then to me, you should be baptized to identify with your Saviour.
Your first baptism was before you believed on Christ.

 

[Navair2]

What happens to them if they die unbaptized?

What happened to the thief on the cross?
The one that asked the Lord Jesus to remember him?

 

[Navair2]

In my opinion a baby is innocent until they are old enough to steal, lie, commit adultery and murder etc. and then, when they come of age, they are old enough to decide for themselves.

" The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." ( Psalms 58:3 ).
They are old enough to sin as soon as they are born.

 

[Albion]

Christians should also receive the baptism of the Spirit...

Which is a completely different thing, despite the use of the word baptism as an analogy to sacramental baptism.

 

[Isilwen]

What about this?

" The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." ( Psalms 58:3 ).

Shall we always take just one sentence and build a doctrine around it?

"So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself." Matt 27:5

So, should I just go and hang myself because I have sinned?

 

[Navair2]

Shall we always take just one sentence and build a doctrine around it?

Shall we not believe the word of God?

So, should I just go and hang myself because I have sinned?

Should you not cast yourself on the mercy of God instead?

 

[Isilwen]

Shall we not believe the word of God?

Should you not cast yourself on the mercy of God instead?

You have completely missed the point!

 

[Navair2]

You have completely missed the point!

Respectfully, I think you missed God's point.