Baptism

[Girl With The Windex Eyes]

Do you need to physically be baptized to be accepted in the kingdom of Heaven? I know I'm saved, atleast I feel I am, but I never had a water baptism. I was at this youth gathering and they asked people who wanted to be saved and accept Jesus into your heart to go up to the front of the room. They then put their hands on our heads and prayed with us. Is that also considered as a baptism?  

[Aquatic_blue]

Your question is indeed a good one =] and there are a lot of different view points. I figured instead of re-explaining, I could give you a link to one of my friendly debate threads because quite a few people in the guild contributed to share their views on the matter and hopefully you'll find it of some good use. 3nodding

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=22728509  

[Shadows-shine]

I feel it is necessary. Jesus himself had to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. And He was sinless. What more of a reason do we, as sinners, need? Also Jesus did command us to be baptized in His name.  

[Girl With The Windex Eyes]

Aquatic_blue

Your question is indeed a good one =] and there are a lot of different view points. I figured instead of re-explaining, I could give you a link to one of my friendly debate threads because quite a few people in the guild contributed to share their views on the matter and hopefully you'll find it of some good use. 3nodding

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=22728509

Thanks that helps. I can see it being a symbol, but not that is what actually saves you. Belief in God and turning away from sin is what saves you. It helps to know what other people think. If I ever had the chance though I would. Been meaning to get back into church, but it is hard to find the right one.  

[Aquatic_blue]

Girl With The Windex Eyes

Aquatic_blue

Your question is indeed a good one =] and there are a lot of different view points. I figured instead of re-explaining, I could give you a link to one of my friendly debate threads because quite a few people in the guild contributed to share their views on the matter and hopefully you'll find it of some good use. 3nodding

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=22728509

Thanks that helps. I can see it being a symbol, but not that is what actually saves you. Belief in God and turning away from sin is what saves you. It helps to know what other people think. If I ever had the chance though I would. Been meaning to get back into church, but it is hard to find the right one.

Believing in God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit is indeed what saves you =] I believe that baptism should be something we do to confess our believes as a symbol of our believing in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as our Savior. Baptism has a wonderful feeling to it as well that I won't forget and I felt so joyful and peaceful in my mind when I hadn't felt like that in years. I believe God delights in baptism as well. =]

Sometimes it's hard to find the right one. If you can't find the right one, you could study your Bible or if you have any friends or family you know that is willing to have a home Bible study with you once or more a week then that would help a lot. Hope you find a new church soon that is on fire for Christ =]  

[Ratsah]

I too haven't been symbolically baptized in water. Could one be baptized in the Spirit as Jesus was? I understood that the apostles poured oil over their feet ever so often in a symbolic gesture to clean their feet off to rekindle the spirit from the wears and tears of the system. Anyways, I still want to get baptized, just can't seem to find the right place to settle into. ><  

[Rednal]

I just let my church know one day that I wanted to be baptized, once I'd made the decision for myself. One of the worst things you can do, in my mind, is be baptized because you feel pressured into it. I tend to think of it as more of a... personal way to express your devotion, and I think it should come from within. That's why I didn't tell anyone about my intentions until I'd made up my mind.

Seriously, if you wanna do it, just tell your church. Heck, they'll probably do it for you even if you don't attend (depending on the church, of course). I used a tub built into part of the main room, but people have also gotten baptized in rivers while on retreats, et cetera. I think the meaning is more important than the actions.


I don't think baptism is necessary for salvation/forgiveness... but it's something believers are called upon to do. So ask yourself... do you believe strongly enough to declare your commitment?  

[Girl With The Windex Eyes]

Rednal

I just let my church know one day that I wanted to be baptized, once I'd made the decision for myself. One of the worst things you can do, in my mind, is be baptized because you feel pressured into it. I tend to think of it as more of a... personal way to express your devotion, and I think it should come from within. That's why I didn't tell anyone about my intentions until I'd made up my mind.

Seriously, if you wanna do it, just tell your church. Heck, they'll probably do it for you even if you don't attend (depending on the church, of course). I used a tub built into part of the main room, but people have also gotten baptized in rivers while on retreats, et cetera. I think the meaning is more important than the actions.


I don't think baptism is necessary for salvation/forgiveness... but it's something believers are called upon to do. So ask yourself... do you believe strongly enough to declare your commitment?

Even though I know I'm already saved I still want to do it. When I was a teenager I had the chance, but at that time I didn't feel like I had to because I was saved. I mean I guess I don't have to, but I have this feeling of wanting to. Maybe I can find a church I like and have it done there.  

[kdke]

I have to agree with Shadow-shine in saying that it's a necessary part of salvation. Jesus was baptized, and when asked why, He said that WE must fulfill all righteousness.

If baptism is fulfilling righteousness in the eyes of God, and it brings the Holy Spirit onto us as it did onto Jesus in His humanity, then why is that not a good enough reason for us, as Christians, to follow that same path?

As well.let's consider what happened in Acts. The apostles brought three thousand people into the church, and how? Through baptism. All three thousand were baptized and were given the Holy Spirit. The ways of the church back then should be just as relevant to us today, I think.

If you believe, you confess your faith, and you will be baptized by water and by spirit. The apostles baptized people, and our Savior was baptized understanding this same concept (and He is God). Even Peter talks about baptism in one of his letters:

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit;
in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison,
who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. 1 Peter 3:18-22