What is your view on baptism?
This question came in from the website a few weeks ago. If any of you have a question you want us to address you can always e-mail me directly at jamie@virtuousreality.com.
"What is your view on baptism?
I have been baptized as a baby, but I feel like that wasn't me making the decision. My parents are strict Methodists and they think that if I get baptized again then it would be disrespectful or.....just not good and against their beliefs. I've tried to get them to listen and realize that I'm serious about this and that it isnt just some teenage rebillion or whim and that i've thought about this for a long time, but that gets them even more upset. Then there is the other half of my family that is baptist and they act like i might go to hell if i'm not baptized or that i havent done something right, that doesnt seem right to me either. I talked to my youth minister about it and she told me a little bit about what her church believes. However, my parents disagree with a lot of things my youth minister says purely because she is non-denominational, and i rarely get to go to youth group and see her.My youth minister said i might have to wait until i leave my parents house to do this, but i want some information about it too so i can know that im making this decision becuase of what i believe...not my parents denomination. I don't want to cause a family uproar if i do decide to get baptized, but i need to do whats right for ME for a change...and right now that means getting as unbiased information as i can. So please please PLZ could you give some bible verses or advice or something to help me. Thank you"
This is a very touchy topic with a lot of people and some churches are even willing to die on this hill so you're not alone in your battle but you're definitely in a tough spot. I want to congratulate you on where you are right now, on working this out and coming to a place of obedience and owning your faith instead of relying on what others tell you. The hard part will be following Jesus as He leads you when your parents disagree with where He's taking you. You need to honor your parents but live to please God and not people.
Here's what I believe about baptism from my own study of it. Biblically, there's no support for infant baptisms. I think people want to believe that they can do something to save their kids when they're little so they have them baptized and believe that it will somehow cover them for life. You can't force a baptism on someone else because it's the heart behind the act that gives it meaning, and for the baby who's baptized it's just another bath or rain shower (depending on how it's done). Biblically, baptism is a public statement that you're leaving your old sinful life behind and starting fresh and clean because of what Jesus did for you. It signifies dying to who you used to be and becoming a new person by the Spirit of God and it's not a decision someone else can make for you no matter what age you are. In the church today there are an awful lot of rules made by man that have twisted themselves around the truth, but in reality they aren't that important to God. This is why we have so many different denominations of what is supposed to be one unified church, and I think that's what you're battling with your parents. They have learned that your baptism as a baby was something special and that you'll be dishonoring them and/or the church by doing it again on your own. The real problem with that thinking is that we're not supposed to live to please people or our church because they tend to get a lot of things wrong, we're supposed to live to please God Himself. If you can have a respectful conversation with your parents, explaining why you want to be baptized and maybe ask them to show you biblically why they think it's wrong, then go ahead and see if they'll engage you that way. Maybe you'll all learn something new.
I also don't believe that baptism is a deal breaker although some people will tell you it is. What I mean is that you can know Jesus, love Jesus, and be saved without being baptized. This is where the story of the thief on the cross is so enlightening (I can't tell you how thankful I am for that story). Here's a man who has only a few hours left to live and has not lived well up to this point, but in the last moments he sees Jesus for who He really is and puts his faith in Him, and it's enough. Jesus doesn't say "Well if we could get down from here I could baptize you and you would be in, but since we're both stuck up here you're doomed." Instead He says "Today you will be with me in paradise" because it's knowing Jesus that saves us, not what we do because we THINK we know Him. If we're saved by what we do then we're saved by works and not by faith and that goes against everything Jesus taught and makes His death unnecessary.
Having said that, I do think that being baptized is important or it wouldn't be a command and Jesus wouldn't have done it Himself, even though He never sinned and didn't have a life of sin to leave behind. For Him it seems to have marked the point in His life where He went from being Jesus the Carpenter to Jesus the Teacher, the Discipler of Men, and the Ultimate Sacrifice. So if I'm trying to follow Jesus, why not follow Him in this too? Why not say out loud to the world that I'm a new person and my life is forever changed because of what Jesus did for me? In the New Testament it was expected that those who believed would be baptized because it was a sign of their belief, but it wasn't the baptism that saved them, it was the belief. If the Lord is urging you to be baptized then follow His leading, but talk with your parents and be willing to humbly walk through the Bible with them in order to figure this out. God's expectation of us with our parents is that we always be respectful and loving toward them even when we disagree. Keep in mind that even Jesus did things that His parents disagreed with (like disappearing when He was 12 and freaking the whole family out) because His heart was set on God but don't let the devil ruin your relationship with your folks. Remember that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28) - so He can bring something good out of this frustrating situation. Just trust Him and walk where He leads you and never be afraid to shout to the world that you follow a God who saves.
Hope that helps! I'll be praying for you.
