In this episode, Pastor J.D. is answering a listener question from Ashley: If you were baptized as a baby, should you be re-baptized as an adult?
Show Notes:
- I want to answer this question in three ways: theologically, practically, and also try to expand the question for those who aren’t sure they were saved when they were baptized.
- Biblically speaking, baptism is a ceremony — a celebration — that goes along with conversion. In the New Testament, baptism and conversion are tied incredibly close together.
- Baptism is a confession of faith. So, if you were baptized as a baby, whose faith was that a confession of? It has to be your parents’ — which by the way, is nothing to be ashamed of. At our church, I usually tell people that when you’re re-baptized as an adult, you’re actually fulfilling your parents’ hopes for you when they had you baptized as a baby in the first place.
- The simple fact is, every baptism we see in the New Testament is in response to a confession of faith.
- Now, what about if you were baptized already and you’re not sure if you were saved at that time?
- If you know for certain that you weren’t saved at that time, then yes, you should be re-baptized.
- But, unless you know for sure, I think it’s better to look at it like that was the beginning of your faith journey (which is when your baptism should happen), and the proof that what was going on inside of you was real is the fact that you’re following Jesus now.
- Baptism isn’t something you achieve, it’s something you start from.
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