by Rev. Joda Collins
I was water baptized when I was nine years of age. During my teen years and through age 20, I sowed some wild oats; I did a lot of things I am not proud of doing. When I was 21, I rededicated my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. However, I never considered getting water baptized again. My water baptism at age nine was my testimony to all who saw and know about it that at age nine I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and made a decision to follow him as my Lord. Slowly and in small steps I strayed away from that commitment until I found myself ashamed and embarrassed before my God for my lifestyle. The burden of my conviction was too much for me to bear so I rededicated my life to Christ in August 1970. I have maintained my heart of commitment to my Lord since then; not a sinless life but a life of godly sincerity. I am trying.
I would never submit to a second baptism because I was not lying at my first baptism. I did accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I did make the commitment to follow him to the best of my ability. He did take me into the family of God. God did give me the Holy Spirit. I did everything right. I was not insincere, confused or lying.
In 20XX, I was a member of a Southern Baptist Church where the pastor began to use water baptism as a sign of re-dedication to Christ (and still is), which is not biblical, rather than a sign of initial salvation and a first commitment to Christ in the new life, which is biblical. All of a sudden it was, "Come one, come all and get re-baptized and restart your commitment to Christ." Baptized church members started coming from everywhere to jump in to the baptistery again in the hopes of jump-staring their spiritual lives. In doing so they declared before God, the angelic hosts and their assembled church that they lied during their initial baptism, or were confused about their baptism and declared it null and void by doing it again in the hopes of getting it right. Unless their initial baptism was a lie or an act of confusion, their re-baptism is a spit in the face of God because it is not biblical.
Just because some misguided, confused or baptism-number seeking pastor tells you to enter the baptism waters again, or again and again, as acts of re-dedication to God, do not do it. If your heart is broken because you have walked away from God, tell God of your sorrow, confess your sins and sinfulness to him and ask for his forgiveness. Stay on your knees until you get it and get off your knees with a renewed heart for your Lord. A thousand baptisms won't do as much as this for your spiritual revival. Do not cheapen your initial salvation experience and initial commitment to God by declaring you were lying or confused and your initial baptism was worthless and useless. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the baptismal line again and again declaring that each previous baptism was just a joke or "did not take!" You are not a joke. Your initial heartfelt commitment to Jesus was not a joke. Jesus is not a joke. Baptism is not a joke. Do water baptism right one time. Do it according to the Bible one time. One time only! Kiss the face of Jesus. Do not slap or spit in it. If your re-baptism or re-baptisms are already history, ask God to forgive you and do not do it again.
Rev. Joda Collins
My opinions may or may not express the opinion of others.
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