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I know through your teachings that the baptism of Jesus is indispensable
to our salvation. Then, how about the water baptism of the believers?
Is it also a must to every saint? And furthermore, I have no idea whether
there is any born-again minister, in my neighborhood, who can baptize
me.
Good question!
As you have read on our web site, the water baptism of believers is merely
a physical confession of believers in the gospel of the water and the
Spirit. With this baptismal ceremony, in other words, the born-again can
profess their faith in the perfect salvation, which Jesus Christ has completed
through His baptism and crucifixion.
We all can be born again when we confess our sinfulness, acknowledge our
fate destined to hell, and have faith in the gospel of the water and the
Spirit. That's it.
Then, what a water baptism of a believer for? Is it useless any more?
Of course, it cannot be an indispensable condition of our salvation, but
we should remember that it is a recommendation of our Lord Jesus (Matthew
28:19).
So, you'd better receive baptism as long as you can. But, as you told
me, you need to meet someone who has been born again of water and the
Spirit. If there is a born again saint among your acquaintances, you can
ask him to baptize you. You have to profess your faith in Jesus' baptism
and His death on the Cross prior to the ceremony. And then the person
has to declare below sentence while laying his hands on your head:
"By the name of God the Father, of Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, I baptize you, brother Colin." Biblical baptism is to be done
by full immersion.
The baptism of the believers is trust worthy just as we find a husband
and wife a legal couple through a wedding ceremony. As such, the baptismal
ceremony of the saints is an outward proclamation of such inward belief.
When we proclaim our belief in His baptism and the Cross in front of God,
saints, and the world through our water baptism, our belief becomes more
immutable.
However, you should not forget the fact that Abraham received the sign
of circumcision long after he was approved to be righteous by his faith
while he was still uncircumcised (Romans 4:11). In other words, God gave
him the circumcision as the mark of salvation, which he had already attained
through his faith in His Word.
Likewise, the water baptism is an outward ceremony of the born-again who
have receive the remission of their sins through their faith in His baptism
and crucifixion.
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