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I was already baptized as a Catholic, why do I have to be baptized again?
The only baptism the church practiced in the Bible is believer’s baptism. That is, a person believes in Jesus as their Savior, and then they are baptized. Notice the pattern:
“But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12).
Why were only believers baptized? Because baptism is a picture of what happens to a person spiritually the instant they trust Christ as their Savior. At that moment, God says the “old you” died with Christ—just as if you had been with Jesus on the Cross! And God raised you from the dead to walk in a new life with the same power He used to raise Jesus from the dead:
“Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom. 6:3-4).
So, when you go down into that water you’re telling everyone you believe Christ’s died for your sins and the “old you” died with Him. And when you come up out of that water, you’re telling everyone you believe Christ rose from the dead and that you have been raised up with Him.
But, just like a wedding ring is a sign of my marriage, water baptism is a sign of what God did. It doesn’t make sense to wear a wedding ring before you are married, nor does it make sense to get baptized before you personally believe in Christ on your own and share in His death and resurrection.
But when some churches baptize an infant it is the parents who have faith, not the baby. Infant baptism was unknown to the church for the first 300 years after Christ, and it is not in the Bible. In fact, the National Catholic Almanac says,
"The Bible is silent or at least is not clear on a number of matters such as baptism of infants and the exact number of the sacraments, concerning which the Church follows tradition." [National Catholic Almanac, 1943, p. 128].
If you were baptized as a baby or before you trusted Christ as your savior you need to be baptized if you are now a believer. While only faith in Christ saves you, you want to obey Jesus’ command and celebrate with us what Christ has done for you!
Jesus commanded it. That’s reason enough right there, isn’t it? Jesus said,
“go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).
Baptism is that first step of obedience as a disciple of Christ. |
