Water Baptism Q & A – Born-Again-Christian.Org

Christian Baptism in Water

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Holy Bible Mtt. 28:19 KJV

Why do Christians get baptised?
Because Christ commands all believers to be baptised. If He’s your Lord, you do as you’re told, because you love Him. Mtt. 28:19, Jn. 14:15
What does water baptism mean?
That the believer has repented and believed in Christ as Lord and Saviour, and has been born again. It is a public representation of the spiritual death, burial and resurrection of the new believer identifying them with the actual death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It symbolizes outwardly the born again baptism of the believer, which must have already occurred inwardly and spiritually. Ro. 6:2-4, Acts 10:47, Eph. 2:1-10
Who should be baptised?
Every person who has been genuinely born again. Ac. 8:36-38, Mtt. 28:19
Is ‘christening’ the same as baptism?
No, ‘christening’ is not in the Holy Bible, it’s a man-made religious tradition inspired by Satan.
Can infants be baptised?
No, an infant is too young to understand repentance and faith in Christ, they are too young to be born again, so they cannot be baptised.
Is christening babies biblical?
No, it is not even alluded to in the Holy Bible. To justify it, false-teachers have to add to God’s word their own corrupted concepts, and in so doing they are proved liars. Pr. 30:6
Does water-baptism save a person?
No, water-baptism is only for those who are already saved, who have experienced the born again baptism by God into Christ through genuine faith in Christ’s Sacrifice. Jn. Ch.3, Titus 3:5-7 Eph. 2:8-9, Ro. 6:3-11
Is water-baptism necessary or essential for salvation?
No, it adds nothing to your salvation, Christ did enough in His finished work at Calvary to save you forever, but it is essential for obedience. If He is your Lord, obey Him, if you don’t obey Him on such a basic as water-baptism, He isn’t your Lord.
What is baptismal regeneration?
Most cults (RC, JW, LDS, SDA, ICC, etc.) teach the false-doctrine that a person becomes a Christian at the time of water-baptism, calling it baptismal regeneration. It’s another lie from Satan.
How many baptisms are there?
There’s one baptism into Christ, the Ephesians 4:5 born again baptism, which is performed by God the instant a sinner genuinely repents and receives Christ as Lord and Saviour. The New Testament mentions at least seven baptisms, here’s more about the 7 Baptisms.
Does it matter how a person is baptised?
Where God has specifically stated how it should be done, it matters. Aaron’s sons tried to cut-corners by compromising God’s commands, and were instantly burned to death by the fire of the Lord for doing so (Lev. 10:1-2). New Testament believers are under grace, not Law, but that does not mean we are allowed to ignore God’s ordinances.
Do you have to be water-baptised to go to Heaven?
No. There’s one believer in the New Testament who wasn’t baptised in water who made it to Heaven, but he had a very good reason; he was nailed on a cross next to Jesus Christ when he repented and believed. What’s your excuse?
I know a woman who was crippled with an ‘incurable’ disease, and wheelchair-bound; nonetheless, after being born again she insisted on being baptised properly. Special arrangements were made, and she was baptised the Bible way. After her water-baptism her faith in Christ grew rapidly, and soon she was perfectly healed by a miracle, and could run as fast as me. The LORD Jesus Christ said get baptised.
What is baptism in the Holy Spirit? Is water-baptism the same as being baptised in the Holy Spirit?
No, they are very different. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s enduement of power to a receptive believer, subsequent to salvation, to enable them to be an effective witness of Christ. Water-baptism is the public representation of the believer’s born again baptism into Christ.
What does it mean to be baptised into Christ?
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. 3:27 KJV
Not to be confused with being baptised in water in the name of, or into the name of Christ. It means to be born again by genuine heart-faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The repentant sinner is baptised by God into Christ, and is spiritually re-born, a child of God. It’s the greatest experience this side of the Glory. Ye must be born again. Are you? Jn. 3:3-8, 1 Co. 12:13, Ro. 6:2-4, Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:5
What does it mean to be baptised in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Holy Bible Mtt. 28:19 KJV. The phrase used here, “in the name of” is rich in significance, but the main meaning is that the water-baptism is done at God’s command, obedient disciples baptising born again believers, who are declaring their discipleship, and submission to, the authority of Almighty God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A public representation of what God (The Trinity) has already actually done to the believer when the person repented and received Christ as Lord and Saviour.
“Why the baptismal formula of Father, Son and Holy Spirit?”
It’s a reflection of the Trinity, and reminder, of the fact that all three Persons are God, and God is One, and each has a vital part to play in salvation, and the believer’s new life.
How should I be baptised properly?
Exactly as specified in God’s word, the Holy Bible, with nothing added or taken away.
Is sprinkling OK?
No. Sprinkling, splashing, dipping, and washing are not baptism. If that is how you were ‘baptised’, you have not yet been baptised. Baptism means full-immersion symbolizing the burial of the dead. If a corpse was ‘sprinkled’ with soil instead of buried in the soil, there would soon be a terrible smell in the graveyard. Much like the stench of rank apostasy in many denominations today who cut-corners on water-baptism. He said get baptised: Obey Him.
Who can baptise?
Any born again believer can baptise a new believer. Ananias baptised Saul, and every believer is commanded by Christ to make disciples and baptise them. Mtt. 28:19-20
‘We don’t do baptism in our church’
Then get out of it quick, and find a Bible-believing, Christ-honouring, Spirit-filled fellowship.
When should I be baptised?
As soon as you are genuinely born again. Why wait? Some Pastors like to go through a pre-baptismal course to ensure candidates know what they are doing, but believers in the New Testament were dunked the day they were born again. (The Jailer was, the Eunuch was, the 3,000 Jews on the day of Pentecost were, and so on.) I was water-baptised the day after I was saved, but you don’t have to wait as long as that. Ac. 8:26-40
‘Where should I be baptised?’
Anywhere in public with enough water to immerse your whole body. A river, lake, pond, swimming-pool, the sea-side, even a baptismal pool in a Baptist Fellowship will do. In China at winter-time, they smash the ice of frozen rivers to baptise new believers. With zealous obedience like that, is it any wonder that cripples come up healed leaping like young lambs? Praise God. Wonderful Jesus!
‘Do you have to use special Holy water?’
No. ‘Holy water’ is another religious invention. Any water will do, standing or flowing, clean or dirty, salt or fresh, warm or cold.
‘How many times should I be baptised?’
Once is enough if you have been genuinely born again.
‘Do backsliders need to baptised again after repenting?’
Not if they were really born again before they backslid, but often ‘backsliders’ are actually unsaved church-goers. The surest course is to make a proper-job of it, and get the full-deal so they don’t get in a mess again. Get saved, water-baptised, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
‘Can I still be a Christian if I don’t want to be baptised?’
If you don’t want to be baptised, you are unsaved, and fooling yourself. Get saved, and then you will want to obey Christ.
‘Does ‘born of water’ in Jn. 3:5 refer to water baptism?’ What does born of water mean?
Definitely not! That’s a false teaching of many cults. The next verse tells you what it means, flesh gives birth to flesh. To be born of water is to be born of woman. The baby is created in ‘water’ in the amniotic sac in the womb. The waters must burst to be born the first time. To be born again you must be born of God’s Spirit. Simple isn’t it? But oh how the cults distort it to deceive the unwary. You’ll find more on being born of water here.
‘What does he came by water mean?’ ‘Does ‘he came by water’ in 1. Jn. 5 refer to water baptism?’
No, it has nothing to do with water baptism. Find out What it Means here.

Questions cults ask about baptism

Many cults (RC, ICC, SDA, etc) teach that water baptism is essential for salvation asking:

What about Peter’s words in Acts 2:38 KJV?

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Peter was not saying that water baptism is essential for salvation, he knew perfectly well that it is repentance from unbelief in Christ that results in remission of sins. He could have added any expression of obedience after the exhortation to repent, and it would still be a valid statement without it being a requirement of salvation. Notice he never mentioned baptism in the same context soon after.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…

Ac. 3:19 KJV

To imply baptism is required for salvation would contradict the entire New Covenant teaching of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Christ apart from any works.

What about Jesus in Mark 16:16 KJV?

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Similarly, here Christ is making a declaration that ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved’, not setting baptism as a requirement of salvation. Otherwise He would have to conclude it with, ‘but he that believeth not, and is not baptised, shall be damned. Sinners are condemned to Hell because of unbelief in Christ, not because of lack of water baptism.

What about Paul in Ac. 22:16 KJV washing away his sins?

…arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

The literal translation is: Having arisen, be baptized; and wash away your sins, having called on the name of the Lord.

Paul was saved three days before when he saw the Lord, and began calling on Him. His sins were washed away by his faith in Christ, his subsequent baptism was merely symbolic of the event. Paul must have been saved before his water baptism because we are told that he was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was baptised. (Ac. 9:17-18) That is also why Ananais called him “Brother Saul” in Acts 22:13, before his water baptism.

Peter said in 1 Pe. 3:20-21 that baptism saves us:

Peter was describing the born again baptism into Christ, not water baptism that is a ‘like figure’ (or symbolises this.) The KJV translation is clearest:

God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us…

Noah and his family were not saved by the Floodwaters, it was God sealing them in the ark, which represents Christ, that saved them. The born again baptism seals a believer in Christ Jesus. Water baptism is a figure of the real thing.