“When Should I Be Baptized?� A Study Guide for
Adults Thinking About Becoming Christians By Roger L. Leonard Evangelist
Introduction: Quite often individuals express the desire to be baptized. This study guide was originally developed when our two older children expressed this desire. We knew that they could possibly be turned against the church if we refused to honor their request. We did not say “no” to them; but we did talk with them about their desire several times. We had seen young people who never obeyed the Gospel because they were turned down for “being too young.” But not much else was explained. Building from the discussions we had with our children, we also knew that adults could have questions about baptism. So this guide has been altered but left in a simple, understandable format. It is not intended to question anyone’s intelligence, but written on a level for many to be able to comprehend. The New Testament teaches that any and all candidates for baptism, regardless of their age, are first to be “disciples” (learners) of Christ (Matthew 28: 19, ASV, NKJV). There also must be a realization of a clear conviction of sin in the hearts of all those who desire to follow Christ (cf. Acts 2:37; Romans 3:23), a sense of being lost in sin (cf. Romans 6:23), and a clear understanding of the need for a new life of commitment and perseverance in the Lord’s church (Cf. John 3:3, 5; Romans 6:4; Acts 2:47). This study guide certainly cannot answer all the questions that may come up when studying with youth or adults. The Bible alone can do that. However, it is my prayer that this guide, when used with the Word of God, will be helpful in assisting any and all individuals toward making such an important decision for their lives. © Copyright, Roger L. Leonard - 2013 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New King James Version of the Bible. ©Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. Used by permission
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WHEN SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED? “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Acts 2:41 Asking when to be baptized is one of the most important questions you will ever ask! Baptism is also a very important part of becoming a Christian, but it is not the only part. The answers to the question, “When should I be baptized?” are to be found in the Bible. You will need your Bible to look up verses and read them for yourself. So, get it right now so we can begin our study.
Faith Is Where It All Begins! Read Hebrews 11:6. Faith is believing or trusting completely in God. With true faith there are no doubts. Do you believe everything that God says in His word, the Bible? If so, then are well on your way true faith in God. You must fully trust in Him. Read Romans 10:17. Where does faith come from? “By hearing,” right? But what must we hear in order to have true faith? “The Word of God”, which is the Bible. Read John 8:24. When Jesus said, “if you do not believe that I am He,” He meant that we must believe that He is the Son of God. Faith comes from hearing God’s word, and to believe or have faith means to trust God in everything He says. Since Jesus is the Son of God, we also must believe in Him.
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The apostle Peter asked Jesus in John 6:68, “. . . Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter meant that Jesus had the message of how people could be saved and go to heaven, and live forever. Jesus’ words of eternal life are in the New Testament. So, we believe in Jesus when we believe the words of the New Testament.
What Exactly Is “Sin”? Read John 8:24 again. Notice that Jesus also said, “You will die in your sins.” Do you know what He meant by saying that? It will help us to answer the question if we know what sin is. Read I John 3:4. That word “lawlessness” is a big word, isn’t it? Some translations of the Bible (such as the King James Version) use the word “transgresseth.” When John says “sin is lawlessness” or “transgression of the law,” he means that people sin when they do not obey God’s law. They do not obey what God says in the Bible. Read Romans 3:23. When Paul (the apostle who wrote the letter to the Roman Christians) said “all”, he wasn’t talking about babies. He was talking about people who were old enough to understand what sin is. Read Romans 6:23. The word death means “separation.” God told Adam in Genesis 2:16-17 that he would “die” if he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The death God was talking about was both spiritual and physical. In Chapter 3, Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and they immediately died spiritually, and later they died physically. Why? Because 1) God said they would, and 2) they sinned. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus “knew no sin,” which means that He did not sin, ever. Jesus never lied; He never stole, or hurt anyone; He never did or even thought anything wrong. Jesus was perfect. But we do sin.
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To commit sin means to disobey God, right? But, if we believe in Jesus, we want to be like Him because He did not sin. This leads us to the next step in becoming a Christian - repentance.
What Exactly Is “Repentance”? Read Luke 13:3. What it does it mean to repent? It means to change our minds about sin. This is where we decide not to practice sin. It DOES NOT mean that we will never sin again, but it does mean that we will have the desire to quit practicing evil habits. When we repent of our sins, we will also begin to make changes in our lives. We will change the way we treat people, the way we speak, what we read, what movies and programs on television we watch, what we look at on the Internet. We may even need to change some of our friends. Repentance is very important because Jesus said if we do not repent, we will “perish.” That means we will be lost in hell in eternity and not go to heaven when we die.
What does “Confession” Have to Do With This? Read Romans 10:9-10. What are we to believe? What do we confess? Read Matthew 10:32-33. Who are we to confess? Read Matt. 16:18. What did Peter confess? Read Acts 8:37. What did the eunuch confess?
What is “Baptism” all about? Read John 1:29 and 1 Corinthians 15:3. First, we need to understand that without Jesus’ death on the cross, there would be no purpose in faith, repentance, confession, or baptism. He came to take away sin. Jesus was the sacrifice for sin. He is the reason anyone can be saved! But, baptism is a vital part of our salvation.
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Baptism Is a Burial in Water. Read Colossians 2:12 and Romans 6:4. Just like Jesus was buried after His death, we are buried in water in baptism. The word “baptize” means to “immerse” something. Every time you put your hand under water, you cover it completely with water and you baptize it! You immerse or baptize your hand. This is why the Bible says we are “buried with Him in baptism.” The people who were baptized in the New Testament were covered completely in water. Read Acts 8: 38-39. Philip had taught this man from Ethiopia God’s word. He and the eunuch went down into the water together. While in the water, Philip immersed this man in water. He baptized him. But why did he do it? Baptism is “for the Remission of Sins.” Read Acts 2:38. Notice that Peter said these people needed to “repent” and “be baptized.” But why were they baptized? The verse says, “for the remission of sins.” That word remission is another one of those long words. It means to take something away - to remove it. Jesus died to take away our sins. Read 1 John 3:5. He shed His blood on the cross for our sins. Read Matthew 26:28. The people in Acts 2 were baptized to have their sins taken away! Read Acts 22:16. The way that our sins are washed away is when we believe, repent, confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and are baptized. Baptism Is Part of the New Birth for a New Life. Read John 3:5 and Romans 6:4. When we are baptized for the remission of sins, we are born again. We become a new person because our sins have been forgiven and we desire to live a new life. In fact, Paul said: “we . . . should walk in newness of life,” right? (See the graphic on the next page.)
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Now Read Galatians 3:27. In baptism, we “put on Christ.” It shows that Christ is you Lord!
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When We Are Baptized, We Become Members of the Church of Christ. Why? Read Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:47 and Acts 11:26. When you are baptized, you become a “Christian”. You also become a member of the church of Christ; the one church that Jesus said He would build. The Lord adds all the saved people to His church, and to no other. Now, you may be thinking, “I’m ready to be baptized right now!” If you have studied the Bible and really believe you are ready, that’s wonderful. And it is possible that you truly are ready. Sometimes young people wish to be baptized because they have reached a certain age. Did you know that the Bible says nothing about the age when someone should be baptized? So, being a certain age does not necessarily mean it is time to be baptized. At other times, young people want to be baptized because someone else was, such as a friend about the same age. Do you believe that is a good reason for you to do it? While others may be good examples to us, we must be baptized because it is what we need to do. This is a personal decision. Now, you may feel very ready to be baptized. And that is wonderful. But let’s consider some other thoughts.
Some Thoughts About “Worship” Read Hebrews 10:25. God expects Christians to worship Him in the church. Do you go to worship? Do you pay attention during the worship of the church? Read John 4:24. There are five parts to Christian worship: 1) Prayer (Acts 2:42) 2) Singing (Colossians 3:16) 3) Preaching (Acts 20:7) 4) The Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) 5) Giving (1 Corinthians 16:2) You do not have to do these things perfectly, because nobody can. But you must begin to participate in them if you become a Christian,
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If you want to become a Christian, then you must have an interest in participating in worship. What do you think about while men are leading prayers? Do you sing with the church? Do you listen to the preacher? Read Matthew 26:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 10:16. Another important part of worship is the Lord’s Supper. Christians think about Jesus and His crucifixion in the Lord’s Supper. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. Do you earn money or receive an allowance? The Bible does not say how much we should give, but as Christians we are to give some of our money to the Lord. Some Final Questions to Think About Before You are Baptized Read Romans 3:23. We understand that babies and little children cannot sin. But there does come a time when we feel the guilt of sin in our hearts. 1. Do you believe that you have sinned? If the answer to this question is “No,” or if you are not sure, then you are not ready to become a Christian. You have no need for baptism. 2. Do you believe that you would go to heaven if you died now? If the answer to question number two is “NO,” then you need to think seriously about being baptized and discuss this with an adult Christian. Read Mark 16:15-16. The Lord Jesus said here, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved. . .” (Verse 16). What we must believe is the gospel. (verse 15) But just what is the gospel? It is the message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4). Read Isaiah 53:6, where the prophet wrote of Christ’s death. Do you feel that your sins (iniquities) were laid on Christ in His death? Do you believe that He died for your sins, personally? Read Luke 9:23. When we become a Christian, we begin to follow Christ and deny ourselves. That means our life is no longer ours, but Christ’s. (Read Galatians 2:20). Are you ready to do whatever Jesus asks you to do? If so, then you are ready to be baptized and become a Christian, a child of God.
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This is the most important decision you will ever make in your entire life! If you want to know more and you feel the need for a new life, speak with an elder in the church of Christ, your preacher, or Bible class teacher.
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