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SHARE youth # Are we Waiting Too Long to Baptise People?

TThere is a questionable notion which seems to go unanswered within the church as to whether or not believers should get baptised and the right timing to do so. The online Collins dictionary explains baptism as when “water is put on a person’s heads or they are covered with water as a sign that their sins have been forgiven and that they have become a member of the Christian Church.” This symbolizes christening, cleansing, immersing and purifying. From a Christian perspective when we baptise it is a physical action to show that we have repented of our sins and submitted to Jesus as our Lord and saviour, have received spiritual rebirth for the remissions of our sins as explained in 1 Peter 3:21, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”and that through Him we have reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18) and have now become joint-heirs with Christ through our faith being made righteous (1 Peter 1:3- 5; Romans 4:13). Baptism is indeed necessary and is a charge given by God, as seen in the book of Matthew 28:19 the

great commission is written, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” When an individual has come to know and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of his life, the transformation takes place within his heart (mind) first (Acts 2:37-38), it is a conscious decision made between man and his Creator. Though baptism is necessary the timing does not affect one’s decision in his faith, baptism rather signifies the putting away of the old man or the seal of approval or acceptance into the family of God. The Bible gives no set timing as to when to baptise an individual, however, some believe the wait is too long to baptise those who have accepted Christ. Some often consider the case of the Ethiopian eunuch and Phillip the evangelist in Acts 8:26-39 & Acts 2 to be a guide for the timing of baptism. However, this is not always practical. The scenario of Philip being sent by an angel of the Lord and coming into contact with the Ethiopian eunuch who was already engaged in the word of God is extraordinary. The Spirit told Philip to go near to the eunuch providing him with the opportunity to explain the word of God and share about Jesus. Upon the eunuch’s confession that he

believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God, he requested to be baptised and Philip did baptise him after which Philip was caught away by the Spirit. This setting within the passage of scripture speaks to divine timing, in other words, it was ordained by God Himself. Clearly, Phillip would not have seen thew eunuch again.

The Bible reminds us in Ephesians 1:4-12 that, “God hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, He has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, and in Him we also having obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. God our Creator sets our divine timing throughout our lives, no man outside of his authority can intervene except for the rights He has given us to choose.”

Luke 3:23 tells us, Jesus got baptised at about thirty years of age after which He began ministry (Matthew 4:17), all due to divine timing. In Acts chapter 2:21 it says those who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and verses 37-38 states that unbelievers were first pricked (convicted) in the heart, which leads to repentance, then baptism for the remissions of sins, receiving the Holy Ghost as promised. Yes, there is a process to being baptised and receiving salvation, nevertheless as to whether or not we believe the wait is too long to baptize people, is not based upon our thoughts and reasoning but rather upon the believer’s decision or choice to receive Jesus Christ and God’s divine timing. p

By Cypriana R. Parkinson, Construction Engineer (B. Eng., MJIE), Youth Vice-President. “Graced by Yahweh”