Do I need to be baptized again after falling away?

What can I do to be saved? Place to discuss sin and its remedy.

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Do I need to be baptized again after falling away?

Post by email » Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:55 am

In refrence to: http://www.insearchoftruth.org/articles ... saved.html

I believe in GOD AND JESUS and I believe in the bible ..

I am trying to live a good life , pray every day , ask for forgiveness for my past sins and ask to be saved and be taken into heaven when I die.

my question is ::: I was baptized when I was very young , about 11 years old . I was very active in the church . I joined the navy when I was 18 and my church life went away .... now that I am 78 years old I am trying to be forgiven and saved ... should I be baptized again or is my childhood baptism enough to be saved ?
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m273p15c
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were you baptized for the correct reason?

Post by m273p15c » Sat Mar 02, 2013 11:30 am

If you were baptized "for the remission of sins ... in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 2:37-38), then you have obeyed the Lord's command (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16).

Now, if you were baptized for any other reason instead, for example, to please family, to join some denomination, to alleviate peer pressure, or for any other misunderstood or insincere motive, then you should be baptized again - but for the correct reason this time. This is according to the pattern in the NT. Even those who were baptized according to John's baptism, had to be baptized again:
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:1-5)
If New Testament people were baptized again, who were baptized for every good reason and right way - except it was according to John's command, looking forward to Jesus, instead of according to Jesus' command - then surely if we are baptized for lesser motives or incorrectly, we would need to be baptized again to have a good conscience.

If you are unsure for any reason, then I would encourage you to become sure ("for whatever is not from faith is sin", Romans 14:23), and I know of only one way to do that.

Also, I would encourage you to look for a local congregation to join and work with them, per the Lord's provided example and command (Acts 9:19, 26-27; Hebrews 10:24-25). If you need any help looking for a congregation, please let me know.

May God help us to have a sincere love of truth,

m273p15c
May God help us to love truth sincerely and supremely (II Thessalonians 2:11-12)

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