How does my life change after being Baptized?

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

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How does my life change after being Baptized?

Post by email » Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:14 pm

Hi sir/madam,

i am 18 yrs old and a Christian. I feel in my heart that the time has arrived for me to be baptized, i confronted my church pastor with my heart desire of baptism and he told me that we had to go through a series of bible readings and teachings before i get baptized.

I wanted to know more about baptized and it's importance to mankind, so i start surfing the internet and that is how i appeared on your website and i love the teachings of your website, you guys are doing a great job in teaching the gospel.

This brings me to my question, how will my life change after baptism and what are Gods plans for me after baptism, I hope my question be answered. thank you.
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m273p15c
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Post by m273p15c » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:30 pm

Thanks for visiting our web-site! I am thrilled to learn of your commitment to the Lord and discipleship unto Him. If we can offer some help along your way, we would be honored.

You have asked a very important question. Baptism is an essential part of becoming a Christian. In fact, it is the last step in being converted and becoming a Christian. You can read more about the significance and necessity of baptism for salvation, here:

http://www.insearchoftruth.org/articles/baptism.html

The Bible mentions the following things that we can expect to follow a true baptism:
  • Forgiveness of Sins - New Testament Christians were "baptized for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:37-38). Baptism is the point at which one comes in spiritual contact with the blood of Jesus (Romans 6:1-4).
  • Admittance into the Universal Church - Those who were baptized were added to the universal body of saved by the Lord (Acts 2:38-41, 47; Galatians 3:26-27 )
  • Confidence in Salvation; Rejoicing - After being baptized, Christians were confident and joyful people (Acts 8:35-39)
  • A New Family - When one obeys God and becomes a Christian, he becomes part of God's family (Matthew 12:50). Thousands of brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers are multiplied to him (Matthew 19:26).
  • A New Start - After one is baptized, he is "raised to walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:1-4 ). This allows us to have a fresh start with God. Our past sins are remembered no more (Hebrews 8:12).
  • All Spiritual Blessings - Being baptized into Christ, one now has access to all the wisdom and spiritual blessings that reside within Christ (Ephesians 1:3; 3:14-21).
I mention a true baptism, because there are multiple baptisms mentioned in the Bible, four in fact. Please see this article for more details and a summary chart:

http://www.insearchoftruth.org/articles ... ptism.html

In the above article, you will encounter some Ephesians who had been immersed in water; however, they were baptized for the wrong reason. They had not been baptized by the authority of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. They had only been been baptized according to the preaching of John, a precursor to Jesus. Fortunately, it was an easy problem to solve. They simply had to be baptized again - but according to the command of Jesus, which was for the remission of sins (Acts 19:1-7; 2:38).

Here are a few things that you should not expect to happen after you have been baptized:
  • Miraculous Gifts - Christians in the first century were granted miraculous powers to reveal and confirm God's will (Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:1-4 ). However, these powers were generally conferred through "the laying on of apostle's hands" (Acts 8:14-18). Since all the apostles are dead, and since we now have the completed and confirmed revelation of God in the Bible, the source and cause for miraculous gifts have ceased (I Corinthians 13:8-10; the Bible is "perfect" or complete - "looks into the perfect law of liberty", James 1:25). Therefore, you should not expect to be able to miraculously speak in foreign tongues, raise the dead, heal the sick, etc, because the age of such miracles has long passed.
  • Freed from All Earthly Consequences - Just because we are forgiven from our sins, we may not be freed from all the earthly consequences of sin. For example, if a drug addict becomes a Christian, he will still have to fight the damage done to his body; however, he will be equipped with spiritual tools to make that battle easier and victory possible. Children born out of wed-lock will still exist and will still need to be nurtured, even though the fornication that produced them has been forgiven. Many more examples could be multiplied.
  • Instantaneous Maturity - Each of us come to Christ with lots of baggage, some more than others. It takes time for our thinking to change. Therefore, it takes time to mature as a Christian, and it requires dilligence (Hebrews 5:12-14). Do no be discouraged if you cannot do all that you desire as a new Christian. Give God time to "sanctify you completely" and to "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (I Thessalonians 5:23-24; I Peter 5:10 ). Be patient with yourself as your are transformed and purified (Romans 12:1-2; I John 3:1-3).
  • Invincibility - As implied by the previous point, you will be neither invincible physically nor spiritually. You may still sin, once you become a Christian. However, now you will have the reason and power to stop sinning (II Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-18), plus you can readily obtain forgiveness after conversion (I John 1:9-2:1). Furthermore, bad things may still happen to you. There is no promise that all your sufferings will cease, once you become a Christian. In fact, the entire book of Revelation was written to encourage those who were suffering persecution for being a Christian - to the point of death (Revelation 1:9; 2:10)! The difference is that you will now have the key to harness, justify, accept, and overcome any suffering that befalls you (James 1: 2-4). In fact, this suffering will lead to your glory (I Peter 2:19-23; 3:13-17; 4:12-19; 5:10), whereas it leads to the misery, ruin, and destruction of the non-believer.
Lastly, just in case you did not know about this, I would encourage you to do these things, after you have been baptized:
  • Continue to Study the Bible - God's Word is our lifeline to Him (John 17:17), and it is the basis of our final judgment (John 12:48). It is the only way we can know what God expects of us, and it is the only way to gain the wisdom we need for spiritual maturity (II Timothy 3:16-17; Ephesians 3:3-5; Psalm 119:97-105; Ephesians 4:13-15).
  • Pray Without Ceasing - This verse does not mean you are constantly in prayer, but it does mean you have a habit and life of prayer. Nehemiah is a great example of this. When he learned distressing news, he turned to God in formal prayer (Nehemiah 1:1-11). However, when confronted by the king of Persia, in an instant, Nehemiah uttered a silent and undetectable prayer to God before answering the king (Nehemiah 2:1-5). We should be a people that turn to prayer constantly (I Thessalonians 5:17).
  • Test the Spirits - Unfortunately, there are many false teachers in the world. There are many sects that advocate their beliefs, which are promulgated by their institutions and seminaries, yet they are ultimately without sustainable basis in Scripture. What can you do? Do not just take someone's word as gospel truth. Compare their teaching with Scripture! This is a duty and obligation of every Christian (I John 4:1, 6; Revelation 2:2; II John 1:9). False doctrine can destroy us, if we are not careful (II Peter 3:15-17). Pray for help and a sincere love of truth, and then examine yourself to ensure that you are being honest with yourself, God, and His Word ( II Thessalonians 2:9-12; II Corinthians 13:5).
  • Grow! - We begin life as babies, but we can grow into something much stronger - someone who is able to help others instead of requiring help ourselves. This is an incredibly rewarding benefit of being a mature Christian; however, you cannot get there unless you grow by spending time in study, prayer, meditation, and developing your own spiritual character (II Peter 1:2-11; II Peter 3:17; I Peter 2:1; Hebrews 5:12-14).
  • Put Away Latent Sins - Even after we repent and become a Christian, we may continue to sin, or we may even take up new sins. As Christians, we are to put these things far from us (Colossians 3:1-10).
  • Join a Faithful Local Church - Like Saul (later to become the apostle Paul), we must also seek to join a local group of like-minded believers (Acts 9:26-28). In fact, we are commanded to meet regularly with the saints (Hebrews 10:24-25). You should expect to grow in faithfulness and responsibility at a sound local church.
  • Keep Your Eye on Heaven - Hope is a great blessing that only the Christian can truly enjoy. Keep your eye on heave, and never let anyone trick you into letting go of your hope. You will have to grow and put away cherished things (Luke 18:18-24), but never let go of Jesus and that final reward (Hebrews 6:9-12, 17-19)!!!
I pray you find these answers helpful. Please be sure to be like the noble Bereans and double-check my answer according to Scripture (Acts 17:11). If they were commended for double-checking the apostle Paul, you should probably double-check me too! ;-)

I appreciate your eager and zealous heart. If I have I said anything that is unexpected or seems strange, please let me know.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

May God help us to have a sincere love of truth.
May God help us to love truth sincerely and supremely (II Thessalonians 2:11-12)

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