The Difference Between Dedication And Baptism
Spiritual Disciplines 4
So far in our series on spiritual disciplines we have talked about repentance, what it means and what it produces. For the new believer in Christ, it leads to the next discipline we will discuss which is baptism.
Many people are under the impression that they don't need to be baptized as adults because they were baptized as a baby. But, let me ask you a few questions.....
Did you choose to be baptized as a baby?
Did you understand what it meant?
Have you turned your back on God since then?
Have you made the decision to really turn your life over to Jesus Christ since then?
Have you repented for your sins to the best of your ability up to this point in your life?
The Scriptures tell us that babies are to be dedicated to God and many denominations call this Baptism. In studying the life of Christ, we will see that being dedicated as a baby and actually submitting to water baptism are two separate things.
Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.
Luke 2:22
Joseph and Mary took the infant, Jesus, to the temple to present Him to the Lord according to the law of Moses. The Child was blessed and prophesied over by Simeon (Luke 2:27-35) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38). Using scripture as our guide, we see that dedicating babies to God is part of our responsibility as parents.
But baby baptisms are not enough to keep a person right with God. Babies do not have a choice in this ceremony. The parents make the decision to do this for them and the infants don't understand the meaning of what they are going through. They are present in body but have no memory or comprehension of the event.
As we grow up though, we learn the difference between right and wrong. We learn to make choices, to evaluate consequences, and to carry out a plan. We understand that risks come with every decision we make.
Now we have reached the crossroads of death and life. We can choose to ignore God and walk the road leading to death. Or we can choose to accept Christ's invitation to be part of God's family and have eternal life. Baptism, like all other spiritual disciplines, is our choice.
Jesus chose to be baptized.
When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John tried to stop Him. John could not see how his baptism had any authority over the Messiah. But Jesus, who is our example, insisted.
But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
Matthew 3:15
In order to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus had to be baptized in water. It was part of God's plan from the beginning. His submission to the Father's will is the example set out before us. The Bible does not lay out a timeline for when one should be baptized but the Holy Spirit, Who is given to us when we accept Christ, will compel us to follow Jesus in water baptism. Even so, it is still our choice.
It is up to each individual who turns to and accepts Jesus Christ to follow Him in baptism. This not a law or religious requirement but it is an act of obedience. We make the conscious decision to surrender our lives and our will to God through faith in and submission to Jesus Christ.
Being "baptized" as a baby is not the same thing as choosing to be baptized as an adult. Babies do not have the cognitive skills necessary to make the choice to submit to God. When we reach that age where we are able to understand the difference between right and wrong, then we are able to make the choice to be baptized.
Don't miss the rest of our study on baptism. Sign up today to have each post delivered to your email.
All for the glory of God,
Heidirn
Did you choose to be baptized as a baby?
Did you understand what it meant?
Have you turned your back on God since then?
Have you made the decision to really turn your life over to Jesus Christ since then?
Have you repented for your sins to the best of your ability up to this point in your life?
The Scriptures tell us that babies are to be dedicated to God and many denominations call this Baptism. In studying the life of Christ, we will see that being dedicated as a baby and actually submitting to water baptism are two separate things.
Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.
Luke 2:22
Joseph and Mary took the infant, Jesus, to the temple to present Him to the Lord according to the law of Moses. The Child was blessed and prophesied over by Simeon (Luke 2:27-35) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38). Using scripture as our guide, we see that dedicating babies to God is part of our responsibility as parents.
But baby baptisms are not enough to keep a person right with God. Babies do not have a choice in this ceremony. The parents make the decision to do this for them and the infants don't understand the meaning of what they are going through. They are present in body but have no memory or comprehension of the event.
As we grow up though, we learn the difference between right and wrong. We learn to make choices, to evaluate consequences, and to carry out a plan. We understand that risks come with every decision we make.
Now we have reached the crossroads of death and life. We can choose to ignore God and walk the road leading to death. Or we can choose to accept Christ's invitation to be part of God's family and have eternal life. Baptism, like all other spiritual disciplines, is our choice.
Jesus chose to be baptized.
When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John tried to stop Him. John could not see how his baptism had any authority over the Messiah. But Jesus, who is our example, insisted.
But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
Matthew 3:15
In order to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus had to be baptized in water. It was part of God's plan from the beginning. His submission to the Father's will is the example set out before us. The Bible does not lay out a timeline for when one should be baptized but the Holy Spirit, Who is given to us when we accept Christ, will compel us to follow Jesus in water baptism. Even so, it is still our choice.
It is up to each individual who turns to and accepts Jesus Christ to follow Him in baptism. This not a law or religious requirement but it is an act of obedience. We make the conscious decision to surrender our lives and our will to God through faith in and submission to Jesus Christ.
Being "baptized" as a baby is not the same thing as choosing to be baptized as an adult. Babies do not have the cognitive skills necessary to make the choice to submit to God. When we reach that age where we are able to understand the difference between right and wrong, then we are able to make the choice to be baptized.
Don't miss the rest of our study on baptism. Sign up today to have each post delivered to your email.
All for the glory of God,
Heidirn
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