Baptism Q&A
A simple guide to help you understand what baptism is, how to do it, and why it’s an important step for every Christian.
What is Baptism and what does it do?
Baptism is the act of identifying ourselves publicly with Jesus. At Hope Valley, we baptize by completely submerging a person in water. The act of going under the water and coming back out again, is a reenactment of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a beautiful thing!
It’s difficult to understand exactly what the Holy Spirit does in a person when they are baptized – but He is doing something. It is a mystery we must embrace. What we do know is that scripture tells us “those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ,” (Gal 3:27) and “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death… that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:3-4)
So, in some real and supernatural way, the Holy Spirit enables us to share in Christ’s death and resurrection when we are baptized in faith and the hope of His promises.
It’s difficult to understand exactly what the Holy Spirit does in a person when they are baptized – but He is doing something. It is a mystery we must embrace. What we do know is that scripture tells us “those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ,” (Gal 3:27) and “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death… that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:3-4)
So, in some real and supernatural way, the Holy Spirit enables us to share in Christ’s death and resurrection when we are baptized in faith and the hope of His promises.
Why should I be baptized?
If you have placed your faith and obedience in Jesus, you should be baptized because:
- Jesus told us to do it (Matt 28:19).
- It is a public embrace of the struggle, the promises, and the hope we have in Jesus.
- It is one of two sacred rituals that Jesus gave us, to experience being united with Him (the other is Communion).
- It has been unanimously recognized by all Christians, across all traditions throughout history, as being the step that identifies a person as being part of the Body of Christ.
When should I be baptized?
As soon as you have made a conscious, personal decision to place your faith in Jesus and submit your life to His authority.
I've been baptized before. Should I be baptized again?
As a general rule, a person should not be baptized more than once. This is because baptism is a picture of the perfect and eternal work of Jesus. His one-time offering on the cross, and the power of His resurrection, is so complete and comprehensive that no amount of sin, failure, or human weakness can overcome it. Therefore, the work that the Holy Spirit does in a Christian through baptism, doesn’t need to be redone.
For example, let’s say that a person walks away from Jesus after they were baptized, and now they are returning to Him and recommitting their faith – that would be a testimony to the power of Jesus in saving them, and the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit in bringing them back to Christ. In other words, it is proof that their first baptism “worked”. So why would they need to be baptized again?
However, there are some times when it could be right for a person to be baptized again. Some possible scenarios could be:
These are case-by-case scenarios and should be navigated with the help of church leadership.
For example, let’s say that a person walks away from Jesus after they were baptized, and now they are returning to Him and recommitting their faith – that would be a testimony to the power of Jesus in saving them, and the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit in bringing them back to Christ. In other words, it is proof that their first baptism “worked”. So why would they need to be baptized again?
However, there are some times when it could be right for a person to be baptized again. Some possible scenarios could be:
- The person doesn’t remember being baptized or making a conscious commitment to Christ – such as being baptized as an infant.
- The person knows they didn’t make a genuine commitment to Christ before, but were baptized just to fit in, or because their “friends were doing it.”
These are case-by-case scenarios and should be navigated with the help of church leadership.
Who can baptize me?
At Hope Valley, we recognize the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5,9). This means that any Christian who has been baptized, can baptize others. It does not have to be the Lead Pastor or another leader in the church. You may want to be baptized by the person who shared the gospel with you, or a person who has been instrumental in mentoring you in the faith.