Episode 68 Show Notes
Should a Christian Ever Get Re-Baptized?
From the Show
If someone has come back to the faith and rededicated their life to the Lord, and even though they have already been baptized, should they get re-baptized?
There are no examples of getting re-baptized in the Bible, even by those who have greatly sinned against God after being brought into the church…This is not God's will for us. In His Great Commission, recorded in Matthew 28, Jesus said, ‘Go into all the world and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ And as long as ones baptized in the name of the Trinity with water, it's a valid baptism. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 and 5, there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who was overall and through all and in all. So, what happens if you're only converted later in life? Well, it all depends on what you believe baptism is in the first place.
Many Christians today believe that baptism is the believer's act of commitment but most Christians throughout history have actually understood the Bible to teach that baptism is God's act of commitment. In other words, God is certifying his gospel promise with a visible sign and seal that we belong to Him. If you take that view which I believe is the biblical view, then, regardless of when you were baptized, God placed his sign and seal on you. And when you do come to profess faith in Christ, it's because God's fulfilled that promise. Instead of being rebaptized, thank the Lord that he's made good on that pledge and will complete that good work that he began in you, Philippines 1:6. — Michael Horton
Questions in this Episode
1. When Jesus says that believers should “turn the other cheek” when someone strikes them, is this applicable in every scenario? I’m a police officer, so depending on what call I receive sometimes it’s my job not to turn the other cheek. How should I and other believers view texts like these?
2. If someone has come back to the faith and rededicated their life to the Lord, and even though they have already been baptized, should they get re-baptized?
3. Why do you think it’s so difficult for churches, especially in America, to talk about ethnic diversity in the church?
4. In church, we sing a song with the line, “So let the accuser roar of sins that I have done, I know them all and thousands more, my Father knoweth none.” Is this accurate to say? Even if we are justified does God ignore our sins?
5. In Hebrews 8:13 it says, “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Is there a difference between making the old covenant “obsolete” and fulfilling the law? How does Jesus do this?
Resources
Is Diversity Important for the Church?
A Conversation on Human Dignity
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