How
is Christian baptism performed?
What steps do you need
to take to qualify for baptism?
How does a person make
a dedication to God?
What is the special
reason for getting baptized?
“LOOK!
A body of water; what prevents me from getting baptized?” That question was
asked by an Ethiopian court official in the first century. A Christian named
Philip had proved to him that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Touched to the
heart by what he had learned from the Scriptures, the Ethiopian man took
action. He showed that he wanted to be baptized!—Acts 8:26-36.
If you have carefully
studied the earlier articles of this series with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
you may feel ready to ask, ‘What prevents me from getting baptized?’ By
now you have learned about the Bible’s promise of everlasting life in Paradise.
(Luke 23:43;
Revelation 21:3, 4) You have also learned about the true
condition of the dead and the resurrection hope. (Ecclesiastes 9:5; John 5:28, 29)
You have probably been associating with Jehovah’s Witnesses at their
congregation meetings and have seen for yourself how they practice the true
religion. (John 13:35) Most important, you have likely begun to develop a
personal relationship with Jehovah God.
How can you show that you want to serve God?
Jesus told his followers: “Go…and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing
them.” (Matthew 28:19) Jesus himself set the example by being baptized
in water. He was not sprinkled with water, and he did not just have some water
poured over his head. (Matthew 3:16)
The word “baptize” comes from a Greek term meaning “dip.” Christian baptism
therefore means being fully dipped, or immersed, in water.
Water baptism is a
requirement for all who want to have a relationship with Jehovah God. Baptism
publicly indicates your desire to serve God. It shows that you are delighted to
do Jehovah’s will. (Psalm 40:7, 8)
To qualify for baptism, however, you must take definite steps.
KNOWLEDGE
AND FAITH NEEDED
You have already begun to
take the first step. How? By taking in knowledge of Jehovah God and
Jesus Christ, perhaps by means of a systematic study of the Bible. (John 17:3)
But there is more to learn. Christians want to be “filled with the accurate
knowledge of [God’s] will.” (Colossians 1:9)
Attending the congregation meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a big help in
this regard. It is important to attend such meetings. (Hebrews 10:24,
25) Regular meeting attendance will help you increase your knowledge
of God.
Acquiring accurate
knowledge of God’s Word is an important step toward qualifying for baptism
Of course, you do not
need to know everything in the Bible in order to qualify for baptism. The
Ethiopian court official had some knowledge, but he needed help to
understand certain parts of the Scriptures. (Acts 8:30, 31)
Likewise, you still have much to learn. In fact, you will never stop learning
about God. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Before you can be baptized, however, you
need to know and accept at least the basic Bible teachings. (Hebrews 5:12)
Such teachings include the truth about the condition of the dead and the
importance of God’s name and his Kingdom.
Knowledge alone is not
enough, though, for “without faith it is impossible to please [God] well.” (Hebrews 11:6)
The Bible tells us that when some people in the ancient city of Corinth heard
the Christian message, they “began to believe and be baptized.” (Acts 18:8)
In a similar way, a study of the Bible should fill you with faith that
it is the inspired Word of God. Bible study should help you to have faith in
God’s promises and in the saving power of Jesus’ sacrifice.—Joshua 23:14;
Acts 4:12;
2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
SHARING BIBLE TRUTH WITH OTHERS
As faith grows in your heart, you will find it
hard to keep what you have learned to yourself. (Jeremiah 20:9)
You will be strongly motivated to speak to others about God and his purposes.—2 Corinthians 4:13.
Faith should move you
to share what you believe with others
You might begin to share
Bible truth with others by tactfully speaking about it to your relatives,
friends, neighbors, and workmates. In time, you will want to share in the
organized preaching work of Jehovah’s Witnesses. At that point, feel free to
talk things over with the Witness who is teaching you the Bible. If it appears
that you qualify for the public ministry, arrangements will be made for you and
your teacher to meet with two of the congregation elders.
This will enable you to get better acquainted
with some Christian elders, who shepherd the flock of God. (Acts 20:28;
1 Peter 5:2, 3)
If these elders see that you understand and believe basic Bible teachings, are
living in harmony with God’s principles, and truly want to be one of Jehovah’s
Witnesses, they will let you know that you qualify to share in the public
ministry as an unbaptized publisher of the good news.
On the other hand, you
may need to make some changes in your life-style and habits in order to qualify
for the public ministry. This may include stopping some practices that have
been kept secret from others. Hence, before you ask about becoming an
unbaptized publisher, you need to be free of serious sins, such as sexual
immorality, drunkenness, and drug abuse.—1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Galatians
5:19-21.
REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION
Some other steps must be
taken before you qualify for baptism. The apostle Peter said: “Repent…and turn
around so as to get your sins blotted out.” (Acts 3:19)
To repent is to feel sincere regret over something you have done. Repentance
is clearly fitting if a person has lived an immoral life, but it is also
necessary even if one has lived a relatively clean life morally. Why? Because
all humans are sinners and need God’s forgiveness. (Romans 3:23;
5:12)
Before studying the Bible, you did not know what God’s will was. So how could
you have lived in full harmony with his will? Therefore, repentance is
necessary.
Repentance must be
followed by conversion, or ‘turning around.’ You must do more than feel
regret. You need to reject your former way of life and be firmly determined
that you will do what is right from now on. Repentance and conversion are steps
that you must take before being baptized.
MAKING A PERSONAL DEDICATION
There is another
important step to take before being baptized. You must dedicate yourself
to Jehovah God.
When you dedicate
yourself to Jehovah God in earnest prayer, you promise to give him your
exclusive devotion forever. (Deuteronomy 6:15) Why, though, would someone want to do that?
Well, suppose a man has begun to court a woman. The more he learns about her
and sees that she has fine qualities, the more he finds himself drawn to her.
In time, it is natural that he would ask her to marry him. True, getting
married will mean taking on additional responsibilities. But love will move him
to take that important step.
When you come to know and
love Jehovah, you are moved to serve him without holding anything back or
setting any limits in worshiping him. Anyone who wants to follow God’s Son,
Jesus Christ, has to “disown himself.” (Mark 8:34)
We disown ourselves by making sure that personal desires and goals do not stand
in the way of our complete obedience to God. Before you can be baptized, then,
doing Jehovah God’s will must be your main purpose in life.—1 Peter 4:2.
OVERCOMING FEAR OF FAILURE
Some hold back from
making a dedication to Jehovah because they are somewhat afraid of taking such
a serious step. They may fear being accountable to God as a dedicated
Christian. Being afraid that they may fail and disappoint Jehovah, they think
that it is best not to make a dedication to him.
As you learn to love Jehovah, you will be
moved to make a dedication to him and to do your best to live up to it. (Ecclesiastes 5:4) After making a dedication, surely you will
want to “walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him.” (Colossians 1:10)
Because of your love for God, you will not think it is too hard to do his will.
No doubt you will agree with the apostle John, who wrote: “This is what the
love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments
are not burdensome.”—1 John 5:3.
You do not have to be
perfect to make a dedication to God. Jehovah knows your limitations and never
expects you to do more than you are able to do. (Psalm 103:14)
He wants you to succeed and will support and help you. (Isaiah 41:10)
You can be sure that if you trust in Jehovah with all your heart, he “will make
your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5, 6.
SYMBOLIZING YOUR DEDICATION BY GETTING
BAPTIZED
Thinking about the things
we have just discussed may help you to make a personal dedication to Jehovah in
prayer. Everyone who really loves God must also ‘make public declaration for
salvation.’ (Romans 10:10) How do you go about doing that?
Have you made a
personal dedication to God in prayer?
It is the baptism itself
that publicly identifies you as a person who has made a dedication to God and
is now one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Baptism candidates are fully immersed in
water to show publicly that they have made a dedication to Jehovah.
THE MEANING OF YOUR BAPTISM
Jesus said that his disciples would be
baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
This means that a baptism candidate recognizes the authority of Jehovah God and
of Jesus Christ. (Psalm 83:18;
Matthew 28:18) He also recognizes the function and activity of
God’s holy spirit, or active force.—Galatians 5:22,
23; 2 Peter 1:21.
Baptism means dying to
our former way of life and becoming alive to do God’s will
However, baptism is not a
mere bath. It is a symbol of something very important. Going beneath the water
symbolizes that you have died to your former life course. Being raised up out
of the water indicates that you are now alive to do the will of God. Remember,
too, that you have made a dedication to Jehovah God himself, not to a work, a
cause, other humans, or an organization. Your dedication and baptism are the
beginning of a very close friendship with God—an intimate relationship with
him.—Psalm 25:14.
Baptism does not
guarantee salvation. The apostle Paul wrote: “Keep working out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) Baptism is only a beginning. The question
is, How can you remain in God’s love? Our final chapter
will provide the answer.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
·
Christian baptism
involves complete immersion in water, not just sprinkling.—Matthew 3:16.
·
Steps leading to
baptism begin with taking in knowledge and showing faith followed by
repentance, conversion, and the dedicating of oneself to God.—John 17:3;
Acts 3:19;
18:8.
·
To make a dedication
to Jehovah, you must disown yourself, even as people disowned themselves to
follow Jesus.—Mark 8:34.
·
Baptism symbolizes
dying to one’s former way of life and becoming alive to do God’s will.—1 Peter 4:2.
For more information please see the book 'What Does the Bible REALLY Teach' at www.jw.org
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