QUESTIONS
Not sure about baptism?
Below are ten of the most commonly asked questions about baptism with answers from the Oak Ridge Lead Pastor, Brian Moss.
1. Why should I be baptized?
Because the Bible says so. Once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Bible says that you need to be baptized- to let God’s family know that you’re now part of God’s family. Getting baptized is an act of obedience through faith.
2. What is scriptural baptism?
Scriptural baptism requires 3 things, and we use the acronym “MOM” to help you remember.
M- Meaning- Baptism can only happen when you personally accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. That decision cannot be made for you by anyone else; only you.
O- Order- Baptism can only happen AFTER you make that decision, not before.
M- Method- The Bible demonstrates that baptism happens by full immersion, not by sprinkling, pouring, etc. In Greek, the word “baptism” literally means “to immerse/submerge in water,”. Jesus was baptized this way as an example for us to follow.
M- Meaning- Baptism can only happen when you personally accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. That decision cannot be made for you by anyone else; only you.
O- Order- Baptism can only happen AFTER you make that decision, not before.
M- Method- The Bible demonstrates that baptism happens by full immersion, not by sprinkling, pouring, etc. In Greek, the word “baptism” literally means “to immerse/submerge in water,”. Jesus was baptized this way as an example for us to follow.
3. When should I get baptized?
As soon as possible, AFTER you have become a believer in Jesus Christ. If you got baptized before you gave your life to Jesus Christ, then you just got religiously wet because baptism must FOLLOW your personal decision to accept Jesus.
4. Are you saved even if you have not been baptized?
Your eternity is secured by giving your life to Jesus Christ by FAITH, not by works. Baptism is not something you earn or work towards and it doesn’t save you, it simply shows others that you are saved. Therefore, baptism is an important step of obedience after salvation but is not a requirement for salvation.
5. What if I was baptized, but it wasn’t scriptural?
Remember, you need MOM to make it scriptural!
MEANING- you chose Jesus, nobody decided for you.
ORDER- after your decision, not before.
METHOD-full immersion, not sprinkling, pouring, etc.
If your baptism is missing one of these 3 components, no worries all you need to do is get scripturally baptized and we can help you do that!
MEANING- you chose Jesus, nobody decided for you.
ORDER- after your decision, not before.
METHOD-full immersion, not sprinkling, pouring, etc.
If your baptism is missing one of these 3 components, no worries all you need to do is get scripturally baptized and we can help you do that!
6. What if my life isn’t cleaned up yet?
Join the club! If everyone waited until they got their act together to get baptized, then no one would ever get baptized! You don’t have to know all the ins and outs of the Christian faith. You don’t have to be perfect. And it’s okay that you still have questions and growing to do. All that matters is that you are committing, from this point forward, to live your life to be more like Jesus.
7. What if I’m afraid?
That's perfectly normal.
This is a brand-new journey and brand-new life. There’s bound to be some fear in that. But when you do something that’s fearful or uncomfortable and you do it for Jesus’ sake, that is when God grows you. By the way, that’s not just true of baptism. Your entire Christian journey is a series of taking scary and uncertain steps, but you do those things because of what Jesus did for you. God will honor that ever time!
This is a brand-new journey and brand-new life. There’s bound to be some fear in that. But when you do something that’s fearful or uncomfortable and you do it for Jesus’ sake, that is when God grows you. By the way, that’s not just true of baptism. Your entire Christian journey is a series of taking scary and uncertain steps, but you do those things because of what Jesus did for you. God will honor that ever time!
8. What if I was scripturally baptized in another church?
If you were scripturally baptized at another church, then you don’t need an Oak Ridge baptism. If your baptism had the right MOM (meaning, order, and method), you’re as baptized as you need to be!
9. Should I get re-baptized?
Sometimes believers backslide or fall away from their faith. When you do, you don’t need to get rebaptized; you simply need to get back on the right track and start living your life in a God-honoring way. If your first baptism was real and it happened after you became a believer, then you are as baptized as you need to be. If you’ve messed up since then, you’re in good company because we all have! You’re only born again once; you only need to be baptized once.
10. What if I’m not ready?
What are you waiting for?
If you’re waiting for some special sign or moment to get baptized, you could be waiting forever. The Christian journey is a journey of faith. It’s a journey of releasing control of your life and placing it under the care of your Creator. Some things God asks us to do will be easy. Others, not so much.
However, God doesn’t command us to do something so that we can first think about it or pray about it or wait for the right moment to do it. When you know God is asking you to move, let faith guide you to move. Even in the face of fear or the unknown. If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the time to get baptized is now. Ready or not, just do it!
If you’re waiting for some special sign or moment to get baptized, you could be waiting forever. The Christian journey is a journey of faith. It’s a journey of releasing control of your life and placing it under the care of your Creator. Some things God asks us to do will be easy. Others, not so much.
However, God doesn’t command us to do something so that we can first think about it or pray about it or wait for the right moment to do it. When you know God is asking you to move, let faith guide you to move. Even in the face of fear or the unknown. If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the time to get baptized is now. Ready or not, just do it!