Baptism - when are you ready?

[Resource181]

I have been trying to decide whether or not to be Baptised for a while, as I want to commit to Christianity, but I sometimes have doubts in Faith. Somedays I can be fully Christian, while on other days my Faith is weak. If Baptism represents an 'inward change', I couldn't in all honesty say that I have had that inward change yet, at least on the majority of days, although I can feel fully Christian on others.

The ten commandments tell us “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”, and I feel that to publicly state faith in Christ would be lying, if I was going through weak faith on the specific day my Baptism falls on. I feel ready to follow Christ, and want to feel part of Christianity, but am really struggling over this particular hurdle, perhaps really just wanting the 'inward change' to happen. I have attended Church for over 15 years, and have gone through this cycle of thinking repeatedly over the past few years.

 

[Tenchi]

Thanks again, I'll continue praying and reading through the Bible, and hope I will one day be able to take this step.

What do you imagine is going to happen as you do these things that will bring the step of baptism to pass? On what grounds do you think just "continuing to pray" and "reading through the Bible" is going to make you eventually a good candidate for baptism?

 

[Fish153]

I have been trying to decide whether or not to be Baptised for a while, as I want to commit to Christianity, but I sometimes have doubts in Faith. Somedays I can be fully Christian, while on other days my Faith is weak. If Baptism represents an 'inward change', I couldn't in all honesty say that I have had that inward change yet, at least on the majority of days, although I can feel fully Christian on others.

The ten commandments tell us “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”, and I feel that to publicly state faith in Christ would be lying, if I was going through weak faith on the specific day my Baptism falls on. I feel ready to follow Christ, and want to feel part of Christianity, but am really struggling over this particular hurdle, perhaps really just wanting the 'inward change' to happen. I have attended Church for over 15 years, and have gone through this cycle of thinking repeatedly over the past few years.

Resource--- a lot of people have made some very good points. I just wanted to add that it appears you are waiting to be perfect before being baptized. You are also relying totally on how you "feel". This may be a very poor example: but imagine if your BOSS promoted you to VP of Operations and asked that you just sign a form of acceptance to the new position. And then, you said "Geez, I don't know whether I can sign the form. I sure don't FEEL like a VP". In a way you are doing the same thing. JESUS has saved you. It is HE that says you ARE a new person. He didn't expect you to come to him all cleaned up and perfect---he just said "come unto me". You came to Him. The Bible says "If any man be in Christ he IS a new creation---old things have passed away, behold all things have become new". This verse is mainly God's view of each of us who come to him. He sees us as IN HIM and NEW. We, if we live by feelings will never accept that verse. We see all the corruption we have and FEEL so unworthy. But it is God (your BOSS) who has promoted you! So, get baptized (sign the acceptance form) and get on with being the new person you are in God's eyes!

 

[Vinny37]

I have been trying to decide whether or not to be Baptised for a while, as I want to commit to Christianity, but I sometimes have doubts in Faith. Somedays I can be fully Christian, while on other days my Faith is weak. If Baptism represents an 'inward change', I couldn't in all honesty say that I have had that inward change yet, at least on the majority of days, although I can feel fully Christian on others.

The ten commandments tell us “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”, and I feel that to publicly state faith in Christ would be lying, if I was going through weak faith on the specific day my Baptism falls on. I feel ready to follow Christ, and want to feel part of Christianity, but am really struggling over this particular hurdle, perhaps really just wanting the 'inward change' to happen. I have attended Church for over 15 years, and have gone through this cycle of thinking repeatedly over the past few years.

Having a quick shufty at what you’ve said, I think the thing to ask is, Are you British, as your details allege? If so, it doesn’t matter how British you feel on any particular day, you remain British. You might even feel decidedly anti-British some days. Similarly if we accept as a welcome fact that Jesus is God’s unique son as a human being who died for us, we have been welcomed into his family (Jhn.1:12). It doesn’t mean that we can’t feel anti-Christian some days, and might on even more days wish to have a private room inaccessible to God, a Mr. Bennet Library, the hope of both atheism and deism.

John Newton spoke of his warmest thoughts being cold: Weak is the effort of my heart / And cold my warmest thought / Till I see you no more to part / to praise you as I ought. Putting your personal weaknesses to one side (what some call ongoing sanctification), if you’ve ticked the Jhn.1:12 box (where welcome = believe), water-baptism can be a good step to say you’ve accepted Christ’s acceptance. It isn’t to say that you’re perfect (you ain’t), and plenty of ethical advice about on the one hand not sinning, and on the other hand doing good, was given to Christians in the NT writings. On the day of Pentecost doubtless many water-baptised were rough diamonds, and long remained so even when spirit-baptised in the Holy Spirit. The witness of water-baptism is saying, I believe I’m in, not, I believe I’m a rock solid Christian.

The inner change you speak of can come as a warm glow (John Wesley), but can be less tangible, an inner orientation of the spirit towards messiah, which I presume over 15+ years you’ve developed.

 

[follower]

I have attended Church for over 15 years, and have gone through this cycle of thinking repeatedly over the past few years.

For entertaining some thoughts only - always keep seeking Jesus, every day.

If someone signs up for military service (i.e. is immersed in the military) then from day one
they are told what to do each day. They are trained in what the militarty wants them to do if training is needed. They do what they are told/ordered to do, or they suffer the consequences, anything from reprimand, courtmarshall, to death. (or death or suffering of others)