The Way of Baptism, Part 1
We Study for Ourselves
by Lisa Panasuk and Andrew & Matthew
Hohnberger with YD
Staff
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You may have many questions about the ordinance of baptism. When we* began to think about being baptized, we certainly did. So we decided to do a study from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy to find the answers we needed. After we finished our study, we wanted to share what we found, in case other young people had similar questions.
Our first question was one of the most important: When am I ready to be baptized? A person is ready to be baptized when he is converted—when he gives his life totally to God. (We’ll be discussing this question, as well as many others, in the coming weeks.)
We also wondered, What is the meaning of baptism? We discovered that baptism really means to give ourselves totally and publicly to God—to love Him, seek Him, and obey Him. Sometimes we stumble when we don’t watch and pray. This does not mean our baptism was useless—we just need to immediately go back to God, ask for His forgiveness, and choose to follow Him again. Then we can keep our experience of conversion.
We also wanted to know who should be the one to baptize us. It soon became clear that this was not as important as the preparation and experience of the one being baptized. The best, of course, would be to find a minister who understands the true meaning of baptism and who has experienced conversion in his own life.
What should take place during the baptismal service? We found many interesting details, including such things as baptismal robes, where the baptism should take place, and where we should place our church membership.
Our last question had to do with what happens after baptism: How should I live after I am baptized? We will give a more complete answer later, but an important part of the answer is this: My own selfish desires will no longer control me. Instead Christ will live out His life within me, give me freedom from sin, and peace. (See Galatians 2:20.)
We pray that our study will encourage you to join us in choosing to make Jesus first, last, and best in our lives. This will mean following our Savior in the path of unselfishness, letting our pride be buried with Him, and living a new life of commitment to Him. It will result in something more wonderful than any of us can imagine: perfect peace and joy here on Earth, and finally entering through the golden gates and receiving an everlasting crown of life!
*(Lisa and Matthew were 13, and Andrew was 11, when they undertook this project.)
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