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samedi 26 octobre 2013

Answering The Question Why Do People Get Baptized

By Rachael Gutierrez


Why do people get baptized is a question that lingers in the minds of many. The answers are found in the bible and its teachings. The scriptures are either direct or point at the importance of such an exercise in the life of a Christian. The very basic reason is to obey the word of God as was lived and preached by Christ. He commanded his followers to undergo baptism upon hearing his word.

Baptism is an indication that an individual has allowed Jesus to become Lord and Savior in his life. The ceremony and subsequent change in lifestyle will be evident to both family and friends. In the book of Acts chapter 16, the Philippians jailer had his entire family baptized as a sign of accepting the will of God. This is asked of every Christian who has fallen in love with Christ and seeks to make it known to all.

From the 19th verse of the first chapter of 1st John, confession of sin is required if anyone is to be purified. For this event to take place, a person must go through the symbolic ritual of baptism. It indicates changed belief after the person has submitted to Christ. Dripping or flowing water cleanses the person and signals washing away.

Jesus Christ began his mission after being baptized at River Jordan by John the Baptist. This added even more significance to the act of baptism in the life of Christians. The events of that moment including the opening of skies and the resulting voice indicate that God approved such an act. The same path must be followed by all Christians.

Matthew chapter 28 quotes Jesus sending his disciples to go all over the world and make everyone his follower. To mark their transformation, they were to baptize them in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. This means that, preaching was not the final act in conversion. It had to be followed by baptism. This implies that a person who heard the word of God had to affirm the understanding through baptism.

There is a lot of symbolism during baptism that explains why the trend is not about to die. A person is dipped in water to signify when Christ died. The minutes spent submerged in water point at the days Christ spent in the tomb. When the person emerges, it implies that new life has begun and the sins have been cleansed.

Churches that believe in original sin view baptism as a way for infants to be cleansed. The sin is said to have originated from the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and cleansing is only possible through baptism. Some of the churches, including the Catholic faithful, have their children baptized at infancy.

Why do people get baptized remains an important question and spills over to what a person must do. One must express the desire and be willing to learn as much about Christian life as possible. Different churches have varied procedures and processes that must be followed before the actual baptism. This is followed by a conscious decision to live the life of a Christian.




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