I got slightly “spontaneously” baptized this Sunday! I haven’t read all or even half of the Bible, but I felt that God has put it on my heart to be baptized. I understand that getting baptized is a public declaration of our faith, trust, and new life with God. It also symbolizes how Jesus washes us clean of our sin and sinful past. But I question if I really knew enough about God or baptism before actually committing to getting baptized. Was I supposed to know more beforehand?
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I didn’t know much either, but from what I read in the Bible, I knew that baptism was something God wanted us to do. Since I was having trouble obeying all the things I had read about, I wanted to obey in a way that I knew I could, and that was by being baptized. It was a bit of a nerve wracking experience for me because I’m shy in a group, but I did it. Afterwards and over some time, the things in my life that I knew were not pleasing to God drifted away. Not right away, but over time.
The only thing you need to know is that your faith is in Jesus and that you know who Jesus is. If you’ve come to faith in Him, you’re good. Congratulations!
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baptism isn’t essential for salvation. Faith alone is. Faith alone, Scripture alone. Early church didn’t performed baptism until the person been in discipleship. You are a christian even before baptism since you have faith that Jesus is God in the flesh and he took away your sins personally.
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Amen! So glad you did. There is nothing that we could know, say, or do that can lead us to Salvation. Christ alone can. First, you believed. Then you were baptized. You are a new creature. You are now a Child of God, with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a Spirit to receive and understand God’s Word.
Remember, Peter, John, and the like, knew nothing of Jesus until they followed Him.
Peter
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Congratulations. 
You don’t have to have it all figured out today.
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Your post brought to mind this quote that I’ve often pondered: “Why, if nobody believed anything except what they understood, how limited we’d be!” It’s not from a Christian book or source, but I think it often applies to the Christian life. There is so much of the Christian faith that is a mystery, and that is often the beautiful part of it. You stepped out in faith, and God will honor that. I was baptized as an infant, and I still believe that my baptism was sacred and powerful, even though I, of course, didn’t understand what was going on at the time. Sometimes we need to put our bodies into motion before our heads or hearts fully understand something.
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Not to be too critical but being baptized as a baby is of no value except in your heart. Cruel for me to say that no! No where in the bible can u find evidence of what u say! “Except one be born from above” (or “born again”) comes from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:3 (and 3:7), stating that a spiritual rebirth is mandatory to see or enter the Kingdom of God. The Greek phrase gennēthē anōthen can mean born “again,” “anew,” or “from above” (referring to God), signifying a transformation of the spirit, not a physical rebirth. Comment here comes from just putting this question in your search will give you where to find this answer: except one be born from above in the bible just put that in your search and read the whole information that is provided and search it out and see what u think about that information. You can do that on any question u have on any subject, it will give u lots of information.
Thank you, I think that infant baptism is invalid, what do you think? @Amos3three
Baptism is a “beginning”, so, I think you are right where you are supposed to be, the beginning. Now, apply yourself to God’s word and recieve the teaching of God’s Holy Spirit.
Blessings
KP
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I understand that infant baptism can certainly be a controversial subject. I don’t believe a baby receives salvation when they are baptized as I was. However, I do think my baptism as an infant set me on a path to God. Interestingly, I was also baptized as a preteen in what would be referred to as a “believer’s baptism.”
However, as I’ve said elsewhere in this forum, the older I get, the more I’m appreciative of my infant baptism and find that it reminds me that, like a small child, I can do nothing to earn my salvation. It was all God coming to me, not me meeting him halfway or standing on any merits.
I don’t want to derail @Willow’s original post into a discussion of infant vs. believer’s baptism, but I do think this has a tie-in in that we can still be baptized when we are young Christians (no matter our age) who are not far down the path of following Christ.
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Baptism is God at work to create and nourish faith. In answer to your question, how much knowledge is enough? I’ve been a pastor for 47 years and I still don’t know enough.
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Believer baptism is a somewhat recent innovation. Infant baptism is the practice of the church through these 2000 years.
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I’ve always looked at baptism as an outward showing of an inward commitment to Jesus. Once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior; out of obedience to God we should get baptized in front of Gods people as an outward show of our commitment to Christ our Lord if that makes sense.
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When I was baptized, it was to show I had changed and a promise to God that he had my life, heart, and loyalty.
I had never even read the Bible before, I was brought up and into an entirely different pagan faith.
so no, I think baptism is you showing God you trust Him, and learning more can come after, I learn more about Him daily.
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Amen and thank you for sharing. God bless your studying of the Bible. Read these; Psalm 118:19, 2 Timothy 3:16. I am sure you know them but they are a beautiful Truth of Gods Word. I pray them before each Bible reading that I do. Asking God to share his wisdom and understanding with me.
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I like the way that you explained that to us. I also believe in infant dedication and/or baptism regardless of the babies obvious knowledge. I think it is great for the parents and family as well as getting the baby off on the right foot as soon as they can comprehend what they had done as an infant. I hope that makes sense? Then at an understanding age as they accept Christ as their Lord followed by baptism is my belief. Of course this is my opinion. I was raised in the Lord based upon a person’s needing to ask Christ into their heart followed by submersion baptism. Baptism being an outward expression (allowing others to see that you have committed in following Christ) of an inward commitment to Christ.
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Ever heard of…
…here is some debate as to whether with Spirit baptism (mentioned 11 times in the NT), the Holy Spirit is the agent of baptism or the medium of baptism. While viewing the Holy Spirit as the agent of Spirit baptism is a grammatical possibility in some texts, such as the key text of 1 Corinthians 12:13, the four earliest references to Spirit baptism (Mt 3:11, Mk 1:8, Lk 3:16, Jn 1:33) predict that Christ is the one who does the action of baptizing in (en) the Spirit, parallel to John baptizing in (en) water, thus identifying the Spirit as the medium of the baptism.
However, regardless of whether one takes the Spirit to be the agent or medium, the results are clearly articulated in 1 Corinthians 12: Spirit baptism unites all believers to Christ from the moment of their salvation and forevermore.
Spirit baptism unites all believers to Christ from the moment of their salvation and forevermore.
Because this is a highly controversial matter especially with the influence of the charismatic movement today, it deserves some attention. Let’s examine the key text:
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Cor 12:13)
First, who are the subjects of Spirit-baptism? Paul says we all were baptized. Who are the “we all”? All Christians. If you are a Christian, then you have been Spirit baptized. Spirit baptism is not limited only to apostles or to super-Christians or to any subgroup within the body of Christ. We all were baptized in the Spirit.
Second, when does Spirit baptism occur? Well what is the tense of the verb here? We all were baptized. It is past tense. So Spirit baptism occurred sometime in the past for all Christians. And the fact that Paul can say that “we all were baptized” must indicate that Spirit baptism occurred at the moment of our salvation. If Spirit baptism took place some time after salvation, then Paul would not be able to say “we all were baptized.” Paul did not say “some were baptized,” and he did not say “we will be baptized” or “we might be baptized.” Paul said, “we all were baptized.”
This also means that Spirit baptism happens one time, at the moment of our salvation, and it never happens again. This is true of all believers from the moment of their salvation for all time. And it also means that Spirit baptism is not something that we need to seek for, pray for, or actively receive somehow. All Christians were baptized in the Spirit the moment they put their faith in Christ. Spirit baptism is something like justification; it happens the moment we are saved, it’s not something we feel or pursue; it’s simply something that occurs as a result of our faith in Christ. It is not experiential, though it has dramatic effects for a believer’s life.
And that leads us to the nature of what Spirit baptism is. Paul says here that we all were baptized in one Spirit. So the Spirit of God is like the water with which we were immersed—the word “baptize” literally means to dunk—we were all dunked with the Spirit at the moment of our salvation; in fact, Paul continues that analogy of the Spirit and water at the end of the verse when he says, “all were made to drink of one Spirit.” The Spirit is the water with which we all were baptized.
If you are a Christian, then you have been Spirit baptized. Spirit baptism is not limited only to apostles or to super-Christians or to any subgroup within the body of Christ. We all were baptized in the Spirit.
Now the one question about Spirit baptism that this verse does not address is who is the one doing the baptizing? But we do have an answer to that elsewhere in the New Testament, and the earliest and perhaps best way we can answer that question is to look at the first chapter of John’s Gospel.
In verse 33, John the baptizer says, “I myself did not know him”—referring to Jesus Christ—”but he who sent me to baptize with water”—the word translated “with” there is the same preposition in 1 Corinthians 12:13 translated “in” the Spirit—”he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with”—same preposition—”the Holy Spirit.” So John the Baptist is predicting Spirit baptism, and he specifically tells us who it is who would do the baptizing. Who is it? Jesus Christ baptized all of us with the Spirit at the moment of our salvation.
Now this, of course, leads us to the final piece of a complete understanding of the nature of Spirit baptism, and that is its results. What happened to us when Jesus Christ baptized us with the Spirit at the moment we trusted him for our salvation? At that moment, Jesus Christ immersed us with one Spirit into one body.
So Jesus is the baptizer, and the Holy Spirit is the water, and the body of water, or the pool, or the lake into which we were all baptized is the body of Christ. Through Spirit baptism we are made one with that body. So while Spirit baptism is a work of Christ rather than action of the Holy Spirit, it is nevertheless possible only because of the Spirit’s unique presence in the New Covenant age.
Through the Spirit, we who believe are united to Christ and to one another in Christ’s body. Through the Spirit, we who believe enjoy a special communion with Christ and with the Father, along with everyone else who believes (2 Cor 13:14). As Paul clearly states, “For through [Christ] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:18). This is why Jesus had promised that in the day he would send his Spirit, “you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (Jn 14:20).
Believers are being baptized/immersed.
Justin Peters Ministries
Hope this is helpful brother.
J.
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Yes, that makes sense! And I agree that baptism (regardless of the age of the baptizee—is that a word? 
) is also beneficial for those who witness it. My children love watching baptisms at church! It reinforces their own baptism and faith. Baptism is a sacrament because, through it, we say something with our bodies that is true of our souls/spirits, and as embodied creatures, that is a powerful thing to witness.
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