Effects of Baptism: A Clean Start

 

Is water baptism essential for salvation? God wants 21st-century Christians to understand the effects of baptism in providing a clean start to a new life.

Jennifer stood waiting at the steps of the pool, giving her friends and family time to gather around in order to witness her baptism. She had been thinking and praying about this commitment to God for quite some time. And she had gone through a series of counselings with her pastor that helped her understand and further convicted her about the step she was taking. 

Jennifer felt good about her decision and was confident that it was the right course of action. It was just about time for her to step into the water and formally make her covenant relationship with God. 

Is baptism necessary today?

But was it really necessary for Jennifer to undergo this ancient practice that originated in type under the Old Covenant (Hebrews 9:10)? Must Christians be baptized today to have a clean start?

According to some groups, including Christian Scientists, Quakers, the Salvation Army and Unitarians, the answers to these questions are both “No.” 

Those who do not practice baptism vary in their explanations as to why they do not, but in general, they consider baptism to be an outdated ritual that is no longer necessary under the New Covenant. Reasons given often include: 

• What one experiences in his or her heart is what is most important.
• External actions to reflect one’s inner thoughts are superfluous.
• The scriptures on baptism are ambiguous.
• People can live holy lives without being baptized.

So are the Scriptures really that vague? Is there any value to being baptized? What are the effects of baptism? Instead of relying on human opinions and reasoning, let’s see what the biblical record shows.

Christ’s example and instruction on baptism

A quick review of Christ’s actions just before the beginning of His ministry is insightful as a lesson for us today. As we will soon see, Jesus taught that baptism was very important. 

When John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness of Judea, people from “Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:5-6). Though Jesus had no sins to confess, He asked John to baptize Him (verse 13). 

Baptism is far more than a symbolic exercise.

After being baptized, the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus and a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (verse 17).

Why did God the Father make this statement after Jesus was baptized? And, of special concern to us, will the Father be pleased if we are baptized? It seems obvious that He thinks baptism is important!

Scriptures such as 1 Peter 2:21 and 1 John 2:6 show that Christians are to follow the example of Jesus Christ. We are to walk as He walked, do as He did. We are indeed to be baptized as He was. When we follow Christ’s example, God the Father is, no doubt, pleased with us as well. 

Jesus’ teaching on baptism was not limited to His personal example. During His earthly ministry, He had His disciples baptize those who believed (John 3:22). It is also insightful to note that Christ’s disciples baptized more people than John the Baptist (John 4:1-2).

After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and gave them instructions on how they were to take His message to the world.

Note that His instructions, which are sometimes referred to as the commission of the Church, include baptizing those who respond: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, emphasis added throughout). 

Jesus also pointedly stated, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Christ’s teaching on the importance and effects of baptism is quite clear! 

Since Jesus clearly taught baptism, let’s now consider what we learn by following His instruction. 

Effects of baptism: what we learn and receive from baptism

Repentance. When people in Peter’s audience on the Day of Pentecost in A.D. 31 asked the apostle what they should do, he told them to “repent, and let every one of you be baptized” (Acts 2:38). Repentance, which is the initial step toward baptism, means changing our way of life because of a change in our thinking. It means that in hindsight, we realize that the way we had been living was not in accordance with God’s good and beneficial laws. 

The process of repentance—which we are led to by God (Romans 2:4)—helps us understand the seriousness of sin. It is marked by a strong desire on our part to be forgiven of our sins, to stop sinning and to change our sinful nature (Jeremiah 17:9). It includes the recognition of the value of Christ’s sacrifice—His blood that covers our sins (Ephesians 1:7).

Repentance is part of the message that Jesus told His disciples to preach (Luke 24:47). Why? Because, as Jesus had earlier said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

To learn more about this important subject, see the articles in the section “Repentance.”

Death, burial and resurrection. After one repents of his or her sins, the next step is to be baptized—which means being immersed in water. This act symbolizes three important concepts. 

First, baptism represents the death of the old man—the way we lived before repenting. Paul twice described this concept as being “crucified” with Christ (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20). 

Next, after someone dies, he is generally buried. Baptism pictures the burial of the old man with all of his sins, which earn one the death penalty. This reminds us to put away the old way of life completely. As Paul explained, “We were buried with Him through baptism into death” (Romans 6:4). 

The third concept symbolized by baptism is resurrection. Coming up from under the water after being baptized represents our resurrection to a new life in Christ. As Paul further noted, “If we have been united together in the likeness of His [Christ’s] death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (verse 5).

Baptism helps impress these three important concepts within our minds. This physical act helps us realize the spiritual significance of baptism.

For further study, see the article “What Do the Symbols of Baptism Mean?”

Forgiveness of sins. Baptism is far more than a symbolic exercise. Indeed, there are two very significant beneficial effects of baptism in addition to the spiritual understanding we gain from obeying Christ’s command to be baptized.

Through baptism we accept the sacrifice of Christ, which washes our sins away and gives us a clean start. The first is the forgiveness of our sins. Indeed, this is one of the key reasons for being baptized. As Peter said, “Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Through baptism we accept the sacrifice of Christ, which washes our sins away (Acts 22:16) and gives us a clean start. 

Receiving the Holy Spirit. A second important effect of baptism is the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit. Again, Peter’s teaching was: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Baptism, accompanied by the laying on of hands (Acts 19:6), is the way God has established for us to receive this precious gift. 

Romans 8 documents several important benefits that come to us because we have God’s Holy Spirit.

First, this power from God allows us to set aside ungodly activities and live “according to the Spirit” (verse 4). When we allow this Spirit to lead us, we are called the “children of God” (verse 16).

Furthermore, having God’s Holy Spirit is our guarantee of eternal life (verses 11, 13, 23).

To learn more about this baptismal promise, see the articles in the LifeHopeandTruth.com section “Holy Spirit.”

Action required: should you be baptized? 

Following the biblical instruction to be baptized underscores an important biblical principle: What we do is very important to God. The true, timeless religion of the Bible calls for physical action—not just knowledge and understanding. As Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). 

The author of Psalm 111 made this insightful observation: “A good understanding have all those who do His commandments” (verse 10). Echoing this principle and the teaching of Jesus, James emphasized that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). The actions we take before and during baptism set the stage for continued obedience to God afterwards.

Looking for the church behind Life, Hope & Truth? See our “Who We Are” page.

Jennifer’s baptism

After everyone had gathered around, Jennifer was baptized by being completely immersed in the pool. She entered into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She had hands laid on her with a prayer for the receiving of the Holy Spirit, and she has been given a clean start and has begun her spiritual journey toward eternal life as a child of God in His Kingdom. 

Looking back on her decision, she says it is the best one she has ever made. The decision to respond to God’s calling to be baptized was a good one for Jennifer. It can be the same for you!

Laying On of Hands

 

The need for repentance and baptism was clearly taught by Christ and the apostles. But do people need to have hands laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit?

When John the Baptist first began preaching, he commanded those who heard him to repent: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:1-2). Repentance is necessary before baptism. (See our article “What Is Repentance?”)

It is clear that many of those who heard John the Baptist speak understood what repentance was. They were convicted of sin, repented and were baptized. “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins” (verses 5-6).

But was something still missing? The answer is yes!

What else besides repentance and baptism do we need?

Does repentance and baptism complete our transformation and change, or is there something vitally important that we still need from God?

Notice what the apostle Paul asked when he came among some disciples in Ephesus: “‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit’” (Acts 19:2). Other translations allow that the men had heard of the Holy Spirit, but didn’t know it had been given. For example, the American Standard Version says, “We did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given.” The Darby Translation says, “We did not even hear if the Holy Spirit was come.”

Paul asked an important question: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit?” They had repented and were baptized, but they told him they had not received the Holy Spirit.

Look at Paul’s response: “And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied” (verses 3-6, emphasis added throughout).

What exactly is the laying on of hands?

In simple terms, hands are laid on an individual by those in authority to set that person apart before God for His special attention or blessing. The laying on of hands does not of itself provide the Holy Spirit. Much like baptism, the laying on of hands is a physical action with a spiritual component. When a minister lays hands on a person after baptism, it is God (not the minister) who gives the Holy Spirit.

There are many examples of hands being laid on an individual in the New Testament. Hands were laid on people (usually on their heads) for healing through the process of anointing (James 5:14), for the blessing of children (Matthew 19:13-15), for ordaining ministers (1 Timothy 4:14), and for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit, as we’ve already seen in Acts 19.

The laying on of hands with prayer, asking God to give the Holy Spirit, is also found in the following passage:

Once a person repents, believes and is baptized, it is through the laying on of hands that he or she receives God’s Spirit.“Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. … They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:14-17).

After a person is baptized, a special prayer is given, asking God to place His Holy Spirit in those who have repented and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Only authorized representatives of God—most scriptural examples are of ordained ministers—should lay hands on the newly baptized person. God is the One who gives the gift of His Holy Spirit. It cannot be bargained for or purchased.

“They laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit”

Once a person repents, believes and is baptized, it is through the laying on of hands that he or she receives God’s Spirit. The Spirit of God would then be in that person as the promised “Helper” (John 14:16), which is necessary for a person to be a follower of Jesus Christ and for our ultimate salvation (see Romans 8:9-11). For more information about the Holy Spirit, see the articles in the Holy Spirit section.

We, then, must not neglect the Spirit of God that is in us or allow it to be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Rather, we need to do as Paul admonished Timothy: “Stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Is the laying on of hands a teaching of the New Testament Church?

The laying on of hands is one of the foundational doctrines listed in the book of Hebrews:

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2).

Once these stepping-stones of understanding are laid, we are expected to grow toward “perfection” (which can mean completeness or maturity). God wants us to maintain that foundation and then build on it in our converted lives.

With the laying on of hands after baptism (and thereby receiving God’s Holy Spirit), a whole new life will emerge in front of us, as we realize just how valuable that Spirit is. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Looking for the church behind Life, Hope & Truth? See our “Who We Are” page.

Are you missing God’s Holy Spirit?

Without God’s Holy Spirit, our “transformation” through the process of conversion (change) is incomplete. Receiving the gift of God’s Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands is only the beginning. The process of conversion and developing God’s holy, righteous character is a process that takes time. To learn more about this, be sure to read the articles “What Is Conversion?” and “How Do You Know You Have the Holy Spirit?”

Infant Baptism?

 

Should infants or young children be baptized? Do they need to be baptized to ensure that they will be in the Kingdom of God? What does the Bible say?

“Then they brought little children to Him [Jesus], that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:13-16).

Jesus reminded His disciples that children are important, but He did not baptize little children. He took them up in His arms and blessed them. The blessing of little children is not the same as infant baptism with water.

What are the prerequisites for baptism?

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Repentance (which is a turning away from sin and following God) and believing the gospel go hand in hand. They are both important steps leading toward baptism.

On the Day of Pentecost, “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38). Repentance and baptism are necessary prior to receiving the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is for adults

Young children, and especially infants, are not able to really understand the full meaning of either repentance or belief in the gospel.

When Philip was preaching in Samaria, many of those who heard him were convicted by what he taught. “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized” (Acts 8:12). Notice that only adults (men and women) were baptized. As adults, they were emotionally and mentally mature enough to understand Philip’s message and make the decision to be baptized.

Infants are not able to comprehend the spiritual things of God

Children ask a lot of questions. They want to know the answers to things all around them. They have curious minds and want to learn, but they do not yet have the comprehension, especially as infants, to fully understand repentance from sins and the commitment one makes at baptism.

The apostle Paul states: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Most people reach a point in life when they move beyond a childish perspective and take on a mature view of the world around them. They begin to question themselves and their purpose for living. Their thinking and decision making is different as an adult.

Looking for the church behind Life, Hope & Truth? See our “Who We Are” page.

Parents have a responsibility

Parents play an important role in teaching their children God’s way of life. Children who grow up in godly families have a good foundation in God’s Word and way of life. As they mature and are exposed to many influences, they will have a reference point about God and His ways.

There are many scriptures that admonish parents to teach their children by word and example.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

What happens to an infant who dies?

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). So what happens to those who never knew the Lord? What happens to infants and children who die before ever growing to maturity—or before being baptized?

Through God’s plan of salvation and the resurrections He promised would occur (Revelation 20:5, Revelation 20:12; Ezekiel 37:5-14), every individual will have the opportunity to know God’s will and accept Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. Everyone will be able to understand repentance and God’s forgiveness and eventually have the opportunity to seek baptism and receive His Holy Spirit. (For further details of this most encouraging truth, see our article “Resurrections.”)

Isaiah records a prophecy of a time yet to come: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).

After Christ’s return and on into eternity, God’s knowledge will cover the earth, and there will be peace. And the Bible shows that all who have never known God will have an opportunity to do so in a time of peace.

There will be a time for children!

Isaiah speaks of a time when there will be joy and no more weeping: “The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days” (Isaiah 65:19-20).

We have a loving God and Creator who wants a relationship with each and every person who has ever lived—including infants and children. He has made it possible through Jesus Christ and the promise of the soon-coming Kingdom of God. But each person has to choose to follow Him (Deuteronomy 30:19). The decision to have a relationship with God and be baptized cannot be made by our parents or by any other individual.

Baptism is a covenant that an adult who understands repentance and commitment makes with God. One accepts the blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin and enters a commitment that should last for eternity. These are principles and concepts that only adults can grasp; and while God loves all children, He only makes His covenant with those who are mature enough to understand this.

When an adult repents and believes (has faith), he or she is ready for baptism. If you would like to speak with a minister, please click the “Ask a Question” link at the bottom of the page.

Reasons to Get Baptized Again

 

Why might a baptism be invalid? Here’s the story of two people who were rebaptized. Their reasons to get baptized again are eye-opening.

This is a true story about a country doctor and his wife and baptism. It took place over 45 years ago, but the lessons of their experience are still valuable for those with ears to hear.

The doctor had retired from a lifetime of medical practice in a small Canadian town. He and his wife were gentle, genuinely caring people. They were highly respected and loved by their neighbors. I met them because they asked for Church of God ministers to call on them to discuss what they had been learning from the Bible. I was assisting the area pastor at the time.

We made an appointment to visit the couple at their home. The meeting went well. It was cordial. Not only was the elderly couple gracious and hospitable, they were delighted to discover that we were of the same mind about the Bible’s teachings.

One of the fundamental biblical truths they had recently learned was that the Christian Sabbath is the seventh day, the same day God made holy at creation. All of the Christian churches in their area observed Sunday. The doctor and his wife wanted to worship in a Sabbath-keeping church. They wanted to fellowship with people of like mind, not only about the Sabbath, but also about a number of other truths that they were discovering from their Bible study.

They were conservative folks, not ones to jump into something new without careful thought. Our visit went by quickly, ending with an invitation to return soon for another. Over the course of a few months, they decided that they wanted to associate with the Church of God. Although they lived a few hours’ drive from the nearest congregation, they were so committed that they began making the trip every Sabbath.

The more they learned, the happier they were with their decision to associate with us. Eventually, they told us that they would like to become members of the Church of God.

What are reasons to get baptized again?

In the course of our visits, we had discussed the fact that one became a member of God’s Church through baptism. This they knew. We also discussed the fact that even most people who had been baptized previously needed to be rebaptized when God called them into His Church.

The doctor and his wife had been baptized in a church in their community decades before and they firmly believed that they were converted, that their baptisms were valid and that they did not need to be rebaptized.

We respectfully disagreed with their judgment, explaining why we believed that they needed to be baptized again. They balked at that. They thought that they would be exceptions. Clearly, they were hurt and probably somewhat insulted, if not a little angry.

They knew that the Bible teaches a person must be baptized by complete immersion in water, not sprinkling, and as an adult, not an infant. And that is how they had been baptized many years earlier!

They knew even then that baptism is a symbolic burial of the “old person” and that just being sprinkled would not do. (We explain the rich symbolism in “What Do the Symbols of Baptism Mean?”) They also knew that it is not possible for a baby or a young person to meaningfully recognize the need to “die” to his old way of life. (See “Infant Baptism?”)

They argued that they had been baptized in the way God instructs. Yet we maintained that we had no doubt that they needed to be rebaptized. For their sake, we could not just let this slide.

Is being a “good person” enough?

Why not? Clearly, these were “good people” of proven character. Their decision to become members of the Church was not made on impulse. No one would doubt their sincerity. They were humble and likable—quintessential grandparent types! They were not grievous sinners! So what would have been the problem with just officially declaring them members of the Church? What convinced us that they needed to be rebaptized?

I’ll get to that. First, I want to finish the couple’s story.

The idea of rebaptism was too much for them. After this meeting, they stopped attending church with us. Several weeks passed. Then the doctor and his wife asked us to call on them again.

We found them in a completely different state of mind from the last time we had spoken. They were positive again. They were happy. They explained that they had spent the intervening time reviewing everything that the Bible says about baptism. They had spent much time praying for guidance about what they should do. And they had come to see several reasons to get baptized again.

They came to realize that even though they had done several things right when they were first baptized, crucial things had been left undone.

The laying on of hands

The Bible shows that baptism must be followed by the laying on of hands by God’s ministry.The Bible shows that baptism must be followed by the laying on of hands by God’s ministry. After baptizing an individual, one or more ministers must ask God in prayer to give the person the gift of His Holy Spirit.

If you were to argue that God doesn’t have to give His Spirit this way, you would be right—He doesn’t have to! He could give it any way He chose. But when you look into the biblical examples, it is clear that this is how He chose to give His Spirit to those beginning the process of salvation.

So if you didn’t have the laying on of hands after baptism, that is another reason to get baptized again.

(Is this new to you? Did you know that Scripture calls the laying on of hands one of the elementary doctrines of Christianity (Hebrews 6:1-3)? Be sure to read “Laying on of Hands.”)

The doctor and his wife looked at the biblical examples and instructions. They came to see that this in itself was reason enough to conclude that their initial baptism was not valid. Since they had not had hands laid on them, they realized that they had not been baptized as the Bible instructs.

In addition to not having hands laid on them to receive the Holy Spirit, there was another issue concerning their previous baptism.

The importance of repentance

Coming to conversion is not just about procedure! It’s first a matter of the heart. Another indispensable element that must come before baptism is repentance. So not understanding repentance previously is another reason to get baptized again.

Although they had repented as best they knew how, they came to understand that they had not truly understood repentance at the time. Since repentance means turning from sin and toward obedience to God, it stands to reason that a person has to know what sin is and what God requires by way of obedience.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the story, one biblical doctrine they had not understood when they were first baptized was that of the true Christian Sabbath. They discovered they had been sinning in a significant way by failing to obey the Sabbath Commandment. So, their initial repentance was seriously incomplete. They realized they hadn’t really understood what to repent of, what to obey. They hadn’t repented, so they needed rebaptism.

(Is this new to you? Did you know that one of the first things Jesus told people to do was “repent” (Mark 1:15)? And did you know that John the Baptist and the apostles of Christ advised the same? Watch the short video with “How to Repent” and then explore our extensive collection of articles on this step in the pathway to salvation.)

Love … or following rules?

Love and following biblical instruction aren’t mutually exclusive.At this point some may be thinking that we should be focusing more on love and less on rules. The reality is that love and following biblical instruction aren’t mutually exclusive.

Note this biblical formula for growing in God’s love: “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:4-7, New International Version, emphasis added throughout).

Part of the pathway to love is knowledge. It’s inescapable. It cannot be bypassed. You need to know what faith is and where to place your faith. You need to know what God considers to be good, rather than rely on personal opinion or cultural swings. You need to know what impulses you need to control, when to persevere and what godliness is. And you need to know who your spiritual brothers and sisters are.

Then, you can approach the capstone of true godly love.

You have to know

The following biblical proverbs capture the commitment we all must have to seek knowledge. Notice the intensity of the words:

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1-5).

“If, if, if … then” shows cause and effect. The opposite is also true. If you don’t pursue it wholeheartedly, you won’t find the knowledge of God. There are things that Google just doesn’t know. Things that you will not understand by simply reading a summary on the Internet. Things that you will only understand by putting time and effort into digging them out for yourself. See the articles we offer in “The Practical & Priceless Benefits of Bible Study” section to look into the Bible for yourself.

To be sure, pursuing knowledge can be nothing more than an ego trip. Vanity. A reinforcement of the very nature a Christian is to leave behind. Yet claiming “love” without an accurate knowledge of the Bible is just as empty!

Fake news, fake gospel

Much is said about “fake news” in today’s culture. Did you know that first-century Christianity also had a crisis of fake news—that is, counterfeits of truth? In the same letter, Peter cautioned believers to beware of being led away by this misinformation (“the error of the wicked”).

The antidote for this? He advised them to increase their “grace and knowledge” (2 Peter 3:17-18).

The challenge of diverse personal opinion and misinterpretation of God’s Word continues today even in the world of Google. In one way, it’s never been easier to investigate what the Bible says. But it seems that many, if not most, want someone else to tell them about the Bible instead of digging into it personally.

The doctor and his wife set a wonderful example in many areas of life, including how they went about studying the reasons to get baptized again and deciding to seek rebaptism.

Like the Bereans of the apostle Paul’s day, they respectfully received what we told them. And then, they “searched the Scriptures … to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:10-12). That is, they didn’t take someone else’s word. They sought God’s Word.

Rebaptism for you?

Have you been baptized? Was it done when you were a baby? When you were a teen? Before you truly understood how God expects you to live? Perhaps you, too, should investigate what the doctor and his wife studied nearly 50 years ago. Here’s a great place to begin: “Rebaptism: Why Would You Be Baptized Again?”