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Growing up, I remember feeling like the decision to get baptized was a huge deal. Many people I knew treated it as a difficult choice to make after salvation. It wasn’t uncommon for people to be saved for years before they felt they were “ready to get baptized.”
As time has passed and I’ve learned more, I’ve realized that not only is this way of thinking incredibly common, but it’s also incredibly unbiblical. Nothing in God’s word indicates that baptism is the second-most important decision we’ll ever make, nor one that demands years before we’re ready to do it. Rather, baptism is a simple act of obedience that should happen shortly after salvation.
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12)
There are many Christians living today who haven’t been baptized. Although there are many reasons given, there are often three that get at the heart of why someone is genuinely resisting God’s call to obedience. I’d like to discuss each of them and challenge anyone who isn’t baptized to honestly examine themselves and whether they should continue putting it off.
#1 You aren’t sure you’re saved
Of any reason not to get baptized, this may be the only one with merit. After all, we wouldn’t want a professing atheist to get baptized. If someone isn’t sure of their salvation, baptism can cause issues of false assurance, embarrassment at having to later admit they weren’t saved for their first baptism (which happened to me), or they’ll cause even more hurt if they abandon a faith they never held.
However, this becomes a bad reason not to get baptized when people spend months, even years, unsure if they’re saved. In such a case, the problem isn’t that they don’t have assurance, but that they’re dragging their feet on finding assurance. Although we don’t get a membership card that proves our salvation, God has still provided ways to be confident that we have, truly, been saved by Jesus Christ and been filled with the Holy Spirit.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:12-13)
1 John is a wonderful book that lays out our lives and identities in Christ. Through the inspiration of God, John concludes the book by explaining his purpose in writing: to give believers confidence in their salvation. But what gives us this confidence? It’s our faith in Jesus Christ.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. (John 5:24a)
Salvation isn’t as complicated as we make it out to be, nor is our assurance of that salvation. It’s not about how good we are, how others view us, or even whether we feel saved. Our salvation rests in an unchanging truth: Christ died to save us.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
And that’s it. Recognize the reality of your sin, God’s necessary punishment because of it, your inability to save yourself, and your need for Jesus Christ. If truly believing that has led you to call out to Christ for repentance and salvation, God’s word assures you that you are saved from God’s wrath forever.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)
If you still aren’t sure, then don’t let another day go by where you wonder. It doesn’t matter how embarrassing or painful it may be, taking the time to seek out the truth is worth the cost. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, but eternal life is promised to those who have been redeemed by Christ.
#2 You don’t understand what it is or why you should do it
I suspect this is where most people find themselves. Either someone doesn’t realize that dragging their feet on baptism is choosing to live in disobedience, or they don’t see the value in it. So let’s briefly discuss some things we should understand about baptism.
It’s a matter of obedience
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)
Although baptism doesn’t save, it is always assumed to be a natural “next step” of salvation (we’ll see this again in Romans 6). Christians are called to make disciples, and from there baptize them in a public proclamation of their new life in Christ. There’s no indication here that baptism should be separated from salvation by years, nor is there any indication that it’s unimportant. Christ calls for Christians to baptize others, which logically means that He commands others to be baptized.
We also see how Christ and the apostles naturally assume that baptism will immediately follow salvation:
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)
This can often confuse people because it says that those who don’t do something will be condemned. Yet notice the language here – it’s important to believe and be baptized. However, it’s condemning not to believe (with no mention of baptism). Christ makes it clear that baptism is expected after salvation, but it is only belief in Him that does or doesn’t save us.
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
Here, we see both repentance and baptism are spoken of as though they need to happen today.
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ (Acts 22:16)
After Paul’s conversion to Christianity, Ananias tells him not to wait in being baptized following his salvation.
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch also shows that baptism should closely follow salvation. After Phillip explains the gospel of Jesus Christ to this man, this happens very shortly after:
And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. (Acts 8:36, 38)
He had called on Christ for salvation and saw some water. His reaction was essentially “Hey, there’s some water, why can’t I just get baptized right now?” There was no long-winded discussion or years-long decision-making process. He was saved and asked Phillip if there was anything stopping him from acting in obedience to Christ by being baptized as a Christian.
The Ethiopian eunuch sets an example for all new Christians – if you’re truly saved, what’s stopping you from being baptized? It’s an act of obedience, any excuse-making really just boils down to justifying disobedience to our Savior.
However, I can understand the difficulty of doing something “just because.” We know God isn’t random, so baptism has to mean more than just getting our heads dunked underwater. So for those who may wonder why obedience demands baptism instead of something else, let’s briefly look at the Old and New Testament implications of it.
Water and cleaning
Throughout the Old Testament, water represented cleansing and purification, both literally and symbolically.
And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. (Leviticus 17:15)
The LORD said to Moses, “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.” (Exodus 30:17–21)
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. (Numbers 8:5-7)
only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water for impurity. And whatever cannot stand the fire, you shall pass through the water. (Numbers 31:22-23)
Water always symbolized some kind of cleansing. Understanding this allows us to launch into the use of water beyond just ceremonial and ritual cleansing.
Baptizing into a new life
As we bridge the Old and New Testaments, we see John the Baptist giving a new spin to a common practice.
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:1-11)
John was preparing the way for Christ, preaching repentance from sins. Those who desired to repent and truly serve God made a public declaration by being baptized, or fully submerged in water. This baptism wasn’t saving them, but they did it in response to their repentance. Of course, people in the day were likely very familiar with what this baptism symbolized.
It is likely that John adopted this practice from a Jewish practice of the day. If a Gentile (non-Jew) wanted to join Judaism, they had to become ritually clean. This would involve two things – men would need to be circumcised (following Exodus 12:48), and men and women would need to be ritually cleansed from head-to-toe in a river or bath (called a mikveh). The picture of this bath is that an unclean person would be submerged in the cleansing waters, and when they came up they would be part of their new Jewish family. In a way, it was as though they were born again into their new identity and new life.
Jews did this for Jewish converts, and John the Baptist did this for those who desired to show their repentance. Both were showing something similar – dying to your old self and coming into a new life.
New Testament meaning
After Christ, we see the fullness of what baptism represents. Understanding the full picture and purpose of baptism, it makes sense why Christ has commanded people to not only be saved but to publicly declare it through baptism.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:1-7)
First, notice once again that Paul makes a natural assumption that his audience has been both saved by the grace of God and baptized out of obedience. Again, we can’t escape the reality that baptism is an act of obedience, and New Testament writers had no concept of Christians waiting years to obey Christ.
But beyond that, we see what baptism represents. As we are plunged into the water, we declare that we are set free from sin by Christ suffering and dying to pay the penalty for it. We then emerge from the water just as Christ was resurrected, symbolizing our new life in Him.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)
Like the baptisms of Jewish converts, our baptism signifies that we are citizens of a new kingdom. Yet through Christ’s death and resurrection, it takes on greater clarity. We show that our old self is dead, and in its place is a new creation that is no longer guilty before God, but instead lives in freedom as a slave of Christ.
Understanding why God commands something isn’t necessary for obedience. However, a greater understanding of why baptism is important can help us see why it truly is a matter of obedience.
#3 You’re afraid of being in front of people
Baptisms often feature a person’s testimony where they’ll spend a few minutes sharing how Christ saved them. It’s a beautiful time, and God even used the baptism testimony of others to kickstart the salvation process for two of my own daughters. Although the testimony time may not be explicitly commanded, it’s a tradition that holds great value and has persisted through church history for a reason.
And for many, this tradition is terrifying. We live in a culture where people can be crippled by a fear of being in front of people. One report suggests that over 70% of the population has some form of public speaking anxiety. On top of that, our culture even embraces being controlled by this fear, perhaps even making it such a defining part of someone’s identity that they eventually believe that nothing, not even God, can overcome this fear and anxiety.
Because of this, many will feel the conviction of obedience to Christ, yet will refuse because they don’t want to speak in public. They will consciously live in active disobedience, excusing it away by convincing themselves that they just can’t do it because their fear is too crippling. Their fear of other people and love of their personal comfort zone comes before their fear and love of God.
If someone is willing to recognize that their fear controls them, God’s word offers wonderful comfort and guidance. Overcoming this fear requires us to be very honest with ourselves, even rejecting how the world has conditioned us to be controlled and defined by our fears and anxiety. Some may even need to cry out to God in repentance for how they’ve trusted in their fear more than God.
However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, anyone can see victory over their fear as they desire to obey Christ. To those who are tired of trusting their social anxiety instead of trusting God, let God’s word challenge and encourage you.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. (Proverbs 29:25)
What are we really afraid of? What will actually happen if we stand in front of people and declare the goodness of God in saving such an unworthy and wicked sinner? We can come up with plenty of “What if?” scenarios, but at the end of the day we’re most often gripped by fear of the unknown. We give the power of judgment and fear to people who are just as wicked and in need of Christ as we are. We let them decide what we will or will not do, because we let their opinions (or how we imagine their opinions) be what we care most about.
That level of awe, respect, reverence, and even fear is reserved for God alone. We cannot worship the opinion of others so much that it determines our actions. In doing so, we replace God with public opinion. Our greatest joy isn’t found in serving and pleasing our God, but in avoiding embarrassment and not having others think we’re less than perfect.
Let’s be honest, few people with social anxiety will actually say those words to themselves. But if we’re still being honest, many have no choice but to admit how true those words are.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)
What controls us? If our fear of public speaking is so dominating that it doesn’t let us act in obedience, then we don’t have self-control. Just as someone enslaved to alcohol feels that their lives are dominated and controlled by their craving, someone who is controlled by social anxiety is likewise surrendering their self-control to something else.
Yet the Holy Spirit living inside of us is the one who equips and enables us to go beyond our sinful lack of self-control. He doesn’t call for us to live in fear but in the power of Christ. Through that, we can stand before others and declare what Christ has done.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Paul gives us a blunt, perhaps painful, decision. Do our decisions reflect a servant of Christ or a pleaser of man? What we do reflects who we desire to please and serve. If Christ is our goal, our actions will show that. If we care more about pleasing others, or perhaps not displeasing them by embarrassing ourselves, then we will likewise see that in our actions.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)
But we aren’t called to serve anyone above Christ. Everything we do should be in service to loving, serving, and honoring Him. That requires us to ask ourselves: “By refusing to be baptized because I don’t want to speak in front of others, whose desires am I serving?”
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Despite everything, there’s no guarantee that obeying God won’t still have some butterflies in our stomachs as we stand in front of others. God doesn’t call us to obey as long as we feel brave enough – He simply calls us to obey. If our fear controls us, God wants us to bring it to Him in prayer and trust.
Perhaps God will give us boldness to speak. Perhaps we’ll still have wobbly knees and sweaty palms. Whatever happens as we stand in front of people, God’s will is that we have peace that we are doing what He desires. Despite everything else, we can rest in God and do things we can’t possibly do on our own.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Sometimes obedience is easy. Sometimes we can still feel weak and incapable. Most often, it’s those times of weakness that God’s power is greatly demonstrated. Someone who hates public speaking, yet stands up and declares the grace of God in their lives, is someone who knows that everything they do and say is fully reliant on Christ.
If fear keeps you from obedience, set these verses in your heart and mind. Trust the power of God in your life. Let Him be your greatest desire as you act in obedience.
Go get baptized
If you’re a follower of Christ, what are you waiting for? Baptism isn’t a major decision any more than any other act of obedience. It begins with us trusting God and desiring to serve Him. Just as we want to kill sin and walk in obedience in every other area of our lives, declaring to the world “I’m a new creation in Christ” through baptism is just one more way to love, honor, serve, and glorify our God.
