Adam, your story touched my heart. I am always impressed when a person, like you, wants to do what Christ is telling him to do instead of what a religious group tells them to do/think! I know by talking and studying with people over the years and trying to tell them about Jesus that they sometimes want to believe and do what Jesus has commanded but it would mean they would have to leave their "church", friends and sometimes family members to follow Christ. I am reminded of Christ telling the man who wanted to follow Him but wanted to go bury his father first. To those who don't understand why Jesus said this to the man, it would be considered very cruel and hard to do and would be considered a legitimate excuse! It's not always easy learning the truth about what Jesus wants us to do, giving over control of our lives and following Him! I commend you, Adam, for that!

Adam Gonnerman said:

In January 1995 I was baptized by immersion. It was a wonderful experience, the fruit of an understanding that this was the Lord's will and the right choice. I'd already believed in Christ for a couple of years, even leaving the Catholic church in which I'd been raised at age 17 to become "evangelical." Later in 1995 I came to realize that the Bible teaches baptism as necessary to become a Christian, not "faith only." I spent a very miserable month of October wrestling with the question before I was finally baptized again. It wasn't such a wonderful experience.

Later, while at Harding University, Jimmy Allen was one of my professors. He explained that no one understands everything about baptism when they are baptized (many not getting the fact of the gift of the Holy Spirit). He said that there are many good, Biblical reasons to be baptized and rejected most arguments in favor of rebaptism.

When I tell the story of my journey of discipleship I talk about the January baptism as the point where I became a Christian. If God for some reason counts the second time in October (I doubt it), then all well and good.

I teach baptism as a command of Christ and for the remission of sins and gift of the Holy Spirit. I don't want anyone to be misled or to misunderstand. At the same time I realize that God has a lot of people outside of my faith tradition who He counts as sons and daughters.

In the end, the decision about rebaptism has to be a personal one, but I don't encourage it unless there were glaring deficiencies in the person's first immersion in water.

I struggle with this also. Some people in my family teach that you become a Christian and receive the Holy Spirit when you accept Jesus and pray a sinners prayer. Then baptism is a command but not required for salvation. It is an outward sign of an inward faith and not when we are forgiven. They themselves have been baptized, but it concerns me that they are teaching this to others. When I have talked with them about the importance of baptism and studied verses, they still disagree. I am genuinely concerned about them. I see how they are teaching about Jesus and people have bibles and can read to see the truth, and that is a good thing. So I guess my question is, should I be so concerned about their salvation if they have already been baptized? And if I don't need to be, do I just pray for the kids at Child Evangelism Fellowship that are hearing they don't need to do a thing but pray a prayer to be saved?

The New Testament teaches Baptism is for the remission of sins. Not to join a church or if one thinks one is already saved by faith alone and chooses to be baptized as an outward sign of an inward grace such as the Protestant/Evangelical movements do. In fact those types of baptisms aren't baptisms. One has not truly been baptized until it's for the right reason. To have ones sins cleansed from their soul.

The Bible is a love story spanning 1,500 years of God's interaction with His greatest creation - us. It's central theme is the gospel of Jesus Christ (death, burial, resurrection), and its power to save man from Gods judgement to those who believe it (Rom 1:16). But according to the scriptures, just believing the saving message is not enough to become a saint of God in His kingdom. God asks us to obey the gospel with obedient faith in order to make His free gift of grace real in our lives. Below is the unfolding of the great commission spoken in Matthew 28:19-20 for any who desire to be saved.

BIBLICAL BAPTISM INTO CHRIST. This is the work of God (Col 2:11-12) upon the dinner in a matter of seconds.

The sinner has already heard and read the word of God. Romans 10:14-17.

The sinner is already on a path of repenting of her sins. Acts 3:19, 2 Peter 3:9.

The sinner by faith is obedient confessing Christ as the Son of God before witnesses. Acts 8:36,37, Romans 10:10.

The sinner by faith is then buried (into death like Jesus) by immersion in water. Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3, 1Pet 3:21.

The sinners past sins are cleansed by the blood of Christ in the burial. Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Titus 3:5.

The new Saint is raised a new creature white as snow. Romans 6:4, 2 Cor 5:17.

The new Saint receives the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38, Acts 5:32, Ephesians 1:13.

The new Saint now begins to walk a new life clothed with Christ rejoicing. Acts 8:39, Galatians 3:27, Philippians 4:4, 3 John 1:3,4.