At college this week I had a conversation about baptism and salvation. The person I was speaking to held the belief that you needed to be baptised, in addition to trusting in Jesus, to be saved.
I disagreed. I said that whilst baptism is a positive thing, it was an outward sign of an inward event which had already occurred (giving Jesus Lordship of your life). I argued that you won't be kicked out of heaven if you've missed getting dunked. Instead you'll be judged on how you've responded to Jesus.
At one point I was asked if I would baptise a kid in my youth ministry... Acts 8:36 style... once they became a Christian.
I had no real answer, but the conversation did bring to mind an impromptu baptism which took place at a camp years ago.
At the time it felt strange but I could never work out why.
My conversation this week cleared up my uneasiness.
When you get baptised, you not only join with Christ and identify with what He has done (like Romans 6 says), but a community of believers.
Thus, without this wider community present, I would defer the impromptu baptism.
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