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Post by Tabitha3319 on Mar 20, 2020 15:01:28 GMT -5
My friend is a new believer who is terrified of water.
How important is full immersion Baptism? Can it be done by yourself? Do you need witnesses?
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Cletus
Senior Member
Posts: 2,517
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Post by Cletus on Mar 20, 2020 16:50:17 GMT -5
its pretty important, its commanded. we do it in obedience. i dont think it will be held against your friend tho.
i think it being witnessed is important as it symbolizes our sins being washed away in our death burial and resurrection in Jesus. when we die people come to our funerals. when babies are born everyone wants to come and see the baby... and can i hold the baby?
notice tho how i said symbolizes? its a ritual, and we are not purified by rituals. and i think i know Gods ways well enough to say if God will require this of your friend... then He will deliver your friend of this fear. oh He is good. even more, God does not want your friend to be in fear, especially with fear that controls or has them in bondage. God already wants to take this out of them. your friend needs to seek His face and we all need to pray for your friend.
Psa 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Psa 68:20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.
Psa 34:1 A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psa 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Psa 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. Psa 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psa 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. Psa 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Psa 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psa 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. Psa 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Psa 34:11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psa 34:12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Psa 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. Psa 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. Psa 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psa 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. Psa 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
you see, even Gods word says He will deliver your friend. Hallelujah.
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Post by John on Apr 1, 2020 4:55:54 GMT -5
My friend is a new believer who is terrified of water. How important is full immersion Baptism? Can it be done by yourself? Do you need witnesses? Ideally, your friend should be baptized by full immersion since we are told to do so in the Bible. I do realize there are situations where that is not possible, and sprinkling or pouring is better than not being baptized at all, but if the only thing keeping this person from being baptized is fear of water, this person should try to get past that. It should be done in public. It is not the water baptism that actually does the saving. As Cletus pointed out, it is symbolic of the death of the old person and the rebirth of the new person, but clearly, the Biblical way of doing it is by immersion.
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