When should I get baptized?

[Humble_Disciple]

I was raised in a Catholic family and baptized as an infant. If I were to get re-baptized as an adult, I'd have to keep it a secret from my parents. How long should I attend a Baptist church before getting baptized, if I am going to be re-baptized?

 

[Sabertooth]

Have you been Born Again?

 

[Humble_Disciple]

Have you been Born Again?

I would say so. I recently had a conversion experience and, since then, my desires for all my favorite sins have disappeared.

 

[Sabertooth]

1. Get into a New Believers' class at your church.
2. Besides laying some groundwork for your faith, it should include the place of baptism in your new walk.

 

[sunshineforJesus]

I think you should get baptized when you are led by the Lord too.

 

[Tolworth John]

I was raised in a Catholic family and baptized as an infant. If I were to get re-baptized as an adult, I'd have to keep it a secret from my parents. How long should I attend a Baptist church before getting baptized, if I am going to be re-baptized?

First things first.
Talk to your parents about becoming a Christian.

As they believe Catholics are Christians, you will have some explaining to do, untill they realise you mean that you are a heretical protestant.

Let them get used to this.

See if they will attend a service.

This will take time so wait before shocking them with more assaults against their beliefs.

Become a member of your church, volunteer for service etc, attend baptismal classes and again talk this through with your parents.

Baptism is an opertunity to witness to one's family, neighbours and friends it is not to be kept secret from them.

So talk to them. You do want them to be saved don't you?

 

[Humble_Disciple]

First things first.
Talk to your parents about becoming a Christian.

I wouldn't say that Roman Catholics aren't Christians, they're just confused about what the Bible teaches because of a corrupt hierarchy.

I'd also want to attend church for at least a year before making a commitment to get baptized.

 

[Tolworth John]

I wouldn't say that Roman Catholics aren't Christians, they're just confused about what the Bible teaches because of a corrupt hierarchy.

I'd also want to attend church for at least a year before making a commitment to get baptized.

Not so much corrupt hierarchy as corrupt doctrine.

You still need to talk to them, as officially protestants are heretics who cannot be saved.
They will see you as lost.

They will also be loosing ' face ' among the Catholic community. A lapsed Catholic can return on his death bed you however are officially destined for hell.

So talk to them.

 

[East of Eden]

In the Bible, baptism follows conversion.

 

[miamited]

I was raised in a Catholic family and baptized as an infant. If I were to get re-baptized as an adult, I'd have to keep it a secret from my parents. How long should I attend a Baptist church before getting baptized, if I am going to be re-baptized?

Hi HD,

I too, would ask if you have believed. You don't discuss 'when' you came to believe the gospel. However, I believe the examples in the Scriptures are that one should be baptized pretty soon after they have come to believe and trust in the death and resurrection of our Lord for the forgiveness of their sins. I'm confident that you hadn't done that when you were baptized as an infant. Most infants can hardly speak out 'momma' or 'dadda', let alone believe in something that they have never even had an opportunity to hear of.

Whether you join the baptist fellowship where you are worshipping now, if you have believed what God has asked of us, then you should be baptized as soon as is practicable. You'll have to speak with your pastor as to whether or not they are inclined to baptize you as a non-member. I don't think there should be any problem with it, but it's good to get it clear.

God bless,
Ted

 

[Dan Perez]

I was raised in a Catholic family and baptized as an infant. If I were to get re-baptized as an adult, I'd have to keep it a secret from my parents. How long should I attend a Baptist church before getting baptized, if I am going to be re-baptized?

DO not worry is my opinion , that there is NO verse in the bible , that says INFANTS can be Baptized !!

dan p

 

[DragonFox91]

I was baptized as an infant too.

I have not actually been baptized as an adult but have wanted to since I started to learnn infant baptism isn't really baptism in middle or high school. I almost did in college, but held off. I still haven't. I don't think the time is right yet. There is something I'd like in my life, & I struggle w/ 'is that a reason I I want to get baptized? If I didn't want that would I still get baptized or would I consider my infant baptism sufficient?'. & like OP, I'd feel like I'm stabbing my family in the back. It's not meant to be a secret.

OP, I actually disagree w/ 'getting baptized right away' or 'in 1 year I will.' This is big decision. This isn't something that's done on a whim. As an example: too many people think they're 'born again', get baptized, only you find out they walked away from the faith completely at some point. They will say they were baptized, but the truth is, they were just going off an emotion. I'm not saying this will happen to you, & that you're not saved, only you really, really, need to think about this. 'I have a new attitude towards old sins' or 'an experience' isn't what being born again is. It's recognizing that you as part of mankind in your own sin was an enemy to a holy God & rightfully deserved judgement, & he thru his bloody death on the Cross as a sacrifice in your place & resurrection back to life, took your judgement, so now you are God's friend & have his promises so desire him as he's revealed himself.

It's not an atittude b/c attitudes can change. It's not an experience b/c those can be forgotten. It's a knowledge & an acceptance of that knowledge. This is what we mean when we say 'believe.' It's not like 'I believe I'll win the lottery.'