False Baptism

Me and my wife are very new Christians. We where baptised a few weeks ago and ever since the baptism we have both felt off...

Like we are in some kind of darkness is the best way I can explain it. We have both had our doubts about the church we attend but we didn't wanna be judgemental. We are now desperate to find out what is going on. I noticed that the Christian Church is under attack, it seems, so maybe we got baptised under a falsely? Neither one of us can remember what he said as we got baptised, thats kind wierd. Any thoughts or prayers for our family are needed.

Hi Bryan/Ashley,

What exactly is wrong with the pastor/church? Feelings are notoriously unreliable, and you don't want to say 'our baptism was wrong' just because you both haven't 'felt' good since then. Satan has many tactics.

So what does this pastor/church teach that is unbiblical? Can you point out specific instances?

By the way, God looks at the heart - if you truly repented and committed your life to Him as you were baptized, don't worry about what the pastor was thinking or saying. I was baptized when I was 12, I didn't even remember what my pastor said until I found the home video a year ago and watched it!

Don't get under false condemnation, but rejoice in the Lord for your new life with your Savior. If you think you need to change churches because it's unbiblical - go ahead and do it but don't do it based on emotions only. Point out in scripture why this church is unbiblical.

Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"

Discipleship and Jesus are mentioned quite a bit, and thats always good to hear. There isn't really any teaching I have heard thats is unbiblical. I know that Rob Bell's books are read and liked. I read the first 40 pages of "Love Wins"... Rob Bell basically said that a Loving God wouldn't send a bunch of people to hell...,doesn't that make God and unjust God? There is only forgiveness if blood is shed and the only blood that can wash away sin in Jesus's blood.

I know feelings can't be trusted but my wife and myself feel like something is wrong. This past sunday she went to church and they showed a short film of our baptism on the screen and she started crying. I asked her why, she said she just wanted to go back to that day. I remember a few days later her mentioning how hard it was to pray and I noticed myself struggling. What a laughing stock I will be if satan is playing games with me head.

I'm sorry Lovefirst, but I am having a little trouble understanding what the problem is? What are you expecting from baptism? You are baptised because you believe. Not a shallow belief, but a belief that instills in you a desire to be removed from whom you were and now identified with whom you are about (that being Christ). Imagine coming to the realization that you have been dunked in sewer water and rolled in filth. How badly would you desire to wash off that which is upon you? It is no different for one who desires baptism. They have been made clean in salvation by regeneration and now they are a new creature in Christ. They have been cleansed from sin but the world will still know them for the sewer like perfume that they wore and the external attire they adorned which was the filth of their sinful life and actions. So baptism affords them the opportunity to give testimony thru this action which is to confess that this was the stinch like perfume I wore and this was my covering of filth but now the Lord has changed me. I do this to testify of His work and the proof is I am no longer that vile selfish and prideful creature. There will be a desire also to tell those not attending the baptism. Those who missed this testimony. Oh one may transgress occassionally in their ongoing sanctification, but the love of sin has been replaced with the love for God. That love is the most precious thing to the believer above all things that the world can offer. God proves it in the believer and the believer desires to testify of it.

Forgot to mention baptism is your identity not the preachers or the dunker who ever that might be. I was baptised at 16 but not saved until I was 47. Not to uncommon.

When I get home, my wife and I will diffently talk about this further and pray for guidance. I will be looking at the churchs in the surronding area.

brother, if the leadership of that church is okay with Rob Bell's teaching I say run as fast as you can from that church and find a good one and get baptised again. I say that with all sincerity. I will be praying for you.

Thank you so much Oracio. Prayers are what we need right now.

Hi lovefirst

If you are feeling this way I just strongly recommend you go to a strong conservative local church

i agree with the above advice from greg. When i first went to church i already had a relationship with Jesus but i didn't have much biblical reading knowledge. The preachers message didn't seem right to me and i continued my search until i found a church that helped me grow. It was Jesus guiding me on where he wanted me to go. as i look back at all the churches that jesus got me to leave, to this day they are legalistic and sleep with foreign doctrines that have nothing to do with Jesus. I recently started a post about false preachers which may help in your search for a church :)

Rob Bell basically said that a Loving God wouldn't send a bunch of people to hell...,doesn't that make God and unjust God? There is only forgiveness if blood is shed and the only blood that can wash away sin in Jesus's blood.

Since no one replied to this portion I think this needs to be explained. Brother please recognize that this sentiment actually undermines the love of God. It may seem that a "God of Love" would never send people to hell, however this is really a human perception of Gods love not rooted in divine revelation (which is the Bible). It is a God of love who recognizes the cost it would take to keep people from Hell, who was willing to send his Son so that any who would call on him would be saved and would not perish (John 3:15) Since Jesus says that those who believe in him will not perish then that means that those who do not believe will perish. It is a God of Love who is willing to give his Son so that people can be saved through him. If there is no punishment for sin, then there is no need for sacrifice, if there is no need for sacrifice then there is no need to punish sin. If there is no need to punish sin, then Jesus did not need to die for our sins. It is a great God of Love who is willing to suffer the punishment for our sin to keep us from hell. If you take that out of the gospel, then there is no good news. It is just mere religion. And Christ is nothing but a foolish martyr.

Jesus suffered the effects of sin, in that he became sin for us, II Corinthians 5:21. On the cross Jesus Christ, as God, the God of love, suffered all the punishment sin in the world deserved, as a result belief in him or faith is what saves us. It saves us from many things, hell being one of them. To say that it is a God of Love who would not send people to hell is also to say that a God of love did not suffer rightly to keep people from hell. The sentiment you shared actually ends up destroying the work of the cross. Nullifying the need for Christ to reconcile us to God. If Gods attribute of "Love" in and of itself was sufficient to save the world, then His Son would not have needed to die. Gods love rather is defined, and displayed to us through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3 show us that Jesus is the image of Gods person, thus when you see Jesus, you see who God is.)

God's love is not defined by human understanding, rather, our understanding of Gods Love is enlightened by Christ. He is the very demonstration of Gods love in and of himself. So when Jesus says that those who believe in him will not perish, we understand that Jesus has given us a way to become 'recipients' of Gods love. Without a vehicle to carry the love of God in a targeted and specific fashion then the Love of God is displayed upon all men in the form of Gods hospitable benevolence. (The following passages of scripture explain what I mean by that.)

(Mat 5:41) And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two.

(Mat 5:42) Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

(Mat 5:43) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

(Mat 5:44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

(Mat 5:45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

In other words, we are all recipients whether good or bad of Gods hospitality. We are all in His universe. So yes a God of Love allows even the unjust or wicked to be in his dwellings. So there are no doubts that we serve a God of Love. The question is not whether or not he is a God of love, the question is how do we become recipients not of his benevolent love, but of his saving love? Again that is in the person, friendship (John 15:12-15), and work of Christ.

The wicked receive Gods benevolence their whole lives, but it takes faith to receive his saving Love.

By the way, Jesus was tempted right after he was baptized. It is very common to experience much trial and temptations of faith after baptism. Read the parable of the sower and be encouraged by the Lord.

The day I was baptized, I experienced temptation and doubt about Christ to such an extent as to be nearly overwhelmed to the point of denying the faith. For nearly six months I wrestled with doubt and severe spiritual anxiety. At one point Christ requested kindly that I place my faith in him, and since then the doubts have fled into the shadows they were spawned from. An untested faith, is not true faith.

Our faith must be on the person of Christ...

Please reconsider reading anything by Rob Bell. Stick to scripture and ask Jesus to give you spiritual insight.

"But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him." -1 John 2:27 (This exhortation applies to believers young, older, and oldest in the faith 1 John 2:12-14)

"Call to me and I will show you great and unsearchable things." -Jeremiah 33:3

"Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderful things out of thy law!" Psalm 119:18

I will be praying for you.

hi alreadymind

Since no one replied to this portion I think this needs to be explained.

You are right this did need an awnser and i feel you gave a thorough and edifying awnser :)

Thanks to everyone, we appreicate the help and encouragment! The very affternoon I posted this, after doing some praying, whatever was going on was lifted by the Lord. We now know it was a test, that we where being pestered by the evil one. We have also been told by some new christian friends that we should only be reading the bible like some of you mentioned and we will being doing just that.

We are new christians that desire to be pleasing to the Lord so you are correct in saying our consciences are in 'overdrive'.

Thanks again to everyone! God Bless You!

P.S. I am so happy that is over! However, I know there will be more...

Precious Brother,

Don't worry about your feelings, our salvation is not based on how we feel today, trust me I've been through this 10,000 times. Whenever you feel this way remind satan and his minions that Jesus defeated him on the cross, submit yourself to God, and the devil will flee from you.

It's actually a good thing when we are being attacked this way because we can know that satan wouldn't waste his time on people whom he knew were already going to hell. Think about it, why would he bother them? Do any of your unsaved friends have this feeling? NO! Especially after you have decided to be obedient to the Lord, no, you are a serious threat to his kingdom. He doesn't bother too much with '3rd rate believers' (as brother Zac would say) but obedient saints are a great danger to him. Be encouraged and I'm very happy to have you as a brother and your wife as a sister, God bless you and keep running!!

Much love!

Don't forget Ravenhill. Then you will need two boxes of tissues.

One more thing, read all of Romans 8, but especially know this:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38-39

If we are in His hand, and we decide to stay in His hand, who then can takes us out? NO ONE!!

Overcome my brother and sister! He'll be with you everyday, even when you don't sense or see Him, years later you will look back and see that He was with you, holding your hand, walking with you, I can testify that this is the truth through experience. :-)

Thank you very much. A W Tozer has been recommended by another Christian friend as well. I will take your advice and download some.

I hope my wife feels that she has a covering! I know it was a tough few weeks and we did go through some doubt. But the last3 or 4 days have been very nice and we have been able to have the kids busy or asleep so we can both read the bible and discuss things. We have also shared some prayers together.

The Lord is wonderful to us and we are very thankful for His kind blessings that we do not deserve.

I would recommend a sermon by Paul Washer, the name of the sermon is "How to get saved".

I'm not saying you are not saved because I really dont know you but he says some interesting things in that particular sermon that I believe will be helpful for you.

You should also listen to "basic Christianity" by Paul Washer and most important "regeneration and unity" also by Paul Washer.

Hope this helps.