In one sense the question of whether you should get baptized or not shouldn’t be a question. The fact is that baptism is commanded in Scripture. To ignore a command of God is a rejection of God’s will for your life. If there was anyone who might have been able to say, ‘I don’t think I need to do that,’ it would have been Jesus. When He came to John the Baptist to be baptized, He was refused at first. Understandably, John said that he should be baptized by Jesus instead! But in Matthew 3:15, Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus’ baptism takes away all excuses. Baptism is a non-negotiable for anyone who wants to walk in the will of God. But the Bible actually gives conditions. There are three questions you should ask to see if you’re ready to be baptized.

1. Have you repented?

When Peter preached to the crowds on the Day of Pentecost, it says in Acts 2:37 that “they were cut to the heart.” They felt convicted for rejecting Jesus and wanted to know what they should do. In the next verse, Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” As much as he wants them to be baptized, his first priority for them is repentance. People often equate repentance with tears, remorse, or doing good things. Technically, the word describes a change of mind. Specifically, repentance is a moral and spiritual U-turn, whereby you decide to turn from sin as God reveals it and as best you understand it. Martin Luther famously declared, “the entire life of believers is to be one of repentance,” in that we are constantly growing in our knowledge of God’s will and our own heart and so need to keep turning from sin on a daily basis. But Peter’s command was more foundational than that. While the Christian life is a series of U-turns that we make in response to sin, it begins with a once-and-for-all decision to break from sin. If that decision doesn’t precede baptism, you’re just getting wet.

2. Have you believed the good news?

Later in the Book of Acts, there’s another description of baptism. Acts 8:12 says, “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Here, there’s no mention of repentance. Instead, it says that “they believed” when they heard the preaching of the good news. Sometimes, people say that ‘they believe’ and what they mean is that they agree (or at least don’t disagree) with certain truths. They believe in God like they believe in gravity. In the Bible, however, believing involves whole-hearted trust and commitment. What they believed or trusted in this passage was the good news. The good news is the message that Jesus died for our sins on the cross so that through faith in Him we can receive forgiveness and eternal life. Have you put your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? Have you staked your eternity on the good news that Jesus took your punishment so that you might receive His reward? Without true faith, baptism doesn’t mean anything.

3. Have you received the Holy Spirit?

Repentance and faith are like two sides of the same coin. Repentance is a moral and spiritual U-turn away from sin, and faith is a moral and spiritual U-turn toward Jesus. They describe one action from two perspectives. Sometimes, however, neither repentance nor faith is mentioned. Take Acts 10:47, for example. Peter asks, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” While there’s no mention of them repenting or believing, Peter sees the fact that they have received the Holy Spirit as evidence that they have repented and believed and so should be baptized. The Bible says that when we put our trust in Jesus, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. God comes into our lives and begins to change us from the inside out. He gives us new desires for God and righteousness as well as new strength to change. That evidence of the Holy Spirit within us assures us of our new life.

If you’ve repented of your sins and put your trust in Jesus, you should experience God at work within you and you should respond to His call to baptism. If you can’t say yes to these three questions, it’s not that you’re not a ‘good enough Christian’ to be baptized. It’s more likely an indication that you’re not a Christian at all. Go back to the good news about Jesus and His call to repentance and faith. Get that settled before you get in the water.

May God guide you as you wrestle with these questions.

In awe of Him,

Paul