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What Happens If You Sin After Baptism?

What happens if you sin after baptism?

Introduction

Every believer understands that salvation is a journey and not a one-off experience.

We understand that we must first confess our sins, forsake them, accept Jesus, get baptized, and live righteously to be called children of God.

Baptism is a core requirement every believer must fulfill after giving their lives to Christ.

It’s a simple but significant process even Jesus Christ underwent. But what happens if we sin?

Do we seize to become Christians or born again?

Do we repeat the entire process of salvation or baptism again every time we commit a sin?

These are some of the questions bothering the minds of many believers.

If you have ever wondered about being baptized again or have been asked by a Christian in a dilemma, this article will answer your question and give you direction.

The concept of baptismhow many times can you get baptized

Firstly, you must understand what baptism is and its significance.

Baptism is an open declaration of one’s decision to turn away from sin and embrace a new life in Christ.

Confession and repentance can sometimes be private, so people might not be aware of one’s stance. However, baptism is a bold statement or action to show where one belongs.

Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Therefore, your immersion into water signifies your death and with Christ, meaning your natural or old self died with Christ.

While being brought out of the water symbolizes resurrection and the beginning of a new life in Christ (Romans 6:3-4).

As such, baptism is a key prerequisite in the salvation experience. Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5).

Jesus laid a good example by being baptized. Also, the Bible records different instances where new converts were baptized (Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21)

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How many times can you undergo baptism?should i get baptized again after backsliding

Now that we understand the significance of baptism, it’s time to know if it can be done multiple times or repeated anytime one sins.

The answer is it depends on the situation surrounding your baptism.

A baptism is an act one chooses to do voluntarily and consciously.

One must understand its significance and then decide to undergo the process, just as the Eunuch told Philip to baptize him after he heard the Gospel of Christ and accepted Jesus (Acts 8:34-39)

However, there are cases where infants are baptized based on their parent’s discretion. Babies do not have the capacity to decide to give their lives to Christ.

They do not know what sin is, so undergoing baptism at that age means nothing to them.

If this is the situation, one can repeat baptism after maturing and understanding the concept, giving their life to Christ, and living a new life in Him.

Another set of people that can repeat baptism are adults who were baptized because they see others doing it or were cajoled into doing it but haven’t given their lives to Christ.

Partaking in baptism, in this case, can be likened to bathing in water because it has no spiritual significance.

However, when that person repents, accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, and understands the purpose of baptism, they can proceed to be baptized.

These are some peculiar cases where baptism can again be permitted.

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What happens if you sin after baptism?what happens if you never get baptized

If you sin after baptism, ask God for forgiveness, and you’ll be forgiven.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Sin does not invalidate your baptism or cancel your salvation.

It only shows you your weaknesses so you can work on them through God’s help and become better.

Baptism does not cancel sin nor wash sin from our hearts.

It is only a declaration of faith, as we’ve stated earlier.

Though it’s a necessary step, it does not save us.

What cleanses our sins and makes us acceptable before God is the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary (Hebrews 9:14, 1 John 1:7-9).

Therefore, when we sin, the best step is to ask God for forgiveness and ask Jesus to wash us with His blood.

The Bible says Jesus’ blood can cleanse even the most filthy sin. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

So, your worry shouldn’t be about undergoing the process of baptism again but acknowledging your sins, asking God to forgive you, then turning away from that sin.

As long as you are a human living in this sinful world, sinning will be part of your experience.

That is a shared human weakness.

We are all imperfect, and God understands our humanness. However, those who have received Christ have the capacity to minimize sin in their lives and strive toward perfection.

The Holy Spirit God gives us helps us to know when we are going astray and empowers us to quickly fall back on track any time we lose our way.

The Spirit of God living in us distinguishes us from those who are not born again because there’s always godly sorrow that leads us to repentance. 

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

So, remember that God loves you even if you fall back into sin.

His love is patient.

He does not condemn us but wants to save us and give us eternal life. However, we must trust Him with our weaknesses and not cover our sins. We should be vulnerable and ask Him to help us.

Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”

God’s love never ceases; it is everlasting.

His mercy never comes to an end.

It is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Things to Avoid After Baptism

  • Neglect spiritual life – read the Bible and pray.
  • Going back to sinful ways – avoid turning away from Christ’s principles.
  • Disconnecting from the community – surround yourself with your church community.
  • Pray for repentance – practice confession.
  • Failing to care for others – build relationships.

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SUDHA

Saturday 8th of July 2023

AM UNDERGOING GUILT AND SHAME AND POVERTY SO DO NOT KNOW HOW TO BE SURE OF GOD'S LOVE IN THIS DISATEROUS LIFE SITUATION

In uncertainty read his word, encourage yourself. Pray earnestly. We all are imperfect but God sees all. And he sees your heart. Wait on him and he will deliver.

Saturday 15th of July 2023

@SUDHA,