If I realize that I had sins after baptism, does that mean I need to be baptized again?
Question:
Hi,
After spending most of my teenage and early adult life in the Baptist Church, I came upon the Interactive Bible Study by Ronald Boatwright, where it talked about how to be biblically saved. I was actually baptized for the correct reason a few weeks ago. However, I've been wondering if I should be baptized again, mainly because I'm not entirely sure if I really repented of all of my sins. Mainly due to the fact that while the person who baptized me did say that repentance is required to make some changes, he didn't know anyone who he had baptized that didn't feel that they were "repenting." Knowing that repentance is to take place before baptism, and not during, or after. I also have all of these sins that I didn't know were sins until recently that I've been committing (using euphemisms in place of God's name and swear words, and I have a library book that I had put away and forgotten about, and never returned from almost two years ago, I also lost a second library book, and unpaid property taxes from a few years ago, also that I had forgotten about, and not having a right attitude, both towards my family and friends and with myself). In regards to the euphemisms, I now try to redirect my thoughts and words to avoid saying them, but I find myself slipping up every now and then. I'm concerned that I didn't truly repent, and that I should be rebaptized, upon correcting my mistakes.
Thoughts?
Thank you.
Answer:
To become a Christian, a person must repent of his sins. "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"" (Acts 2:38). Very likely most people could not innumerate all the sins committed. But what repentance means is that you have changed your mind about sin and are changing your behavior. A person does not have to be perfect to be a Christian. In fact, that isn't possible for anyone. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). However, a person can change his attitude toward sin by no longer accepting it, excusing it, or tolerating it in his life.
With your changed attitude toward sin, you started examining what you do and realized that changes are needed. That is normal -- it is called growing in the faith. It doesn't require being baptized again, it requires corrective action (II Corinthians 7:10-11) and an apology to God (I John 1:9).
