Not Every One Should Be Baptized

by Terry Wane Benton

Babies should not be baptized. They haven't sinned, don't disbelieve or believe, don't know what repentance is about, and can't confess Jesus. Dunking such persons in water only gets them wet. Calling it baptism does not make it "in the name of the Lord" (Acts 2:38).

The Ethiopian Eunuch asked Philip, "Here is water! What hinders me from being baptized?" (Acts 8:33ff) Notice that he believes he needs to be baptized, but he wants to know if there are matters to attend to that come before baptism. You don't just dunk someone in the water and presto, it is valid for God's blessings.

Some things must precede baptism. Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." Without believing with all the heart, baptism is just getting wet. God does not give remission of sins to those who merely got dunked in the water.

An unbeliever should not be baptized until he believes with all his heart. A person who does not believe with all his heart and who will not repent (turn around) from a sinful and self-centered life to a life centered on doing God's will. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). Godly sorrow leads to repentance (II Corinthians 7:7ff). A person with no godly sorrow and repentance is not ready to be baptized.

Confessing Jesus is essential (Romans 10:9-10). If one is not ready and willing to confess Jesus with the mouth because he believes in Him with all his heart, then he is not ready to be baptized into union with Christ (Romans 6:3-6). The lack of these things would have hindered the Ethiopian Eunuch from being baptized.

You can see then that not everyone should be baptized if they are not prepared in heart to be scripturally baptized. We obey "from the heart" (Romans 6:3-6,17-18). Everyone needs to have their heart properly prepared to be baptized in the name of the Lord for the remission of sins. Has your heart been properly prepared?