Being Baptised Twice?

Dear friends I wanted to write a blog entry earlier on my baptism but I’ve had to put it off due to some medical health problems with my wife. Praise God though, after a crazy week of visiting doctors, hospitals and seeing specialists everything is in good order for my wife’s health. I want to say a big thank you to those many friends on Facebook who did pray for us during that crazy week. So I want to address something of my recent baptism that isn’t going to be easy for some readers. I want everyone to know that what I did, I did for the purpose of honouring God. The issue with some is a question that has probably been lingering on people’s minds “why has Dan been baptised again?”

See during sometime in year 8 (when I was 14-15 years old) I was baptised, however I simply wasn’t a Christian. As much as I went to church, read my bible and prayed as well, the true reality is that I wasn’t a believer. The things of the world captivated me more than Christ Himself. And so the bible mentions the nature of a false Christian and I was heading down the road to false hope. In short my 'Christian' walk did not begin with any knowledge of the gospel, but only what I wanted, something that was appealing to my desires. And so I proclaimed to be a Christian all the while dwelling in the comforts the world could offer. Not struggling with it, as Paul mentions the life of a Christian who wrestles with sin in Romans 7, but as someone who felt no conviction of sin. My true conversion didn’t occur until September 2009 about 12 years after my false conversion (if there is such a thing).

So the truth is, I was never baptised as a believer and as a Reformed Baptist, given that we don’t baptise infants I felt it was necessary to be baptised for the first time as a believer…and yes I mean first time! Now I mentioned that this would be difficult for some people to read, perhaps close friends of mine who knew me for years even during my false profession. It grieves me to know that my sin was worth living for more than that of Christ. And it grieves me to know that I not only lied to myself but to many people for many years. A lie so good that I could essentially fool myself! I didn’t test myself as scripture demands, particularly with 1John being the test of a true convert. I wasn’t bent or broken over my sin as Paul was “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?” (Romans 7:24). I attended church, was made a youth leader at one stage and engaged in various ministries….but I wasn’t a Christian.

So what does the bible say about false Christians? Christ Himself gives a clear example of who a false Christian is. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

See the condition of my false Christianity was in my profession “yes I’m a Christian, I go to church” instead a true Christian would say something like “Yes I’m a Christian, praise God for the work He’s done in me!” The things I did in church for church I felt were conditions adding to my Christian walk. And like the false believer as Christ mentions, this is exactly the excuse that is presented on the final day out of the mouths of false converts “I did this in your name, I did that in your name.” If our lives are not ground on Christ who is the rock, than are we the ones to present others with conditions of what with think the Christian walk is? The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to salvation! (Matthew 7:13-14). We ought to carefully examine our lives and be Christians who spur each other on in knowing Christ and the means He has saved us by giving us ears to hear His beautiful gospel! Because if He is not the citadel and the very crown reason of how anyone becomes a Christian, than that testimony is worth nothing. Friends we have a great Christ, but do we have a great need for Christ?

For more on my testimony visit this link. Confessions of a False Convert