Hello, I was hoping that I could get some advice. I was brought up as a baptist and was dedicated as a baby - but at the age that most were getting baptised I was very shy and didn't go through with it. Gradually, for various reasons I drifted away from the church. About a 7 months ago, God pushed me to move to London - where my best friend and my boyfriend both live. My best friend is a youth worker for an Evangelical church and my boyfriend is Church Warden of a CofE church and so they are both encouraging me to get baptised/confirmed. The problem is I am still terrified of going to the front of church with so many people looking at me! I don't think I can do it but I feel like I'm letting everyone down.
Does it really matter if I don't go through with it, isn't the fact that it's in my heart the most important thing?
Sorry for the long post, any opinions on the matter will be greatfully received.
Many Thanks
Elle
Hello Elle,
Welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy it here. It does matter if you go through with it. Not because of what your friend or boyfriend thinks, that is unimportant eternally, but because you need to be obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you truly born again? I have led a number of people to the Lord over the years and have not found them to be unwilling to also be baptized. Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). This does not mean you have to be baptized to be saved, rather it means that if you are saved you will be baptized.
Baptism is a public profession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your being buried with Him by baptism into death and raised to walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4-6
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. If this church sprinkles water on you and does not immerse you, then you would not be getting baptized there anyway.
Acts 8:34-39
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. The church has always practiced water baptism by full immersion. Why? Because that is the only way to symbolize a burial and then when you come up out of the water it symbolizes your resurrection to newness of life, Praise God!
Luke 9:23
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
If you are certain you are saved, then you need to make sure you are denying yourself. I understand you may be concerned about the public attention, but is your love for the Lord not more important than what another person thinks of you? Also, they will be thinking good things of you. They are not going to think anything bad, you are up there professing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism. If anyone judges your being baptize they are unworthy of your respect and you should not have any concern about their opinions of you.
