My husband was baptized at the age of sixteen by full immersion; however, it was done by the Mormon church where he had made several friends and had begun attending church with them as a youth.  My question is: does he need to be re-baptized?  Thank you!

Sincerely,
Do Over?

Dear Do Over?,

Yes, he does need to be re-baptized because he was baptized for the wrong reasons and by the wrong authority.  People are baptized all the time without being saved.  The word ‘baptism’ comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’ which means ‘immersion’.  The word ‘baptism’ is the same word that Greeks used when a ship sank to the bottom of the ocean or when someone dove to the bottom of a swimming pool.  In the most technical sense, people are baptized when they take baths, go swimming, etc.  Taking a bath will baptize you, but it definitely won’t save you.

Baptism is only effective when it is done by faith (Col 2:12) and by the authority of Christ (Acts 2:38).  The Mormon church baptizes people based upon the teachings of the Book of Mormon and their prophet, Joseph Smith… not the Bible.  Now, any of our Mormon readers will immediately begin to yell and wail at that last sentence and tell you that it isn’t true.  They will tell you that they baptize people because the Bible says so, but we can guarantee you that if the Book of Mormon said “don’t be baptized” and the Bible said “do be baptized”… they would go with the Book of Mormon’s doctrine.  It is merely convenient for their argument that the Book of Mormon and the New Testament both teach baptism.  Mormons baptize people to put them in the Mormon church, and they do it because Joseph Smith said so.  The Bible teaches that we should be baptized to wash away our sins (Acts 22:16), to put us into the Lord’s church (Acts 2:41), and by Jesus’ authority (Matt 28:18-20).  Your husband definitely needs to be baptized for the right reasons.

Hi.  I have a huge longing to repent and change my life.  One of the things holding me back is that I am afraid that if I take this new road that I will have to admit to people (that I love dearly) all the injustices I committed towards them, and this will hurt them dearly and for sure cause our relationships to deteriorate.  Is this part of the forgiveness process?  Is it a question of forgiving myself and asking God for forgiveness, or will I have to admit my sin to those that it might hurt?

Thank you and I hope that you can help.

Sincerely,
Ashamed

Dear Ashamed,

We must confess all of our sins to God (1 Jn 1:9) and be prepared to get help with our faults from other christians (Jas 5:16). When James talks about confessing sins to each other, he is talking in the context of prayer. His point is that when someone prays for you as you struggle with sin, that prayer will make an immense difference. He is not stating that you have to announce every single sin you have ever committed to each and every christian you meet.

There are definitely times to tell another person about your sin.

1. If you have sinned against them, you must admit it and ask for forgiveness (Lk 17:3-4).
2. If you believe the knowledge of your previous sin will help them (1 Tim 1:15-16).
3. If you are struggling with a sin and need help (Jas 5:16, Eccl 4:9).
4. If it would be deceptive to not reveal the sin (1 Jhn 1:8).

All of those situations constitute an appropriate time to confess your sins to another person. God doesn’t call us to parade our past sins before all we meet, but there is a time to own up to our faults before both man and God.  Now, it is also important to remember that confessing your sins is only part of the process of becoming a christian – if you have not yet done the five steps God gives us to become a christian, we recommend you read "Five Steps To Salvation".

What does the Bible say about abortion?  Is it a forgivable sin?  What if the doctor said, "It was not growing anyway."  I was told that but don't know if it was true or if I was told that because I was extremely upset.

Sincerely,
Grieving

Dear Grieving,

All sins are equal, but some sins have worse consequences than others.  In this life, a “little white lie” may not cause you much trouble, but committing adultery will devastate your life.  However, in the eyes of God, all sin is deserving of death (Rom 6:23).  That “little white lie” will send you to hell just as much as the adultery would.  Abortion is such a heinous sin because of how deeply it affects the life and emotional state of the mother and the family and because it destroys a child’s life… but abortion can be forgiven through the blood of Christ.  The apostle Paul murdered christians (Acts 26:10), but Christ saved him (1 Tim 1:15).  In Christ, you are a new person, and the old deeds have passed away (2 Cor 5:17).

Read “Five Steps To Salvation” to see what it takes to become a christian.  You can be forgiven, and you can move forward in life with the peace of mind from knowing you will be reunited with your child in heaven.  If you would like help finding a faithful congregation (not all churches are faithful) that can help you move forward, please feel free to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

Will God forgive everyone?

Sincerely,
Head Count

Dear Head Count,

God will forgive anyone, but not everyone.  Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, so anyone in the world could be saved from sin (Jhn 3:16), but we must be in Christ to be saved (2 Tim 2:10).  If we wish to be saved, we must turn to Christ and follow His commandments (Jhn 14:15).  It is a narrow road to salvation, and few are willing to take that road (Matt 7:13-14).  The road is open to all, but most won’t follow Christ.  If you would like to follow Christ, please e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we would be happy to help you study God’s Word and become a christian or get you in touch with a local congregation that could study with you individually.

Why did Jesus have to die for our sins in order to be forgiven by God?  Couldn't God have just forgiven man without the sacrifice of His son?

Sincerely,
Let’s Make A Deal

Dear Let’s Make A Deal,

Rom. 3:21-26 covers that specific question.  Jesus died on the cross because the Father wanted to justify us, and He also wanted to remain just.  It wouldn’t be fair for God to simply forgive our sins because He liked us.  That would be like a judge that punished the guilty… unless they were his friends.  Only a crooked judge would show that sort of partiality.  However, God is a righteous God.  God doesn’t deny that our sins deserve eternal death (Rom 3:23).  The Father sent His Son to pay the price for our sins.  It wouldn’t have been fair for God to show partiality, but it is fair for Him to pay the price of our sins for us.  It cost Jesus’ blood, but those who trust in Christ have been given the gift of having their punishment paid in full.