.:I’M AN EX-JEHOVAH’S WITNESS. SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED AS A CHRISTIAN?
“I recently left Jehovah’s Witnesses and have placed my complete trust in the Jesus of the Bible for my salvation. I understand that I am saved, not by joining a church, but by trusting in what Jesus has done in dying for me. But I now have the chance to become a baptized Christian. I know I love Jesus and He is my Lord! I am just not too sure about baptism. I want to. I really do. I don’t know if any of you felt this way after coming out of the organization to Jesus, but to me because I was always told in the Watchtower ‘Oh, No! You can’t get baptized yet until you know enough, etc.’ Well, this has got me thinking, ‘Am I good enough for Jesus and is my deep love for Him enough to be baptized?’ I am praying about this and would appreciate it if you all would help me reach the right decision, because I know in Christ I will. Amen? Thank you for your help and support.”
OUR RESPONSE:
Dear friend,
Thank you for writing. We will be praying for you! Baptism is a big step, but one of the biggest differences between Watchtower baptism and true Christian baptism is the fact that in the Watchtower, you were making a commitment to join an organization that claimed to be the only way to be saved. But in Christ, (as you know), He has already done everything to save you, so when you get baptized as a true Christian, you are reaffirming the decision you already made when you turned your heart over to Him.
Remember that if you choose to get baptized, you are not getting baptized to join a church, nor are you getting baptized in order to be saved. Rather, you are getting baptized to demonstrate the new life that has already happened inside of you the moment you placed your complete trust in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4). In the Watchtower, baptism was all about you and your performance to be qualified for acceptance into the organization. It was one of many steps you needed to take in order to work toward gaining eternal life. But in Jesus, it’s about Him and His qualification in your place. So, the emphasis in true Christian baptism is on Jesus and not on you.
We hope that knowing the differences will help you in making the right decision. Since Jesus is the one who makes you “good enough” for acceptance in God’s eyes, this is why you don’t need to be concerned about whether you “know enough” or are strong enough in your new faith to take this step, because it’s not about you, but Him!
You may be wondering how you can get baptized without making a commitment to a church. We would encourage you to find a non-denominational Christian church like a Calvary Chapel, a Bible Church, or a Community Fellowship as most of these types of churches will baptize you simply on a profession of faith in the Jesus of the Bible, and they will not require you to become a member of their church. Of course, if you are too uncomfortable to ask a pastor to baptize you, you can always find a good Christian friend to baptize you in a pool of some sort. But since baptism is a public declaration of faith to the world, you will likely want to find a Christian group to watch as you make this declaration.
One other thing that may help you make your decision is the knowledge that many of the Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses in our ministry have testified that at the moment of baptism, they felt as if they had officially closed the door on the Watchtower chapter of their lives. It brought such a feeling of liberation and freedom in Christ. So, we hope this helps. We’re excited for you.
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE:
Is Water Baptism Essential for Salvation? (4witness.org)
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