Do You Need to be Baptized Again? Or Even Once? What Does Baptism Do?

If you were baptized as an infant, do you need to get baptized again as an adult? If you are baptized in one religion and then change to another one, do you need to get re-baptized? What if you are not part of an organized religion but try to live a good life, do you need to get baptized? Does it matter what religion you get baptized in? What if you left God and now want to come back to him? Also, does it matter if you are baptized with a sprinkling of water or immersed? And is it OK if a person wants to get baptized more than once? In fact, does baptism matter at all if you feel close to God in your heart?

What really is baptism? Baptism is not about your destination after death. On the human side, it is a free will desire to accept, trust and follow God’s will for your life instead of your own. Free will is a very big deal to God, because he will not force anyone to take his advice, guidance, protection or to love him. Even when our decisions may lead to injury, he will not interfere but will continue to present opportunities for better choices. So on God’s side, baptism is an active response you have made to receive his invitation. What is this invitation? To have him as your loving parent, your spiritual teacher and leader, and that you desire his greater protection, guidance and direction in your life – all of which he is happy to give as he holds you yet closer. It is also recognition that you are turning away from the ways of the past and desire to walk a new, holy (clean) path – you are symbolically receiving a washing away of sins (imperfections), asking for forgiveness, and receiving it. It also shows your desire to step up for more responsibility, and gives God the opportunity to grant it and the additional gifts and Angelic help needed to fulfill it (1Corinthians 12:4-27). And in addition to all these things, baptism also shows respect for God’s son who broke the ancestral bondage upon all of mankind, beyond religion (see “Why Jesus’ Life is Important Beyond Religion” at TiffanySnow.com).

The rite of marriage is the closest example we have to the baptismal union with Divine Love. In most places around the world marriage is taken seriously, and this step is recognized as building the strength of the relationship. There is an acceptance that the choices a person now makes in their life will affect both of them, that two people have now become one in unity. Often there is a custom of gifting or exchanging something between those promising their lives to one another. The ceremony itself may be inside or outside a building, and is usually held in front of other people who acknowledge the new relationship and wish the couple well. Unless those making this important commitment are already of age and thus under their own headship, consent must be given by the parent(s) or by law the marriage would be void, since they would still be under the headship or authority of the parents. Many of the same principles of marriage apply to baptism.

Baptism strengthens the relationship between you and God, which includes greater communication. This greater communication increases the clarity to hear him better and know the deeper things of the heart of Love. This gives you additional fortitude and strength in yourself as well, for your discernment sharpens on what is of Love and what is not, and helps you let go of anything that may taint your relationship. This may include letting go of any traditions that are based on fear, and bringing closer those things that are based on love. And just like building a relationship with a good marriage mate, the more time you choose to spend together, the more you communicate and know how each other think, so that your loved one’s likes and dislikes are still in your head even when you may not be actively talking with them. So it is with God, baptism helps you to know each other better at the heart level, since you have given your consent. This is one of the exchanges that God gives through baptism; it is his gift or ring of unity, having the peace of God that excels all thought (Philippians 4:7). With that peace, your heart and mind is guarded, and no matter what may occur your spirit will have an inner calm. There is a deep knowing that transcends all understanding, a confidence that you are never alone, you are loved, forgiven and accepted, and that without a doubt God will never, ever, leave you.

In our example of human marriage, we see that unless those making this commitment are already of age and thus under their own headship, consent must be given by the parent(s) or by law the marriage would be void, since they would still be under the headship or authority of the parents. Keep this in mind as we discuss some deeper aspects of baptism. When a child is under age (and that may differ from place to place by the laws of the land) that child is under the authority of the parents. This is a protection in many ways for the child, and places the parents in a place of lawful responsibility to provide at least the basics of food, clothing and shelter. But most parents desire to provide more than just the basics for their children, and want to love, guide, teach, play with and protect them as well. This may include the ceremony of baptism (containing a sprinkling of Holy water) which brings upon the child many additional safeguards that a perfect heavenly Father can give. But, the child is unaware and has no ability on his own to ask, receive or fulfill many of the additional aspects that baptism brings. A baby is not asking God to step up for greater responsibility, or to turn away from his previously sinful path. He is not aware, and does not have to be; for his parents have the headship over him, and the child falls under their authority, and God recognizes the parental right and grants the baptism and additional protection and blessings. Now, this brings up other questions about baptism.

So does a person have to be baptized again when they are an adult? It depends. Does an underage couple have to be married again when they are of legal age, does their marriage dissolve somehow unless they have the ceremony again? No, they do not have to get remarried. But the reason is this – they may have been young, but they were still old enough to make a decision on their own, and to voice their agreement, or else the one facilitating the service would not have completed it and the marriage would have been void, even if the parents had given their consent. But, if the couple had run away together without their parent’s agreement and gotten married, the marriage would be null and void if the parents later refused. This means that if a child is old enough to actively voice agreement to baptism and have a reasonable knowledge of what that means, and if one or both of their parent’s agree, the free will decision will stand even beyond reaching the age of consent and no additional baptism is necessary. God acknowledges the agreement of the child-turned-adult to receive further opportunities for greater responsibilities and blessings. In regard to the parents, both are free will agents of their own, and if there is disagreement or the location of one of the parents is unknown, either the woman or the man may make the agreement for baptism for the child. Whichever one agrees to the benefits of baptism would be granted the role of spiritual headship in this regard, while still seen as fulfilling the place of respect in relationship to the marriage mate. This is allowed because the ripple effect of the baptism is similar to a parent choosing to cover their child with a bullet-proof vest during a military or gang confrontation – it is the most loving thing to do, and above all, God is love (1 John 4:8).

However, if a child is still under the headship of his parents and gets baptized without consent of those responsible for his care, this baptism is void because it does not respect the principles of parental authority that God has instituted for the family. This still holds true no matter if the parents do not have a religion, or do not recognize or respect other faiths. It is a null baptism and not consecrated by God. This does not mean that the child is not loved, nor protected and guided, since prayer, grace and opportunities are available to all; and any desire of the child to grow in communication and connection with God and is encouraged and rewarded. Christ reflected and taught about God’s attributes while he was here on earth, and emphasized the specialness of the younger ones: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) Also, each one of us comes into life with an Angel that is our individual guardian, and fights for us. If we didn’t, every single one of us would have been killed by the fallen unHoly Angels in our infancy. We have many provisions in place because each of us is a child of God, a spark off his Divine flame; but when we get baptized, the provisions increase.

What about betrothal? Even today, some cultures still use this custom. Historically betrothal was a formal contract, officiated by a religious authority and usually done by the couple’s families with bride and groom having little or no input. It might last from infancy until the age of marriage, and sometimes is even called child marriage. Even within the strict traditions that follow this, most have a requirement that the bride be allowed to have at least veto power, and the parents may call it off too. How does this relate to baptism? When a child is baptized as a baby, they are basically betrothed to God and come under his additional special care. However, when the child is of legal age, they can choose to break the betrothal (baptism) by their own voiced expression of this to the one they are betrothed to, God. This means that even if a formal baptism, contract or officiating of a religious authority had occurred in their childhood, the adult may refuse to continue the deeper relationship with God, and the additional connection and blessings that came with the baptism will be removed.

So what about when a person is baptized as a baby without ability to voice their consent? As we have noted, they will be covered during their childhood. But, as an additional blessing of God’s grace, those who have been betrothed to God in this way without vetoing the decision later, are continued to be covered by the former parental free will of baptism. But, with the greater knowledge comes the greater responsibility – and the same reason why Jesus waited until he was legally a man to become baptized is now more deeply understood. Also, the method of baptism should be taken into account. It is by grace that God has allowed the sprinkling of Holy water for baptism (and continues to allow it for those whose health does not permit otherwise, or in places where immersion is not available), when full immersion is the example we were given by Christ himself, and the method that he taught all his followers to use. Again we see the patience of God upon mankind, and him meeting them wherever they are at – for those with a little knowledge, he approves it and fills in the gaps, and expects their follow-through in what little amount they may know. However, to those who have more knowledge, he approves it (and still fills in any gaps) and expects follow-through with the greater amount they know. It is like the parable of the ten talents – those who have more responsibility, more is expected of, and more blessings are added. Such is God’s grace about baptism (Matthew 25: 14-30). Like a grade-schooler, simply learning the basics is fine for that stage of life, but if we choose to ignore more complex matters as we mature, we may never be able to experience the bigger opportunities and joys that life has to offer, just like it is more fun to drive a car than to ride all our lives on a bicycle.

No matter when you were baptized – as a baby, or with free will choice when you were of age, you are not forced to remain in this special relationship with God. Remember he desires you to be close because of love, nothing more. And even in the time of you taking your hand out of his, he will never withdraw his – he will always be reaching out for you, hopeful that you will return, and he will reinstate your baptism. Even in this time of his sadness, his generosity continues, for God will not take back any additional special gifts he gave you, for he gave those freely and will not ask for them to be returned. But you will not be guided by God’s will anymore, since that is what you have asked for, you want to do your own thing, and will face the cause and effect of that without any head’s up about what is good for you or not. But, since you were in a companionship in using the gifts, the additional connection to fully utilize them and the Divine protection that would normally be in place to use them would be absent. For example, if you were given the gift of healing, you would still be able to heal, but the power source was rejected, so you would be using your own energy, which means you would not see any big miracles but you could start experiencing emotional and physical distress from depleting your own reserves. Or if you had the gift to hear the other side, your channel of hearing and recognizing what is of God and his Holy Angels and what is of manipulation and unHoly Angels may be much more difficult to discern. The additional layer of protection upon our bubble of free will that comes from baptism is now gone.

Please note that leaving a religion is not the same as leaving your baptism with God. The relationship God desires to make with each person is beyond that. No matter what your religion, faith, culture or background, if you recognize the core of God as the personification of Love, you will be able to hold all things up to that, and you will know what is of God or not. Religion is often used as a fence, whereas God prefers the freedom of open pastures. Houses of prayer and fellowship are wonderful – when they are focused on Love. God does not want us to follow one another; he desires each one of us to be the mystic, to be able to hear Love in our own hearts, to follow him. So be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater – do not throw God out because you are disappointed in those who say they represent him. Your spiritual peace of mind, fulfillment and joy of purpose is bigger than that. And if you join another house of prayer and fellowship, you do not need to get re-baptized, but you can if you want. Similar to a married couple wishing to retake their wedding vows, only one time is really needed, but taking the additional step to reconfirm the commitment shows the continuing desire to express and expand the love.

Now that you know all the details about baptism, what do you need to do? If you desire to get baptized, it can be done simply. It will require three things: one who is ordained (in rare instances when there is no priest to perform the ceremony, God allows a person to baptize themselves), the one who is to be baptized and a body of water (if possible). It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. The vital step in the process is the acknowledgement of the one who wishes to be baptized. What baptism means should be clear, and is to be entered into with respect and joy, just like a marriage union. As for those witnessing the baptism, it can be as few as the one who is ordaining and the one who is receiving. The water is to be placed upon the individual desiring baptism: sprinkled, poured or by immersion (remember immersion is a more accurate reflection of what Christ taught his followers) and the words added “I now baptize you in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit” and the sign of the Cross + made over the person. The baptism is now complete. God’s love is simple, and his ways are straightforward and simple (1 Peter 3:21).

We know in our hearts what a good marriage should be, and that the wedding day is an important chapter in the expanding book of a happy life. Baptism is also the beginning of the deeper relationship you desire with God, and with more time and experiences shared together, the more profound and lovely the relationship will grow. Take the first opportunity you have to be baptized and experience the peace of God that excels all thought. Remember, with that peace, your heart and mind is guarded, and no matter what may occur your spirit will have an inner calm. There is a deep knowing that transcends all understanding, a confidence that you are never alone, you are loved, forgiven and accepted, and that without a doubt God will never, ever, leave you. What are you waiting for?!

Love or Fear? Life’s Two Choices How to Tell Which One You Live Your Life By

Is your life happy, are you living it to the fullest? Do you have emotional peace and calm? Do you wake up each morning anticipating the joy of the adventure of the day ahead? Do you feel secure about your future and the future of your loved ones? Can you actually feel a Divine hand upon your life and the warmth of personal guidance? Do you have a sense of purpose? Are you attaining your biggest dreams? If you do not have these things, what is holding you back? You know that you are unique, and have the potential to do much more than you are presently. But, what has been holding you back? This is nothing you can blame on your job, your family, your mate, your level of education or social standing. This is placed square on your own shoulders and influences every day of your life, which has a ripple effect on every day after it. Let’s look closer at life’s two choices and honestly see which one you are living your life by, and why.

There are only two choices in life. Love or the opposite of love; and the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. Love always moves us forward, fear stagnates and freezes us. This is a simple yardstick to help us recognize any place of stagnation in our lives and to make new choices. When we see what has been the true motivating factor behind our decisions, it gives us the power to change things and make it better. And something else takes place. When we consistently choose love over fear, an incredible transformation occurs around us, because light and darkness can’t be in the same place together. They simply cannot exist jointly as one; they are of two different natures. So when we make choices governed by love, a great shifting occurs in our lives, for the better. And conversely, where we see any stagnation in our lives, we will find that was a place where our initial choices were made out of fear, and that no forward movement occurs there, or is very slow and tedious.

What is a choice for love? Let’s say you are looking for a job. There is a job listing for your dream job – you would be doing something that you’ve always wanted to, and even getting paid for it. But the pay is weak, and you are afraid it wouldn’t be enough, and there is no guarantee to know if and when the pay would go up. So you continue to look and find a job listing that will give you above the pay you want, but the hours and location are all wrong, and the job itself is just a job, nothing to be really excited about. Now which one are you going to circle? If your main motivation is fear, you are going to stagnate in a job you don’t like, that no amount of money can make up for. Whereas if you choose the job you love, your joy will be shining through not only in your home life but in your job too. And in an employer’s eyes, who would be more likely to get a raise, the person who tolerates their job or the one who is actually happy to be there? Also, on the spiritual side, God looks to bless those who bravely step out in faith, and all kinds of wonderful and not-so-coincidental opportunities come from that.

With every choice that we make for love, we move ahead on our journey and become brighter. And if darkness tries to move toward light, it either has to transform into light to be near us, or move away even to exist. Nothing harmful is able to stay near us. Nothing. Think of it this way, when we bring a lit candle into a darkened room, look what happens to the room - the entire area transforms, and the area closest to the flame is the brightest. Now, do we have to be afraid that the darkness will overwhelm and put out the candle? No, it doesn’t matter how dark the room is, the darkness can never put out the candle. But, the candle can put itself out. In human terms, this happens when we buy into the ideas of unworthiness, separation and doubt, the ugliness that the darkness tries to convince us that we are part of. But we are not of the darkness, we were created of light, and when we remember this our flame will never go out. It does not matter what darkness tries to imply or manipulate us into thinking. We were created of light and love. And when we remember our true nature it doesn’t matter if we are accepted or rejected by others, because we remember who we are in the eyes of God, at a spirit level. That is where that desire for acceptance and oneness comes from, because we have felt it before we were born, and we want to experience it again, even while we are doing silly human things. Knowing yourself, remembering who you are, is about remembering you are Divinely created, accepted and unconditionally loved every moment of every day.

When we always choose love, it creates a great and vibrant shift around us in our jobs, relationships, even in our personal health. As we have seen, everything has to be positive and loving to be near us or it has to transform or move away. And since our physical health cannot move away from us, every time we make a choice motivated by love we make a choice for good health. Perhaps you have heard of spiritually adept people throughout the world who have exceptionally vibrant and healthy lives well into old age – now you know one reason why.

So how have you been making your life choices? What kind of child were you in elementary school? What about high school? Do you hate some of the memories that come up? Do you blame other people for things that happened to you? Your parents, teachers, friends or bullies? And are you still blaming people now? No matter what choices other people make and what part of their ripple effect we have been in, we can choose to love, forgive, survive, grow and thrive. And we can choose the ripple effect of our own choices to be better than those we have formerly been a part of. When we do this, an active transformation takes place, which is another part of the multi-facets of love. Blame, hate, unforgiveness – all of the negative emotions – are all part of fear. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

When we always choose love, we actively choose our God-given birthright to how our lives are supposed to be, and we feel this deeply in our soul. It is our true and full potential to embrace loving and long-term relationships, financial abundance, and effervescent physical and mental health. With the expanded clarity that comes from advancing in love, we can also more easily identify further opportunities of light around us. This helps us make better decisions by recognizing the Divine interventions of love placed before us, choosing these, and then fully following through with them.

Now in regard to everything else, we must realize that the shifting around us that happens when we always choose love can be initially difficult to witness. Yet, it is for our soul’s greater and highest good, and all those connected with us. When we discern this, it helps us trust and accept the changes taking place. Love is always the better way. That is why trust, bravery and faith is essential to advance forward in love, for fear limits our ability to allow or follow through with changes. Making new choices of love may mean leaving behind our old job, old friends or relationships. Often we yearn for how things should be, and not what they actually were. Many times people stay in situations that are not good for them simply because it is familiar, not because it is good for them. Trusting in love helps us actively step outside of our comfort zone onto new, higher ground. That new ground is where the new world awaits, with new opportunities; and like any explorer traveling to new lands, faith is needed to leave the old things behind. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

In that new world that we find ourselves in, we also find that we are a new person as well, a joyous and more connected and loving one. And we will never find ourselves alone. Our relationships, jobs and everything else around us will be brighter and healthier for us too, for we actively discern the healthier opportunities placed before us – and better yet, even follow through on taking them. And as we continue to expand in light, we become more aware of living a joyous life fully guided by love, and the larger positive ripple effect our interactions have with others. We become aware of our spiritual need. We become aware of prayer. And we become aware that much of what we might have been traditionally taught doesn’t ring true with the essence of our spirit anymore. What then? When you know Love, you know the heart of God. So, like so many saints, philosophers and poets before you, you may be mocked or even persecuted for having your own ideas about love, but if you fearlessly keep yourself on the path of love, nothing thrown at you will matter at all. Plus, your inner peace and confidence will grow, because “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)