A: Dear Jeanine,

Baptism is about making a public confession that we are giving our life to Jesus. It is our way of telling everyone that we are choosing to live for Jesus. Baptism is a sign that our sins are washed away by Jesus, and we are choosing to live a life of obedience to Him. The Bible doesn't give us an age for baptism, so we need to determine when a person is ready by how well they understand what Baptism means. The Bible says "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). This means that a person who is baptized must be able to understand and be sorry for their sins – admitting that they are wrong. They must be able to confess their sins to God, and choose to turn away from them. They must be able to choose to obey Jesus Christ, and to pray for the power of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives.

When a young person chooses to get baptized, they usually start studying with their pastor, who teaches them more about what it means to follow Jesus. Then when the pastor and the parents feel that they are ready, he will baptize them. I hope you're planning on getting baptized some day

Thanks for writing, and remember, there's never been a better time to share Jesus!

Your friend, Pastor Howard