My baptization

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Baptization

Video of my baptization

As many of you might know already, I am a Christian and therefore I am follower of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Above is a link to video where you can see my baptization.

My baptization happened on 2022-09-24 on Kopu, Nummela. Pastor who baptized me is my church pastor Atte Helminen. I also joined as a official member to Seventh Day Adventist Church.

My personal journey

As many christians know, baptization is a very important thing in Christian theology and it is therefore also a very important part of Christian life. Our Saviour Jesus Christ said "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19) so it is not only a recommendation but indeed it is a direct command from Jesus himself what christians needs to do.

Since many christians have been baptized as an infant and so was I on a lutherian church, I had this thinking previously that I do not need to be baptized again. Also it is clearly stated on the Bible that "On Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5) so I was under an impression that I should not go to baptization since I was baptized as an infant.

On August 03rd 2019 I went first time to Sevent Day Adventist Church in Helsinki. Church is located in Annankatu 7. I didn't had much deep knowledge about adventists, but since my Internet friend is an adventists I had at least some common knowledge about it. I thought that it would be interesting to go and see personally what this church is about and therefore I just went there for a visit. I didn't guess on that time that it would change my whole life for better. Time went on and I always kept coming back to church until it became my normal habit to visit there on Sabbaths. I also started to participate on small groups where we learn about Bible, prey and spend time with each others.

Couple of times we had discussions about this baptization, but since I was under an impression that I was baptized once it is enough that didn't change anything on that time. And it was good - no one was pushing me and people probably just understood that well it is not the time for it yet.

On 2022 there was AYC, Adventist Youth Conference on Lahti, Finland. I drove there on Sabbath to see that event at least on that day. On that day there was not much going on, but there was multiple people going to baptization. The most important thing for me tho was the speech what David Asscherick spoke. He was talking about the meaning of the baptization and the story of one young man about rebaptization. It made me think about the meaning of it all and what it does mean in the first place. Later I even went and talk a little bit with David if I have undestood his speech correctly how the baptization and going fully under the water have a symbolism of a death to old self and reborn as a new creation in Christ. It was good speech and gave me some food for thought, at least small amounts. I later talked about this to my brother in Christ how this speech was something that at least gave me something to think about. It probably was one of the first times when I even started to think this whole thing differently than previously since I got totally different perspective.

Time went on and later on my home church I met one man, Sasha. He was visiting there and he had background from different church as well. He also had previously similar things than I had at that time and therefore it was interesting to hear about his journey. Of course I didn't change my views yet, but it probably was another time for food for thoughts tho.

I had started to think this baptization thing already a little bit on my mind, even tho not much, but still there was some thinking happening on my mind. Once before the Sabbath chuch I prayed for Lord that if He wants me to go to baptization that He would send some random person (who I do not know previously) to talk about baptization on that day. Well, nobody random people came to talk to me about this, but interestingly after the sermon when we were splitted to small groups to talk about things like always one of my brother in Christ said as a praying request my baptization. I was like Huh, interesting since that came quite out of nowhere. We hadn't talked this with him in a long time so it was quite surprising praying request on that time. After that another brother in Christ said also that he had been thinking that week on what is my views about this baptization which was quite random as well on that situation. I promised that I will think about this thing and spend time for learning about it.

On next week I was visiting on my childhood home and I had this book with me called Tunnustuskirjana Pyhä Raamattu where is explained how Sevent Day Adventists believe. I read there about the baptization and then I spent couple of days (not the full days surely) learning more about it - why many churches believe that it must be done when you are older than an infant and what is the meaning of it. Is it necessary or not etc. All the questions what I had in my mind on that time or what came to my mind that time at least.

I wrote notes against and for it, wrote up Bible verses what was relevant and in the end I finally came to conlcusion that baptization what I had got as an infant was not an baptization at all. It does not fill the meaning and requirements of it and therefore I was not baptized at all. After that it was easier for me to answer to my brother in Christ who had read my notes what I had sent to him that I do not need to look this deeper anymore and I should go to be baptized when he asked from me if I want to still learn this more or have I already come to conclusion about it.

On that Sabbath when I visiting on SDA Church in Joensuu I also told about this as a thanksgiving to God that I have come to conclusion that I want to get baptized. Later I talked with my sister in Christ abut this and she told that they had prayed for me already on couple of years ago about this. It is so great to hear how others had prayed for me and for my path in following Christ!

How I did came to this conclusion

Since this is already very long post I just write shortly here about my notes. In future I hopefully have time to write more deeply about my notes to explain these and other points more deeply.