Listen and Observe: The Benefits of Examining Baptismal Candidates

Consider two popular phrases with me:

Phrase #1: “Baptism is the first step of Christian obedience.”

You’ve probably heard this before. I did when I was young, and I’ve said it to countless others. All cards on the table, I think it’s a perfectly reasonable phrase.

Phrase #2: “Delayed obedience is disobedience.”

This one may be less popular than the first, but it’s just as reasonable (and a hometown favorite when talking with my kids!). After all, the Gospel of Mark uses the word “immediately” some forty times! Ideally, Christian obedience is joyful and immediate.

Now, put these phrases together, and you can see how delaying baptism might seem odd to some. Yet many churches functionally do this with baptism classes or pastoral meetings before baptizing an individual. Is this wrong? If the first step of Christian obedience is to be baptized, wouldn’t delaying baptism be an act of disobedience?

I don’t think so.

In fact, I’d argue there are at least four reasons why it’s wise to examine a baptismal candidate before baptizing them.

1. It Protects the Gospel

How do we discern (to the best of our ability) if someone’s embraced Christ?

After all, if baptism is a visible proclamation of the gospel, we don’t want to extend it to those who haven’t embraced that gospel. Baptism isn’t reserved for anyone who repeats the words, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” After all, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and others gladly say the same thing, and we (rightly) aren’t baptizing them. Who do we baptize? The answer is we baptize Christians.

So how do we know someone is a Christian? We do what Jesus said and look for fruit (Matt. 7:16). We look for fruit by listening and observing.^{11 .} I’m indebted to Pete Thompson of Gethsemane Baptist Church for helping me think through this framework. We listen to ensure they’ve embraced the true gospel and observe evidence of that belief.

By taking time to do this, we protect the gospel by ensuring that the gospel sign (baptism) is closely associated with genuine gospel work (regeneration). No church does this perfectly, but when done consistently, the gospel is protected and proclaimed in high definition.

2. It Provides Greater Assurance

When baptism is offered with little or no examination, baptism inherently becomes an individualistic act. “I’m choosing to be baptized because I believe I’m now a Christian.” Then when doubt creeps in, one’s assurance is founded primarily on their individual experience.

But when a church wisely exercises caution before extending baptism—by listening and observing—it reminds the person that their baptism isn’t an individualistic decision. Yes, the individual takes time to consider baptism, but so do the Christians around them.

Now when they remember their baptism, they’ll recall their personal decision to confess union with Christ and his church and the whole church affirming that confession. They’ll remember that after listening and observing the gospel’s work in their life, the church said with one collective voice, “Yes, this is a Christian! We want the world to know it. Get the water ready!”

In fact, this is at least in part what Paul did when he exhorted Timothy to press on and “fight the good fight.” He reminded Timothy of the confession he made “in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:12).

Remembering dozens—perhaps hundreds—of others affirming your faith is a galvanizing thing.

3. It Preserves the Purity and Witness of the Church

The gospel makes a people, and the ordinances define the boundaries of that people. As an act of “initiation,”^{22 .} John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 1303, Logos Bible Software. baptism visibly brings someone within that boundary (the visible church), while the Lord’s Supper defines that boundary on an ongoing basis (Acts 2:37–47).

Ideally, the world should be able to look at our churches and say with clarity, “Those people are a picture of what it looks like to follow Jesus.” But by giving the gospel-affirming sign (baptism) to those who haven’t truly received the gospel, that picture is blurred. The power of the gospel is misrepresented, and the distinct difference between the church and the world becomes fuzzy.

Again, no church will get this right 100% of the time. We can’t read hearts, and some non-Christians will convincingly live like Christians for a time (1 John 2:19). The Second London Confession puts it well when it says, “The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error” (2LCF 26.3).

But we should want to be the purest churches under heaven for the sake of our witness, so it’s worth taking the time to listen and observe before baptizing someone.

4. It Promotes Discipleship

Let’s say you’re approached by a man claiming to be a Christian. He says he heard your sermon, now believes the gospel, and wants to be baptized. As you listen and observe, you discover that he’s living with his girlfriend. When you ask him about this, he defends it, claiming it’s a complicated situation and really not that big of a deal.

You explain that Christians aren’t perfect, but a key mark of Christianity is ongoing repentance. Instead of defending and embracing their sin, they now actively fight against it by seeking to follow God’s Word. You even bring Scripture to bear, pointing out that God calls his people to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18) and to “make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13:14). Yet despite your efforts, he continues to see nothing wrong with this lifestyle.

Do you baptize him? Do you and the church publicly proclaim to the world, “This is a Christian”? Or do you take time to encourage and exhort him toward repentance?

The “encourage and exhort” option promotes Christian discipleship. It helps the man know what it looks like to follow Jesus. If this man is a believer, the fruit of his conversion will be evident through repentance. Additionally, those inside and outside of the church will have a clearer picture of what it means to be a Christ-follower. They’ll learn that Christians take holiness seriously and that it’s inconsistent to say “I follow Jesus Christ” while unrepentantly walking contrary to his commands.

What to Listen For

Put simply, we’re listening for the gospel. Does this person have a basic understanding of the good news? Do they understand (1) who God is, (2) who we are as sinners in need of grace, (3) and who Jesus Christ is as King and Savior? We also need to discern (4) if they made a conscious decision to trust him for the forgiveness of their sin.

I’ll ask clarifying questions along the way, but these are the four basic things I’m listening for.

What to Observe

Here we’re seeking to discern if their profession of faith matches their life. We’re not looking for perfection, but we want to see evidence of regeneration. Has their disposition toward sin changed? Are they trying to turn from their sin and follow Jesus? As imperfect as it may be, is there effort?

A Point of Clarification

As a minor concluding point, when we can confidently say someone is a Christian, we should baptize them. This article isn’t advocating that we withhold the new covenant signs (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) from anyone we believe to be a member of the new covenant.

However, both Scripture and pastoral wisdom encourage us to verify that one is a Christian (as best we can) before publicly declaring them as one. The question isn’t “Who do we baptize?” We baptize Christians. The question is “How can we discern that this person is a Christian?” When we can’t answer that with reasonable confidence, we find ourselves in danger of failing to watch over the souls entrusted to us (Heb. 13:17).

If you’re a new believer seeking to be baptized, don’t be discouraged if your pastors take time to listen and observe. It’s for your good and God’s glory.