A New Beginning—Born of Water and the Spirit

Can your past be buried without burying who you are?

Everyone carries a story.

Your story may include love, courage, family, and people who helped shape you. It may also include regret, grief, harmful choices, broken trust, or wounds you did not cause.

Jesus does not ask you to erase your story. He offers to redeem it.

Baptism represents a new beginning with Him. It does not change your ancestry or make you less Native. It marks a change in spiritual direction—a freely chosen decision to belong to Jesus and follow His Word.

Religion should never be forced

Many Native families have painful memories of forced conversion, religious control, and children being told that their identity was unacceptable.

That treatment did not reflect the way of Jesus.

Jesus invites people to follow Him, but He does not force them. Baptism must be based on personal faith and freedom. It should never be produced by threats, manipulation, family pressure, or fear.

The Creator wants your heart, and a heart cannot be forced.

Before baptism, you have the right to ask questions, examine the Bible, and understand the commitment you are making.

What does it mean to be born again?

Read John 3:1–8 ↗.

Nicodemus was a respected religious leader. He knew Scripture and followed many religious rules, but Jesus told him:

“You must be born again.”

Jesus was not talking about another physical birth. He was describing an inner transformation produced by the Holy Spirit.

He said that a person must be born of water and the Spirit.

The water points to baptism. The Holy Spirit brings the inner change that the water represents.

Water can wash the outside of a person, but it cannot change the heart. A ceremony alone cannot remove pride, hatred, addiction, dishonesty, or fear. Only the Holy Spirit can give us new desires and power to live differently.

Baptism and the work of the Spirit belong together.

Jesus chose to be baptized

Read Matthew 3:13–17 ↗.

Jesus had never sinned, so He did not need forgiveness. Yet He chose baptism as an example for us.

Jesus entered the Jordan River. After He was baptized, He came up from the water. The Holy Spirit descended, and the Father declared His love for His Son.

This scene reveals the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together.

Jesus later instructed His followers to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Read Matthew 28:18–20 ↗.

If Jesus chose baptism and asked His followers to be baptized, His invitation deserves our attention.

Why baptism by immersion?

Read Romans 6:3–6 ↗.

Baptism represents three parts of what Jesus has done for us:

1. Going beneath the water represents death and burial.
2. Resting briefly beneath the water represents the old life being left behind.
3. Rising from the water represents resurrection and a new life with Jesus.

This meaning is clearest when a person is completely lowered beneath the water and raised again.

The Bible describes Jesus coming up from the water after His baptism. When Philip baptized an Ethiopian traveler, both men went down into the water and came up again. Read Acts 8:35–39 ↗.

Sprinkling a small amount of water cannot fully picture burial and resurrection. Biblical baptism is immersion.

The water may be in a river, lake, pool, or baptismal tank. The location is not what makes baptism meaningful. What matters is faith in Jesus, obedience to His Word, and the new life represented by immersion.

What should happen before baptism?

Baptism is a thoughtful decision, not an empty ritual.

Learn about Jesus

Read Matthew 28:19–20 ↗.

Jesus said people should be taught. You do not need to understand every verse in the Bible, but you should know whom you are choosing to follow and understand the basic teachings of His Word.

Believe in Jesus

Read Acts 8:35–38 ↗.

The Ethiopian man learned about Jesus and believed. His baptism grew from personal faith.

Baptism is not simply joining a social group. It is trusting Jesus as Creator, Savior, and Lord.

Repent

Read Acts 2:37–38 ↗.

Repentance means more than feeling sorry. It means turning toward the Creator and choosing to leave known sin behind.

You are not promising that you will never struggle again. You are choosing a new direction and asking Jesus for power to walk in it.

Confess your faith

Read Romans 10:9–11 ↗.

Baptism makes your faith public. It says:

“I belong to Jesus. I trust what He has done for me. By His grace, I choose to follow Him.”

Choose freely

No one should make this decision for you. Parents, teachers, friends, or religious leaders may guide you, but the choice must be yours.

Does baptism save you?

Read Ephesians 2:8–10 ↗ and 1 Peter 3:21 ↗.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus—not by performing a ceremony.

Water itself cannot remove sin. The blood of Jesus cleanses us, and the Holy Spirit changes us.

However, genuine faith leads to obedience. A person who trusts Jesus will want to follow His instruction to be baptized when the opportunity is available.

The criminal beside Jesus could not come down from the cross to be baptized. Yet Jesus promised him salvation because he trusted Him. Read Luke 23:39–43 ↗.

This shows that baptism is not a payment for salvation. It is the public response of someone who has received salvation through Jesus.

What if I was baptized as a baby?

A baby cannot understand the message of Jesus, repent, or personally choose to follow Him.

Your parents or family may have acted with sincere intentions. You do not have to disrespect them or deny the love behind their decision.

But the baptism described in the Bible follows personal teaching, faith, repentance, and choice. If you were baptized as a baby, you can choose baptism by immersion now as your own decision.

There is no exact age given in the Bible. A person should be old enough to understand the basic message of salvation and make a willing commitment to Jesus.

What if I do not feel good enough?

You do not clean yourself up before coming to Jesus. You come to Him because you need Him to cleanse and transform you.

Baptism is not a graduation ceremony for perfect people. It is the beginning of a life of learning, growing, falling, receiving forgiveness, and continuing with Jesus.

You may still face temptation after baptism. Old feelings and habits may try to return. The difference is that you no longer face them alone.

Read Philippians 1:6 ↗.

The Creator promises to continue the work He begins in you.

Do not wait until you feel perfect. Instead, ask whether you understand the decision, trust Jesus, and are willing to follow where He leads.

What if I was already baptized?

If you were baptized by immersion after personally believing and understanding the basic message of the Bible, you usually do not need to be baptized again every time you make a mistake.

When you sin, confess it and return to Jesus. Read 1 John 1:9 ↗.

However, the Bible describes people being baptized again after receiving a clearer understanding of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Read Acts 19:1–5 ↗.

Rebaptism may be meaningful when:

• Your earlier baptism happened without personal understanding
• You were pressured into it
• You were not baptized by immersion
• You walked completely away from Jesus and now want to make a new public commitment
• You have discovered important Bible truth that has changed the direction of your life

This should be a thoughtful decision made through prayer, Scripture, and conversation with a trustworthy spiritual leader.

Baptism changes your allegiance—not your ancestry

Read Galatians 3:26–29 ↗.

Through faith and baptism, people from every nation become one in Jesus. This unity does not mean everyone becomes culturally identical.

Jesus does not ask you to deny your family, discard your language, or feel ashamed of your Native identity.

Every culture contains beautiful gifts that can honor the Creator. Every culture also contains beliefs and practices that must be examined by the Bible. That is true of Native cultures, European cultures, popular culture, and religious culture.

Following Jesus may change some of your choices, but it does not erase the people from whom you came.

After baptism, you can still honor your relatives, serve your community, learn your language, remember your history, and care for the land. You can do these things with Jesus at the center of your life.

Baptism connects you with a new family

Read Acts 2:38–42 ↗.

After people were baptized, they learned together, shared meals, prayed, and supported one another.

Baptism is deeply personal, but it is not meant to leave you isolated. It welcomes you into a community of believers from many backgrounds.

A healthy spiritual family should help you grow closer to Jesus. It should respect your dignity, answer questions patiently, and teach the Bible honestly.

No community is perfect. But you should not have to surrender your cultural identity, tolerate abuse, or stop thinking for yourself in order to belong.

What happens after baptism?

Baptism is the beginning, not the end.

After baptism, continue to:

• Read the Bible
• Pray honestly
• Keep the Sabbath
• Ask the Holy Spirit for strength
• Gather with other believers
• Serve people in practical ways
• Share what Jesus has done for you
• Confess and receive forgiveness when you fall

Your relationship with Jesus grows through daily trust.

Some days will feel powerful. Other days may feel ordinary. Do not measure your relationship with the Creator only by emotion. Keep walking with Him even when your feelings change.

Are you ready?

You do not need to make this decision because someone is watching or expecting an answer.

Take time to speak with the Creator.

Ask yourself:

“Do I believe Jesus is my Creator and Savior?”

“Have I accepted His forgiveness?”

“Am I willing to turn from known sin?”

“Do I want to follow His teachings?”

“Am I choosing this freely?”

If your answer is yes, baptism may be your next step.

Think About It

1. What does being “born again” mean to you?
2. Why must baptism be a freely chosen decision?
3. How does immersion picture the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?
4. Is there anything you fear losing if you are baptized?
5. What part of your life do you most want the Holy Spirit to transform?
6. What questions would you like answered before making a decision?

Try This During the Coming Week

Day 1

Read John 3:1–8 ↗.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what needs to become new in your life.

Day 2

Read Matthew 3:13–17 ↗.

Write down what the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each did at Jesus’ baptism.

Day 3

Read Romans 6:3–11 ↗.

Make two lists: what you want to leave buried and what you want Jesus to bring to life.

Day 4

Read Acts 2:37–42 ↗.

Notice what happened before and after the people were baptized.

Day 5

Read Acts 8:26–39 ↗.

What did the Ethiopian man learn, believe, and choose?

Day 6

Read Ephesians 2:8–10 ↗.

Write this sentence in your own words: “I am saved by grace, and Jesus is giving me a new way to live.”

Day 7

Read Galatians 3:26–29 ↗.

Talk honestly with the Creator about baptism. If you believe you are ready, speak with a trustworthy Bible teacher about taking the next step.

A Prayer You Can Pray

Creator, thank You for knowing my whole story and loving me completely.

Jesus, I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I want my old life of sin to be buried and a new life with You to begin.

Please forgive me. Give me courage to turn away from what is wrong and follow Your Word.

Holy Spirit, change my heart. Give me new desires, strength, and direction.

Help me make this decision freely—not because of fear or pressure. Show me whether baptism is my next step.

Thank You that following Jesus does not erase my ancestry or make me less connected to my people. Teach me to honor my family and culture while placing You first in my life.

I choose to belong to You. Amen.

Remember This

Baptism is a freely chosen, public commitment to Jesus.

Going beneath the water represents the burial of your old life. Rising from the water represents a new life through the Holy Spirit.

Baptism does not erase your Native identity. It changes your spiritual allegiance.

You do not need to become perfect before being baptized. You need to understand the decision, trust Jesus, repent, and be willing to follow Him.

Coming Next

Lesson 25: Why Belong to a Faith Community?

Can you follow Jesus without joining a congregation? The next lesson explores why believers need one another, what a healthy congregation should look like, and how to recognize a spiritual community that teaches truth without erasing cultural identity.