Does sticking your head under some water while someone says some flowery words over you really do anything? According to the Bible, and our Christian faith, yes.
The baptism of a believer in Christ is a mysterious, awesome, and today, courageous act. Baptism is mysterious because the Bible says that in some way, when we allow ourselves to be immersed in water for the purpose of being baptized, we are being symbolically buried with Christ and united with Him in new life. If that is not mysterious, I don't know what is. Don't get me wrong--I absolutely believe it--but I believe it through faith, not through complete understanding. Baptism is awesome for the same reason; through such a simple act of obedience, we have closer communion with Christ. What a low price of admission for the greatest privilege ever granted. And today, such an act is courageous because, as I and many others have said before, almost anything goes in this world except for adherence to Christian values.
I was honored to witness the baptism of two men today. Yes, two grown men. They have families, they have lives, they are long past childhood, when many people think of being baptized. But they came to the point in their lives that they were ready to make that outward confession of their inner decisions to follow Christ. As always, it was a powerful experience for me.
Watching someone else get baptized always reminds me of my experience. I was baptized as an infant, but later in life decided that I wanted to experience full immersion as an expression of my changed life. When I came out of that water, I felt something, something powerful and magnificent. I cannot go so far as to say that everything changed at that moment, but I guess in some ways everything did. I have never forgotten that feeling, and that memory has influenced many of my actions and words. I do believe that I became closer to Christ on that day, and what could be more life changing?
When we make that decision to be baptized, we are buried with Christ in order that we may be raised again to life through faith in Him. Baptism is not salvation, but rather an action someone who is already saved takes in order be in obedience with God's will. Doing so brings us closer to our Savior. What greater honor could there be?
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