Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Being Baptized
This past Sunday, we had 4 baptisms at church: 2 teen aged girls, and 2 young men.
Before being baptized, each person shared their testimony of when they realized they were a Christian, what it means to follow Christ, where they were and where they are now. Every testimony is and was unique.
One of the teenagers had a boring testimony - she was saved from "nothing," i.e. she didn't do drugs, didn't sleep around, didn't drink and had attended church all her life. In all of this boringness, God reached out and touched her, she accepted His touch, and now knows that she has a different life. The other teen talked about spiritual adoption - being accepted in to God's family; her real family does not accept her and were not in attendance.
One of the young men was from a Muslim country, was a Muslim and is also a scientist. There was a language barrier, but the gist of what he said was, as a scientist, he knows God is real. He never felt this reality as a Muslim and referenced John 1:1.
The fourth young man was nervous, yet this was the best feeling for him.
It is encouraging to hear and watch people being baptized. Sometimes, if nothing convinces or convicts you, just hearing another's story and what God is done for them, that's the impetus for you to start your own journey.
Christian baptism is an immersion in water. It is an outward symbolic representation of a change that has taken place on the inside. It is a choice the individual makes after making a decision to follow Christ. It is an illustration of what has taken place in your heart and what Christ has done for us - you go down an old man, you come up a new creature. Just that quickly it happens - physically and spiritually. Further information on baptism can be found at this link.
I remember when I got baptized, and I remember how I felt (even though I was 8 years old).
Are you baptized? Have you ever considered being baptized? Do you wish to be baptized? Do you attend a church that performs baptisms every Sunday? Do you think people understand the importance and significance of baptism? Any additional thoughts?
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I was in college when I got baptized. It was during a crazy time and I just needed to redirect my life. I have never attended a church that baptizes every Sunday, it is usually a dedicated Sunday. I think some adults understand the importance, I don't know if young children do.
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