Baptism

This Sunday I am beginning a series on the Fruit of the Spirit. I'm going more in depth using the blog posts I've previously written as a base for the sermons. I'm then taking other parts of scripture show the affect it is to have on our lives.

This first Sunday the topic is "But the Fruit of the Spirit is..." I'm using Romans 6.1-14. As I have been reading my mind is trying to wrap itself around how big a deal baptism is. Back in the first century baptism wasn't an option, but an almost immediate action that took place after a person was saved. It was, and still is, the outward sign of the inward change. It was, and is, a public declaration that we no longer will live as slaves to sin, but as Children of God.

But I think we've lost the sense of urgency. Now we seem to focus on getting people saved and then walking with them through what that means, then once they grasp it we baptize them, months or possibly years later. Maybe we've got this backwards. Maybe that's why people walk away from the faith. They don't realize what they are getting into, they expect Jesus to fix everything and their lives will instantaneously be perfect, and when He doesn't come through like He's "supposed to" they leave.

Maybe our focus should be on better explaining everything that is involved with following Christ before people commit. It will take longer than the emotional response which may or may not be lasting, but the result is a relationship with a person who needs Christ, and an individual who knows exactly what they are accepting when they say "Jesus forgive me and be the Lord of my life."

Maybe when that happens baptism will become a more common thing. I think back to the last six years, and I can think of four baptism services that I have witnessed. In six years I have only seen four baptism services!

Baptism isn't an option. Jesus commanded it, "Baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Baptism doesn't save us from our sins, only the forgiveness of the Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ does that. But through baptism we publicly declare that Jesus is the Lord of life. That life is dedicated to the glory of God and the building of the Kingdom.

Peace be with you