Out With the Old, In With the New
Those who accepted his message were baptized. —Acts 2:41
I will never forget the day my husband decided to get baptized. We had just found our new church home and on our first visit they announced baptism weekend would be in two weeks.
As we left church, I prayed that he would open his heart to it. I knew it had to be a decision he would make on his own. Later that week he told me that he felt it was time and that he needed to take the step of declaring his faith in Jesus publicly through baptism.
Getting baptized is one of the most memorable moments we have in our walk with Christ. We become part of the family of God. Galatians 3 says, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
Now, this didn’t mean my husband became perfect. The only person that has ever walked a perfect life on this earth was Jesus. I know there are a lot of women out there looking for Jesus Junior, but just because they’ve been baptized doesn’t mean they will be perfect. It does mean they are declaring death to the old way of life and choosing a new life with Christ. Baptism is a significant act of obedience to walk in a life worthy of Christ.
Maybe you’re on the fence about being baptized. You’re not sure it will make a difference in your life. But what if it does? What if finally declaring that you were once dead, but you have now been brought to life, a new life declaring you will never go back.
It might be time for you to take this public step of obedience, because you are God’s son or daughter. God loves you and wants you to accept all that he has to offer.
Jesus died on the cross for our sins (imperfectness), He was also resurrected back to life. Baptism is symbolic in representing that we were dead and now are resurrected to a new life.
You may still have your old personality, your same clothes, house, friends, and family, and there might not be doves landing on you after your baptism as they did on Jesus when He was baptized, but you have now made a commitment to follow Christ and follow His ways. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Maybe today you’re feeling stuck and maybe a little hopeless. You feel like you’ve been wearing the same attitude, thinking the same thoughts, and going through the same motions. It’s almost as if we’re fighting off a sickness. It’s time to wash off the past of the day and start fresh. Jesus is offering a fresh start. A time to stop the old ways of living, and begin a new life with Jesus.
To learn more about Baptism and taking this step click Here