I had the enormous privilege of baptising a few people yesterday. And what's more, the other person doing the baptising was my wife.
One thing that I said to one of the people we were baptising, was that she would be asked two questions that were arguably the most important questions she would ever be asked: 'do you acknowledge that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour?' and 'will you seek by His grace to follow Him for the rest of your life?'
There are no other questions that anyone could ever pose to you that would carry greater significance. The implications to your answers are incredible. As far as milestones in life go, these questions are probably THE pinnacle. They exceed the markers of 'which University do you want to go to?'; 'will you marry me?'; 'do you take this women to be your lawful, wedded wife?'; 'what are you going to name him/her?'
Being asked whether Jesus is your Lord and Saviour will always be the most significant thing anyone could ever ask you.
God has many, many amazing things in store for you and me, but no two paths are alike. The only thing that remains a constant through every story of faith is that from the beginning, He chose to lay down His life for us, so that we may one day do the same for Him.
That is what baptism symbolises - going under the water as the old you and coming out of it as a new person in Him.
Every journey of faith looks different - but the springboard needs to be from that water.
The Gospel of Matthew (c 28 v 18-20) famously details Jesus' position on baptism: 'Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: 'Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.'
It has been almost a decade since I came out of the water myself, and I can still imagine the feeling of the water washing over me. Strange, huh? Not at all. There is such power in making that decision and He totally knew it when He gave the instruction.
Are you prepared to take that first step of obedience? A brand new life awaits.
