NewJoy Gospel

Sometimes I fear that for some the meaning of baptism has been covered over by a ritual that is just tacked on as an optional extra of something we should do. Baptism, like marriage, is a symbol of ones lifelong commitment that serves as a visual reminder that one has indeed entered into a relationship and there is no turning back. This is why I put it under assurance because whenever we doubt we need to simply remember that we already dealt with the question and our answer was proclaimed in our baptism...

Baptism then, like marriage, has to do with putting a signature behind ones commitment. It is saying, "I will follow Jesus, I will give up my old life." It is not a decision to be made lightly just as salvation is not to be made lightly. Once a person has wrestled with the question, "Will I follow God" and has come to an answer then they should be baptized. And then whenever the question comes up, "Am I going to follow God or walk away?" Or "Am I really a Christian?" The answer is already written down in this one event and these questions can be dismissed as irrelevant.

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