baptism
Yesterday, Anthony & I were baptized at church. To clarify a few things - Anthony was baptized as a baby, I in 8th grade. His was not his choice (of course) and mine was really out of fear of hell. In the denomination in which we were raised, it's believed that you must be baptized to be saved.
We believe differently now. We believe that salvation comes from knowing that Jesus Christ paid for your sins on the cross with his own blood. Baptism is an outward confession of that faith. We have both been following the Lord for almost 10 years and were really convicted the past few weeks to be baptized.
We were blessed to have our friend Cale baptize us; he's played such a large role in strengthening our faiths and has become one of our best friends. And then our boys were there to watch us (usually they'd be in children's church); that was really special to me. Squirt is still pretty young and may not have this as a long-term memory (but he kept talking about how Cale dunked us in the water). Moose will probably remember this and it just gives us a way to explain about baptism - that we love Jesus and wish to follow Him; this is our way of telling everyone that. He says he wants to be baptized...right now, I think he just wants to play in the water. :) I pray he will be, though.
It was a lovely day, full of congratulations. Anthony & I talked about things we left out of our testimonies we told before being immersed. He doesn't want people to think we were recently saved, and I think that Acts 22:16 sums up our feelings (and my challenge I left out of my testimony because I forgot my written out testimony) "what are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have you sins washed away by calling out to the name of the Lord" (that's definitely not word for word). He didn't want this to be the only way people know we're saved - which, I speak for him, is not possible. He is just so Christ-like with his patience and kindness and joy and faithfulness, etc. People see him, they see Christ. I am a blessed wife, a blessed daughter of our King.
Have you been baptized? What does that mean to you? What are you waiting for, if you trust in the Lord?
We believe differently now. We believe that salvation comes from knowing that Jesus Christ paid for your sins on the cross with his own blood. Baptism is an outward confession of that faith. We have both been following the Lord for almost 10 years and were really convicted the past few weeks to be baptized.
We were blessed to have our friend Cale baptize us; he's played such a large role in strengthening our faiths and has become one of our best friends. And then our boys were there to watch us (usually they'd be in children's church); that was really special to me. Squirt is still pretty young and may not have this as a long-term memory (but he kept talking about how Cale dunked us in the water). Moose will probably remember this and it just gives us a way to explain about baptism - that we love Jesus and wish to follow Him; this is our way of telling everyone that. He says he wants to be baptized...right now, I think he just wants to play in the water. :) I pray he will be, though.
It was a lovely day, full of congratulations. Anthony & I talked about things we left out of our testimonies we told before being immersed. He doesn't want people to think we were recently saved, and I think that Acts 22:16 sums up our feelings (and my challenge I left out of my testimony because I forgot my written out testimony) "what are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have you sins washed away by calling out to the name of the Lord" (that's definitely not word for word). He didn't want this to be the only way people know we're saved - which, I speak for him, is not possible. He is just so Christ-like with his patience and kindness and joy and faithfulness, etc. People see him, they see Christ. I am a blessed wife, a blessed daughter of our King.
Have you been baptized? What does that mean to you? What are you waiting for, if you trust in the Lord?
Comments
There was a deep sense of joy and love for you both in my heart as you came up out of the water (as well as some tears). Even though I am not your parent, it felt like we were family as I watched you up there. I love the fact that I can go to a church with such awesome people.