It never appealed to me and I saw no point to it. Why should
I have to stand in front of everyone, tell my story of which no one is probably
interested in, and then get inconveniently dunked and sopping wet. I was the
two-year-old insatiably asking, “why?”
So why do it? What has changed my mind? To stand up in front
of everyone, calm my nerves in telling myself that no one is paying any
attention anyways, and get inconveniently sopping wet.
I want to. And by
that I mean God has laid the desire upon my heart. Baptism is not a means to
salvation. That is achieved only through faith. For it is by faith I have been
saved through grace (Ephesians 2:8). Baptism is the public demonstration of my
faith in God, in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Sprit’s dwelling in me.
Some sprinkle, some pour, some do it in rivers, some in
pools, some do babies, and some do it to convert faiths.
So why do it by immersion? This method by getting
inconveniently sopping wet is very important. It is an illustration. When I
accepted Christ and committed my life to him, I aligned myself with him in his
death and rose with him in life. Well
then, should we keep on sinning so God can show us more and more of his
wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue
to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus
in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ
by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power
of the Father, now we may also live new lives. Since we have been united with
him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. -Romans 6: 1-5. Immersion
baptism illustrates this transformation. We are led under the surface in
Christ’s death on the cross and rise above as Christ was in eternal life.
This is not making me a blameless and sinless person. So
long as we remain in this world, that cannot be. It is a public demonstration
of my commitment to God. I belong to Him. My name is written upon His
hand. And that is why I agree to get inconveniently
sopping wet.
