baptism: are you ready? - Christian Fellowship Church of Crystal Lake

BAPTISM: ARE YOU READY?
by Pastor Aaron Searles
I was baptized in 1988 at our church’s annual
gathering in Green Lake, Wisconsin. In an indoor
pool so chlorinated that your eyes watered
and your hair turned green just by smelling it, I
expressed my commitment to follow Jesus. Then,
in some profound, mysterious, symbolic and real
way, I came up out of that pool knowing I was
purified by God’s grace. This is what happens when
you accept God’s gift of grace and choose to follow
Jesus. You make a declaration in your heart, and
He forgives all the ways you’ve been attempting to
do life without Him. I remember seeing the trail of
bubbles popping behind me and thinking about
my sin – also behind me, now gone. Jesus forgives
your sin at the moment you sincerely ask, but
through baptism you participate in that spiritual
reality in a physical way.
Another difference between committing your life to
Jesus and being baptized is the aspect of community.
How many times have you heard a minister ask
people to close their eyes before he tells those
who want to accept Christ to raise their hands? By
contrast, how many times have you heard a pastor
ask people to close their eyes before bringing up a
person to be baptized? Baptism always happens
openly and in a community of believers. My baptism
was a powerful moment because of all the people
who were there – my family, friends, and members of
the church who were helping raise in me the faith. I
was scared because I was in front of so many people,
but I felt loved exactly because I was surrounded by
so many people.
So what exactly is baptism, and why do we do it?
Are you ready to be baptized? Consider these four
aspects of baptism when making this decision.
FIRST: BAPTISM IS A FUNERAL
Are you ready for your funeral?
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism
into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from
the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may
live a new life.” – Romans 6:14
Baptism is a swift, symbolic motion of something
we will spend our entire lives working out: death
to our sinful nature and resurrection into life in
Christ. It’s something that was both finished and
started through the cross and resurrection, and
it is something that will only be complete in the
Kingdom to come. But baptism is a declaration that
we are submitting ourselves to that necessary death.
Baptism is a funeral – are you ready?
SECOND: BAPTISM IS A COMMISSIONING
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of
the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and
he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This
is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
– Matthew 3:16-17
When Jesus was baptized, he was commissioned and
anointed to start his Messiah activities. The details of
saving the world could begin! When we get baptized,
we say, “Here I am Lord. It’s your kingdom – not mine.
I’m ready to be used by you for your purposes.”
Baptism is a commissioning. Are you ready to start
living the life God has for you?
THIRD: BAPTISM IS AN ADOPTION
“So in Christ you are all children of God through
faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ … If you belong
to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs
according to his promise.” – Galatians 3:26-29
Have you noticed how humans from every culture
feel the need to participate in ceremonies in order to
mark their inclusion in a group? We’re not satisfied to
say, “Okay, you finished your last college credit – now
you’re ready for the working world.” Instead we put on
a ceremony so that students have a clear memory of
passage. Since this is true of people all over the world,
I’m inclined to think the need for marked moments of
passage is innate to God’s design of humanity.
At the moment that you turn to Jesus, you are accepted
into the family of God. But when you’re baptized, you’re
surrounded by family members who are witnessing
that inclusion and affirming it. You are an heir of God.
You don’t need to wonder where you fit in anymore
– you belong here, with us. Baptism is an adoption.
Are you ready to take your place at the family table?
FINALLY: BAPTISM IS A VOW
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded.” – Matthew 28:19-20
If you’re married, you may or may not remember
exactly what you said in your wedding vows. But
you’ll probably never forget the feeling of standing
in front of people and declaring your lifelong
commitment. Baptism is also a vow, but to what?
Jesus says that disciples should be baptized and
should obey everything He has commanded. The first
part of that commandment is as quick and easy as
getting dunked under water; the second is a lifelong
commitment and a seemingly impossible goal.
We generally think that before you can obey
something, you need to understand it completely.
We get so hung up on understanding the Bible
that we forget “understanding” is not discipleship.
Obedience is discipleship. Great men and women of
the faith have obeyed God without perfect revelation
or understanding (Hebrews 11). Learning God’s word
is very important, but it isn’t discipleship unless it’s
coupled with obedience and application (James 1:22).
How can you vow to obey everything Jesus has
commanded before you understand everything he’s
commanded? Well, ask yourself this: How could you
vow to love, honor and cherish a person who you’ve
only been dating for a year or so? You make the vow,
and then you set out to learn how to fulfill it. More
importantly, you love and serve that person as best
you can until you know better. In the same way, the
path to understanding God is to obey God, and to
begin doing life His way even if you don’t fully know
what that means. Are you ready to live in obedience
to God? Are you ready to take that vow?
A few more questions to help you figure out if you’re
ready for baptism:
Is Jesus someone you attend to on Sunday
mornings, or is He the cornerstone of your
daily life?
Is the Bible a book of restrictive commands,
or is it a love story?
Is Jesus your “buddy” or your King?
Is Jesus your well-kept secret or a song you
can’t stop singing?
If Jesus is your cornerstone, if He’s your King, if He’s the
author of a divine love story, if He’s the song you can’t
stop singing: you’re ready to be baptized. If Jesus does
not hold that place in your life, you can turn to face
Him right now. Ask forgiveness, and tell Him you want
to devote the rest of your life to being His disciple.
Whether you’re ready to be baptized and need more
information, or you’ve committed your life to Christ
and don’t know what’s next, a pastor at Christian
Fellowship Church would love to come alongside
you in the next step of your journey with Jesus.