"Jesus came and told His disciples,
'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age'."
(Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)
'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age'."
(Matthew 28:18-20 NLT)
Dear friend,
You have begun your walk of faith, and we are honoring the Lord's words to disciple you. In addition, you have participated in the observance of the Lord's Supper (Communion), fellowshipping and worshipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You are learning the Word of God, and wrestling with the truths therein.
Is it time to take the next step and make a public declaration of your faith, an identification with the Lord's people? Are you ready to be baptized?
I want to refer back to the book that we read together, Follow Me (David Platt). <Note: as you'll remember, my copy is in Spanish, so what comes below is translated; the words may not be completely the same as in your book.>
Chapter 6: God's Will for Your Life: "This is exactly what is illustrated in baptism when we begin to be followers of Jesus. Paul asked the Christians in Rome, '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.' (Romans 6:3-4) In baptism, the Christian makes a public declaration that he (or she) has died to sin and lives for Christ. Just as Jesus died, the disciple too dies to himself (or herself). Just as Jesus was raised to live, the disciple also lives in Christ."
"...for a new believer, baptism is an essential, necessary and non-negotiable step of obedience because it symbolizes his (or her) fundamental identification with the death and resurrection of Jesus."
One of my favorite baptism accounts in the Bible is in the book of Acts, when Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). At just the right time, God sent Philip down a desert road. There he found a man reading the Scriptures. Offering to help him understand, Philip shared the Gospel. The eunuch's reaction? Belief. Followed by baptism. The eunuch didn't wait until he was living a holy life, until he had memorized various Scriptures, until he had a church. He didn't wait. Faced with the truth, the eunuch declared his belief and proclaimed his faith.
Below are some links to Scriptures that contain various forms of the word "baptize". You can read more for yourself:
Baptize(d)
Baptizing
Baptism
If you are ready to take this step, let me know. Our church is having a baptism service in two weeks. If you would rather involve your youth leaders from Common Grounds, that's fine as well. I can help you talk with them about this, if you'd like.
As always, I am committed to praying for you!
Heavenly Father, We thank You for burying our sins with Christ, and for raising us to new life, just as Christ was raised from the dead. We want to follow You!
You have begun your walk of faith, and we are honoring the Lord's words to disciple you. In addition, you have participated in the observance of the Lord's Supper (Communion), fellowshipping and worshipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You are learning the Word of God, and wrestling with the truths therein.
Is it time to take the next step and make a public declaration of your faith, an identification with the Lord's people? Are you ready to be baptized?
I want to refer back to the book that we read together, Follow Me (David Platt). <Note: as you'll remember, my copy is in Spanish, so what comes below is translated; the words may not be completely the same as in your book.>
"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)
Chapter 6: God's Will for Your Life: "This is exactly what is illustrated in baptism when we begin to be followers of Jesus. Paul asked the Christians in Rome, '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.' (Romans 6:3-4) In baptism, the Christian makes a public declaration that he (or she) has died to sin and lives for Christ. Just as Jesus died, the disciple too dies to himself (or herself). Just as Jesus was raised to live, the disciple also lives in Christ."
"...for a new believer, baptism is an essential, necessary and non-negotiable step of obedience because it symbolizes his (or her) fundamental identification with the death and resurrection of Jesus."
One of my favorite baptism accounts in the Bible is in the book of Acts, when Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). At just the right time, God sent Philip down a desert road. There he found a man reading the Scriptures. Offering to help him understand, Philip shared the Gospel. The eunuch's reaction? Belief. Followed by baptism. The eunuch didn't wait until he was living a holy life, until he had memorized various Scriptures, until he had a church. He didn't wait. Faced with the truth, the eunuch declared his belief and proclaimed his faith.
Below are some links to Scriptures that contain various forms of the word "baptize". You can read more for yourself:
Baptize(d)
Baptizing
Baptism
If you are ready to take this step, let me know. Our church is having a baptism service in two weeks. If you would rather involve your youth leaders from Common Grounds, that's fine as well. I can help you talk with them about this, if you'd like.
As always, I am committed to praying for you!
Heavenly Father, We thank You for burying our sins with Christ, and for raising us to new life, just as Christ was raised from the dead. We want to follow You!
No comments:
Post a Comment