“And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him." Acts 8:38 ESV
50-year old runner Lynda Clark said she was baptized as a baby and has believed in God for as long as she can remember. But for most of her life, until she found a new church that inspired her to rededicate herself to the Lord, she says she felt she was just "going through the motions and doing what I was 'supposed' to do." And upon embracing this new life and relationship with Jesus, she felt it was time to publicly profess her new-found faith. So on Sunday, July 15, Lynda traded her running shoes for sandals to wade into the waters of the Niangua River to be baptized amidst the cheers of her friends and family.
And you know, it's never too late to establish or reestablish a relationship with Jesus Christ. At any age, it will be the best decision anyone could ever make and one that should be followed by baptism. Why? Because baptism is the outward testimony, or public declaration, of the inward change in a believer’s life and an act of obedience to the Lord after salvation. You see, being submerged in the water represents death to sin and emerging from the water represents the cleansed, holy life that follows salvation. It says to the world, "I have a new life!"
So if you are a believer but have never been baptized my friend, today is the best day to follow the example of the eunuch who, upon hearing and believing the good news about Jesus, “commanded the chariot to stop" so he could be baptized.
Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing us, sinners deserving of death, to have new lives through You. May we be so appreciative of this that we can't help but make a public profession of our faith and desire to be baptized. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
This I believe - Hillsong
No comments:
Post a Comment