Baptism

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Baptism is not a sign of something about us. It is a sign of something about God.

Program Transcript

When
should a person be baptized?

A
lot of people see baptism as something you do when you get your life
straightened out. Others see it as the thing to do when you are ready to fully
commit yourself to straightening out and flying right. But that’s not really what
baptism’s all about!

Baptism,
as a sacrament is often called a visible sign of an invisible reality. But what
is the “invisible reality”? Many think the invisible reality is their devotion and commitment to Christ. In other words, they
think they cannot be baptized until they are ready to publically show their
commitment to follow Christ. They think baptism is a sign of something about them.

But
baptism is not a sign of something about us. It is a sign of something about God.

The Grace Communion
International Statement of Beliefs says this about baptism:

“The sacrament of baptism proclaims that we are saved by Christ
alone and not through our own repentance and faith. It is a participation in
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in which our old selves have been
crucified and renounced in Christ and we have been freed from the shackles of
the past and given new being through his resurrection. Baptism proclaims the
good news that Christ has made us his own, and that it is only in him that our
new life of faith and obedience emerges.”

In
other words, baptism signifies our union with Christ in his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. That is a
union that already exists though what Christ has done on our behalf 2000 years
ago.

It
is not a declaration about how committed to Christ we are; it is a declaration of
how committed Christ is to us. We don’t have to worry about whether we are ready;
Christ is the one who is ready. We don’t have to be righteous enough; Christ is
the one who is righteous for us.

If
you are waiting until you are totally sure and ready, or committed enough, how
long are you going to wait? When are any of us ever “ready” enough or
“committed” enough?

Like
the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36, maybe it’s time to ask, “Why
shouldn’t I be baptized?”

Baptism
is not about how ready we are or how
committed we are to God; it is a
testament to how committed God already is to us.

So
what are you waiting for?

I’m
Joseph Tkach, speaking of Life.

Program Transcript

When
should a person be baptized?

A
lot of people see baptism as something you do when you get your life
straightened out. Others see it as the thing to do when you are ready to fully
commit yourself to straightening out and flying right. But that’s not really what
baptism’s all about!

Baptism,
as a sacrament is often called a visible sign of an invisible reality. But what
is the “invisible reality”? Many think the invisible reality is their devotion and commitment to Christ. In other words, they
think they cannot be baptized until they are ready to publically show their
commitment to follow Christ. They think baptism is a sign of something about them.

But
baptism is not a sign of something about us. It is a sign of something about God.

The Grace Communion
International Statement of Beliefs says this about baptism:

“The sacrament of baptism proclaims that we are saved by Christ
alone and not through our own repentance and faith. It is a participation in
the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in which our old selves have been
crucified and renounced in Christ and we have been freed from the shackles of
the past and given new being through his resurrection. Baptism proclaims the
good news that Christ has made us his own, and that it is only in him that our
new life of faith and obedience emerges.”

In
other words, baptism signifies our union with Christ in his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. That is a
union that already exists though what Christ has done on our behalf 2000 years
ago.

It
is not a declaration about how committed to Christ we are; it is a declaration of
how committed Christ is to us. We don’t have to worry about whether we are ready;
Christ is the one who is ready. We don’t have to be righteous enough; Christ is
the one who is righteous for us.

If
you are waiting until you are totally sure and ready, or committed enough, how
long are you going to wait? When are any of us ever “ready” enough or
“committed” enough?

Like
the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36, maybe it’s time to ask, “Why
shouldn’t I be baptized?”

Baptism
is not about how ready we are or how
committed we are to God; it is a
testament to how committed God already is to us.

So
what are you waiting for?

I’m
Joseph Tkach, speaking of Life.

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