Baptism is a public declaration that the one being baptized fully submits and agrees to the teaching and ways of the name in which you are baptized under. In this case – the act of baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is declaring to the world that you believe and will obey the ways of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Baptism also has a significant spiritual impact. As one comes to terms to our sinful nature, we go to the Father dirty, recognizing that only by His blood are we washed clean, and only by the Holy Spirit are we empowered to walk a life worthy of the King. As you go into the water, you are dying to your old self. As you rise from the water, you are being resurrected in the power of the Holy Spirit. A new person, a new life, a new creature.
I wish I could tell you, the moment you rise from the water you will never struggle with sin again, rainbows will follow you everywhere and doves will magically land on your shoulder whenever you are outside. Baptism is a symbolic action – but the real work, the actual death in the flesh is a daily process. Baptism (dying to yourself and raising with God) is not a moment, it is life.
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross DAILY and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it
Luke 9:23-24
There are so many areas in my life where I need to die – in my mentality, in my flesh, in my life – that if I don’t allow the Lord to transform me then the baptism remains just a symbol. A symbol with no power is simply a decoration. Yet a symbol with power controls our lives.
I drove home from CNE this week around 130am. I pulled into my neighbourhood – nobody. But I pulled into an intersection and there was this red symbol that said “STOP” on it. Nobody is around, even the squirrels sleeping. I stop. That symbol had power in my life. Nobody sees me, nobody around – but I still obey.
Baptism must come with power. A stop sign and nobody stops is simply graffiti. A stop sign where no one is watching, yet one obeys – that reveals power. Baptism in its fullest form is both symbol and power – not just symbol.
If I am to be baptized – but I do not allow the Holy Spirit to transform me – to change my thoughts, to change my ways, to change my direction – then baptism is merely a symbol. We must be humble enough to hear God and let him transform us, from the inside out.
We celebrate the baptism of Raymond Chow, Kevin Yong, and Andrea Soon. We are so proud of them. Let us, as the Lifespring family also be encouraged and reminded to continue this life of baptism. Let God search our hearts to see any unclean way so that we may die to those ways and live in His ways.
Amen