Origins will celebrate its 17th birthday in just a few weeks. Over the course of those 17 years some of our favorite times of celebration have revolved around seeing people declare their faith in Jesus through Baptism. We had been blessed to seen both young and old immersed as an act of faith and obedience! Through the years we have used lakes, pools, borrowed portable baptistries, and most recently an inflatable hot tub. Yep! A HOT TUB! The location or vessel is not what has made these times so special. It has been the statement made by those going into the water.
Throughout the book of Acts we see people who would become the early church declare their faith in Christ and often immediately after be baptized. While we do not know what types of pools, ditches, or water sources they used, we can see that it was a result of their new union with Christ and their faith as they obeyed the teachings of Jesus and followed their confession with being baptized (literally dunked).
We always like to be clear that Baptism does not save someone, but it is something special that follows our confession of Jesus as Lord. It is both an act of faith and obedience. It is an act of faith because we are participating in something that would normally seem quite out of place in our day to day lives, yet Christ told us to both believe AND be baptized. Which is why it is also an act of obedience. It has even been said that when someone chooses to be baptized it is the “greatest sermon they will ever preach!” It will forever be one of our best ways to declare that we identify with Jesus, and that we now belong to Him!
We know that many people will labor through the decision as to whether or not they should be baptized. We totally understand. We are always thrilled to sit down and talk through the “why” and “how” as we as answer any questions that you may have. Declaring our faith in Jesus is a big deal, and we want to help you make it public. If you would like to set up a time to have that conversation, please do not hesitate to reach out (insert email address). Our next Baptism service will be on October 11th.
-Matthew Elrod, Lead Pastor