Baptized Into Christ

Imagine if you would that God required we do something difficult in order
for us to be saved. What if he required that we cut off the tip of a finger
or toe? What if he required that we have our ears pierced or have some sort
of mark or tattoo placed on an arm? What if he required a long and difficult
journey to a foreign place? I believe that most folks, because of their Love
for Him and desire to be saved, would undergo just about anything! To some,
the more difficult the better, as it would suggest just how much they are
willing to prove their love.

What if he required we do something cosmetic that didn't require any pain?
What if we were to color our hair red, or have it cut off all together?
Again, I believe that those who truly desired salvation would be willing to
do so. Many false religions DO require that those who join do something to
prove their worth. Some are to walk on hot coals of fire, others are to
pierce their bodies with different objects, some are to make "pilgrimages" to
show their dedication. These religions have millions and millions of people
agree to these difficult requirements.

Why is it then that when God asks us to do something simple, that many
people look for an excuse not to? Why is it that the great majority of those
who consider themselves Christians, refuse to be baptized? Any one
who has been baptized knows that it was not difficult; no pain was involved
and it did not take much time. Yet, the religious world around us seeks to
find a way to avoid it. Some "baptize" babies by sprinkling them. Some
have a person baptized for you so that you can receive the benefits without
having to go through it yourself. Others define it as a work of man or a way
for people to try and earn salvation as reasons why they refuse it. They have
no problem getting up on a Saturday morning at 6:00 A.M. to organize and work
all day at a car wash to raise money for their youth group, or to attend a
religious convention thousands of miles away, but will refuse to their last
breath the idea of being baptized.

It is Authorized by God by Command, Example and Inference. Jesus commanded it
(Matthew 28:19), we have an Example of those on the day of Pentecost obeying
Peter's call to be baptized (Acts 2:41), and we know that Philip preached it
(Acts 8:12) and that he baptized the Eunuch (Acts 8:38). We know that it is
more than a mere action, as Paul says it not only places us into Jesus
Christ, but also is an imitation of His death, burial and resurrection
(Romans 6:3,4).

Yes, something so simple and without difficulty, that millions today
continue to refuse: to be baptized into Christ.  [JW]


********** This Weeks Memory Verse **********

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?"
(Romans 6:3)
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