August 21 – Crucified with The Anointed One

        Gal 2:20, 21 – "I have been crucified with the Chosen One (Christ); I no longer live, but the Chosen One lives in me. The life that I live in this body, is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God. If righteousness could be obtained by observing the Old Testament law, then the Chosen One died for nothing."

         These verses are related to baptism passages, in that immersion into Jesus means an immersion into his death and resurrection. These verses are also an "identifying" with Jesus. They are bold statements of faith. They are much more as well. Living daily by faith in Jesus requires a complete surrender and trust in God to work in us, change us, and to lead us in good and straight paths. Proverbs 3:5, 6 comes to mind as well: "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." Living by faith in Jesus, furthermore, means a "resting" from our own works of "righteousness" and letting God work to perfect his life in us. He is the "author and finisher of our faith, as Hebrews 12 states. It is walking in step with his Spirit, living a symbiotic relationship with God. Study Gal. 5:16-18 and 2 Peter 1:3-11 for more specifics on God's working in us and our response thereto.

August 18 - One Aspect of Baptism

       Romans 6:2-4 – "We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? All of us who were baptized into Jesus the Anointed One were baptized into his death. We were, therefore, buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Jesus was raised from the dead physically, through the glory of the Father, we also may live a new life."

       I was baptized in 1983 in a muddy pond at Creation Festival in central Pennsylvania. I had become a Christian four years earlier in high school. Some friends would argue that I did not become a Christian until I was baptized, but I would disagree. That argument is for another day. I want to focus on one aspect of baptism that is inherent but rarely fleshed out during the baptism "ceremony".

       It is always a joy to be at someone's baptism, because baptism represents seriousness. It is a conscious display to the world, telling them that one is serious about living for Jesus. When I became a Christian, I really didn't know the details and symbolism behind baptism. I was serious in my faith, however, from the beginning. When I finally understood the meaning of baptism, I made the conscious decision to let the world know. Baptism is definitely a "coming out of the closet". It is a purposeful statement to the whole world, letting them know that your "old life" has been buried in that watery grave, and that your "new life" is now immersed in learning to follow the teachings of Jesus, learning to live in his guiding Spirit, and surrendering one's life to his will.

       I use the word "immersed" on purpose, as that is the meaning of the Greek word for baptism. When one is immersed in water, one is completely surrounded by it. There is not one part of the body that does not get wet. Therefore, every aspect of one's life (marriage, job, money, time, etc.) is covered in new life, new meaning, and new purpose, as taught by Jesus. The old life is over; the new life is completely different from the old. That is one of the nuances of the meaning of the statement of Jesus, "You must be born again." A butterfly emerges from its "immersion" in the cocoon as a worm, to be become a completely different creature, beautiful in its transformation.