Acts 22:16 “‘And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'”

Baptism has many functions, not the least of which is being a clear step of commitment for the believer. That actually is a major reason why some people do hold back, because they are afraid of commitment, either because they think they’ll miss out on some favorite sin or because they think they won’t be able to live a life worthy of being called a Christian. Either way, it’s a deception of the devil. No sin can possibly be even close to equal to the blessings of being in Christ, but the devil and our flesh conspire to tell us otherwise. Likewise, no one can possibly live a life fully pleasing to God in their own strength anyway; we are all dependent on the help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, thinking you couldn’t live a life worthy of being called a Christian is a hollow excuse. It’s true on the face of it, but it’s true for everyone, and God helps all who are committed to Him. As a corollary, this also shoots a hole in infant baptism, because an infant is not capable of the commitment involved. Parents can’t be saved on behalf of their children, as much as they might like to be. Parents need to do their utmost to teach their children God’s truth so that the children will be ready to make that commitment at a young age, but it still must be the personal commitment of the one being baptized.

This is good ammunition for talking to people who are hesitant about baptism. I need to be sure of their commitment, and then I need to encourage them to follow through so as to make it less likely that they will back down. A non-Christian society like Japan offers many temptations for people to act like they never made the commitment. That’s why there are so many modern “hidden Christians” – people who have confessed Christ but are not currently active as Christians, either personally or corporately. I need to do all I can to see to it that new believers are nurtured and trained in discipleship, both so that they may stand firm in their own faith and so that they may be effective in communicating it to others.

Father, this makes two days in a row You’ve talked to me about baptism. I hope that means we’re going to have a lot of them this year! I pray for an anticipation among the believers that You are going to bring many into Your family this year, and a willingness to be Your instruments in the process. The events of this month have shaken many people emotionally, even though we didn’t have physical shaking down here. May we speak to people in this time of felt need so that they may discover Your perfect supply, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!