Last Sunday, on an absolutely gorgeous sunny August Sunday we gathered at one of our members’ homes for our first ever Highlands Bible baptism service. Eight people stood in the water and gave public testimony of God’s powerful work in their lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ. There we tears of joy as we all were encouraged in hearing practical examples of how God does what God does – brings new life in Jesus.
We then all witnessed the gospel acted out physically thru the sacrament of baptism. We spent time in Romans 6 where Paul teaches us what it really means –
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1–4 ESV)
The act of baptism is not magic using holy water or the person doing the baptizing to cleanse away sin – there is only one thing that does that and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. But baptism acts out the gospel in that it physically demonstrates our union with Christ in his death and resurrection. As we go under the water we demonstrating our powerful union with Christ’s death. As we come up out of the water, we are demonstrating our supernatural union with Christ’s resurrection…as Paul wrote – ‘so that we too might walk in newness of life.’ Those undergoing baptism are telling the world they are no longer enslaved to sin, or desire to continue in sin – but rather they desire to please God in every area of their lives because they are new creations in Christ!
We are very thankful for the work of God at Highlands – and pray that he continues and we see many more being baptized in the future as we make and mature disciples of Jesus!
Check out our FaceBook page for more great shots of a great day!
Awesome photo credits: Liz Slye
