This afternoon we had the privilege of witnessing four members of the Interlake Full Gospel Church experience the prophetic act of Baptism! The air, while cold even for November, was filled with warmth radiating from hearts overflowing with joy and celebration!
Prior to the baptism, Pastor Danny talked to us about the symbolic picture the act of baptism presents as we go under the water identifying ourselves with Christ’s death and declaring our old nature gone; and then rise up out of the water to express the spiritual reality of renewal through Jesus’ resurrection power at work in our lives. He taught us that baptism wasn’t necessary for salvation--salvation comes through faith in Christ--rather it was a powerful symbol to the world that we have entered into the Kingdom through belief in Jesus, His death and resurrection.
Every time I watch someone express their connection to the Lord through this beautiful prophetic picture I am deeply moved. But today, I was struck with another dimension of the symbolism presented through baptism. The family. In baptism, we not only identify ourselves as a person in covenant with Christ, but we identify ourselves as members of the family of God--brothers and sisters of all those that have gone before us, entering into the family through Christ, and expressing their own entrance into the family through the same beautiful symbol of adoption.
And so, as we watched our Kingdom brothers and sisters symbolically declare that we are part of the same family, intimately connected through our Lord and Savior, it is no wonder our hearts experienced so much warmth and joy. What a gift!
Toban, Nicole, Helen, Raymond: As you have symbolically expressed your covenant and entrance into our family on this awesome day, we just want to say WELCOME! We are so glad to have had the opportunity to celebrate your baptisms with you!
