Remember Your Baptism
We probably don’t do it as often as we should. Believer: remember your baptism.
I can’t remember the day that I first trusted Christ, but I can remember the date of my baptism: June 29, 1980. I remember standing in the baptistery, answering questions that my pastor asked me, and then being submerged under the water, and coming up again as the congregation sang another verse of the song “I Know Whom I Have Believed.”
I consider this day one of two that I try to remember often, along with the date of my wedding.
We should remember our baptism for two reasons.
Remember Baptism for What It Means
The Second London Baptist Confession says:
Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into him; of remission of sins; and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.
There’s so much packed into the meaning of baptism. I often think that if God merely forgave us of our sins, that would be enough to amaze us. But that’s just the beginning. He not only justified us, but he’s welcomed us into his family. He’s given us all the benefits of his salvation, including adoption, his presence with us, and unshakeable hope in the future. He’s united us to him. He’s made us new. And that’s just a start.
If we meditated on all the benefits that are ours in salvation, we would be better for it. Baptism is one way for us to think about all of these benefits.
Baptism is part of how we lay hold on all of these benefits. It’s part of how we become a Christian. As Bobby Jameson says, when we pull the lens back, we can “look at the process of conversion as a unified whole, baptism included. According to the New Testament, baptism is where faith goes public, which means it’s an integral part of becoming a Christian.”
So when we meditate on our baptism, we’re meditating on the start of our life with God, and all the benefits that we get to enjoy as a result.
Remember Baptism for What It Means Today
Don’t just remember baptism for what it meant at the start of your walk with God; remember what it means for you today.
Surprisingly, the Westminster Confession includes a section on improving our baptism. Commenting on this section, David Mathis writes:
Bringing to mind our baptism is a potent way of bringing ourselves back to the gospel dramatized in the baptismal waters. In calling to mind our own baptism, we remember not just the experience, but its significance in pointing to what Jesus has accomplished.
Your baptism isn’t just a past event; it has continuing relevance for your life today. Don’t leave your baptism in your past. Remember it, and consider its ongoing relevance for the decisions, struggles, and temptations you face today.
Your baptism is a single past event with profound, ongoing significance. Christian: remember your baptism, not just today, but often. It will bring blessing and encouragement to your walk with God.
