"Now as the went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, 'See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?' Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him."
Acts 8:36-38
Water baptismal services are special to me. They cause me to remember my own water baptism in 1958 in the Little North Fork of the Santiam River by my pastor, Rev. Jay Beebe. The water was so-o-o cold that it felt like there were icebergs in the river. It was a very important event in my life. In the eunuch's baptism, I think we see the pattern established for water baptism. 1) It is immediate. There is no waiting period to see if the conversion "sticks." Too often in our assemblies, we wait until there is a group to baptize. It should be immediate upon their confession of faith. 2) The testimony is clear: "I believe..." The testimony is not some obscure "Jesus did a lot in my life." Rather it is a testimony of my faith in Christ. So, what hinders a person from being baptized?
Today's Thought: Water baptism is the Scriptural response to confession of faith.
Have a remembering day. Love you.
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