stovebolts
Member
I don’t want this to be an argument about if Baptism saves or not. I personally believe that Baptism plays a role in our salvation and it’s that role that baptism plays that I’d like to hear about.
I’d like to share, and have each of you share your experience when you were baptized.
My story goes something like this.
I was 13 and put away in juvenile detention, headed for an institution. I grew up partially in an old Catholic orphanage and an assortment of protestant or non religious foster homes. I was in the 4th grade when I was finally placed at my fathers home, only to run away when I was 12. I got out of the institution when I was 16.
A good Christian man named Ron Mize preached the gospel through a music ministry when I was in juvenile and through the ministry that God had tasked him, I was brought to Christ. To this day, I remember the humble prayer asking Jesus into my heart. It was a hard step for me because being torn in and out of foster homes and my mother’s home, I had learned that I couldn’t trust or rely on anyone else. Yet here I was being asked to trust this Jesus. It was a big step for me. Part of me wanted a relationship with somebody that would never leave me, but the other side of me had learned that nothing is forever and if you allow somebody to get close to you, your just setting yourself up to be hurt. Here I was being told about this promise that Jesus loved me and even though I knew I was a rotten kid because of all the harm I’d done to others, Jesus accepted me for who I was and he loved me anyway.
It hurts to get ripped away from somebody you love, especially if that somebody is a person that loves you. Yet here I am being told that Jesus loves me so much, he died for me. More so, Jesus would be in my heart, and he would never leave. I didn’t (and still don’t) realize the full scope of those words, but I was compelled to overcome my fears and in faith, solemnly prayed that Jesus come into my life and forgive me. Most would recognize this prayer as the sinner’s prayer.
A week or two later, you couldn’t get my nose out of the Bible as I read and re-read the gospels over and over. (You’ve got a lot of time to read when you’re in juvenile). I realized that although I had accepted Christ in my life, there was still a hole. Something was missing but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Ron came up to me one day and told me that I needed to be baptized. Ohh no, no way! I had been dunked in a tank by the Mormons one time and I wasn’t having anything to do with that again! Ron didn’t say anything, he just pointed me to scripture and told me to pray about it. As I read the scripture he pointed me to, I realized that people were being added to the church daily by the thousands, and it was always after being baptized! Through long prayer, I knew I had to be baptized.
Ron somehow pulled a miracle because some how or another, he not only got a little church across the corner from Juvenile to agree to let me be baptized there, but somehow or another he worked it out to somehow get me released to his custody for an hour to go get baptized!
We talk a lot about how the grace of God saves us and it’s through our faith that God is able to do his wonders. In my case, it took great faith to take that step toward baptism. Faith that me, a terrible sinner would be forgiven all his sins and my soul would be wiped clean, but more importantly, it took faith that I could trust a God who made a promise that he would never leave me. It was through that same trust [faith], that I became obedient to Christ [which is key] and to this day, I believe that baptism continues to play a major role in my salvation for it was my first step in faith toward a better life.
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
I’d like to hear your stories about your baptism.
God bless,
Jeff
I’d like to share, and have each of you share your experience when you were baptized.
My story goes something like this.
I was 13 and put away in juvenile detention, headed for an institution. I grew up partially in an old Catholic orphanage and an assortment of protestant or non religious foster homes. I was in the 4th grade when I was finally placed at my fathers home, only to run away when I was 12. I got out of the institution when I was 16.
A good Christian man named Ron Mize preached the gospel through a music ministry when I was in juvenile and through the ministry that God had tasked him, I was brought to Christ. To this day, I remember the humble prayer asking Jesus into my heart. It was a hard step for me because being torn in and out of foster homes and my mother’s home, I had learned that I couldn’t trust or rely on anyone else. Yet here I was being asked to trust this Jesus. It was a big step for me. Part of me wanted a relationship with somebody that would never leave me, but the other side of me had learned that nothing is forever and if you allow somebody to get close to you, your just setting yourself up to be hurt. Here I was being told about this promise that Jesus loved me and even though I knew I was a rotten kid because of all the harm I’d done to others, Jesus accepted me for who I was and he loved me anyway.
It hurts to get ripped away from somebody you love, especially if that somebody is a person that loves you. Yet here I am being told that Jesus loves me so much, he died for me. More so, Jesus would be in my heart, and he would never leave. I didn’t (and still don’t) realize the full scope of those words, but I was compelled to overcome my fears and in faith, solemnly prayed that Jesus come into my life and forgive me. Most would recognize this prayer as the sinner’s prayer.
A week or two later, you couldn’t get my nose out of the Bible as I read and re-read the gospels over and over. (You’ve got a lot of time to read when you’re in juvenile). I realized that although I had accepted Christ in my life, there was still a hole. Something was missing but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Ron came up to me one day and told me that I needed to be baptized. Ohh no, no way! I had been dunked in a tank by the Mormons one time and I wasn’t having anything to do with that again! Ron didn’t say anything, he just pointed me to scripture and told me to pray about it. As I read the scripture he pointed me to, I realized that people were being added to the church daily by the thousands, and it was always after being baptized! Through long prayer, I knew I had to be baptized.
Ron somehow pulled a miracle because some how or another, he not only got a little church across the corner from Juvenile to agree to let me be baptized there, but somehow or another he worked it out to somehow get me released to his custody for an hour to go get baptized!
We talk a lot about how the grace of God saves us and it’s through our faith that God is able to do his wonders. In my case, it took great faith to take that step toward baptism. Faith that me, a terrible sinner would be forgiven all his sins and my soul would be wiped clean, but more importantly, it took faith that I could trust a God who made a promise that he would never leave me. It was through that same trust [faith], that I became obedient to Christ [which is key] and to this day, I believe that baptism continues to play a major role in my salvation for it was my first step in faith toward a better life.
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
I’d like to hear your stories about your baptism.
God bless,
Jeff
My Uncle Ken, who I grew to love a great deal, was very hospitable to my dad and I. I was amazed at all of the people who were related to me, and it was weird that I hadn't even met most of them before. They all had strong accents, and seemed foreign to me! They had a stage set up, with lots of instruments, because they all loved music so much...bluegrass, gospel, and the like. I think everyone in the family could either cook, sing, play an instrument, or preach. :-D I remember feeling like I was in a different country or something.
