What is baptism? It is the water included in God's command, and combined with God's Word. Which is that word of God? Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 2:38: And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Devotional Thought: When you look at the verse from Acts 2 above, you see a couple of the gifts that God gives through the cleansing waters of baptism. In particular are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that He comes and makes His dwelling within you in such a way as to bring you the saving grace of Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins which Jesus purchased and won on the cross and in His resurrection.
These gifts are for each of you. They are personal gifts from God the Father Himself. While it is common for us to think about the fact that Jesus forgave the sins of the world, it strikes home in that Jesus has forgiven YOUR sins. Those sins that haunt you, the ones that weigh you down, the ones that you simply cannot forget or lay aside, those are the sins that are forgiven, and that forgiveness is yours through baptism.
Many of us walk around in life feeling guilty for many of the things we've done. We think of words or actions that have hurt others, and we still keenly feel the sting of our guilt. And yet, there is God's promise. They have been forgiven through your baptism. That guilt has been paid for and removed. Sure, you may still deal with some of the consequences, or the regrets that come along with your actions or words, but from God's standpoint, they have been washed and forgiven through the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
God has forgiven your sin, and that forgiveness is yours like it is for no one else. Every one of us has our own set of sins and guilt, and in your baptism, that sin is forgiven. You have been washed and cleansed by the Holy Spirit, who now works to constantly remind you that you are God's forgiven child.
How can such assurance in your forgiveness be apparent in your life? In what parts of your life are you still dealing with guilt that God has forgiven through Jesus? How does the assurance of forgiveness change the way that you live your life?
Acts 2:38: And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Devotional Thought: When you look at the verse from Acts 2 above, you see a couple of the gifts that God gives through the cleansing waters of baptism. In particular are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that He comes and makes His dwelling within you in such a way as to bring you the saving grace of Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins which Jesus purchased and won on the cross and in His resurrection.
These gifts are for each of you. They are personal gifts from God the Father Himself. While it is common for us to think about the fact that Jesus forgave the sins of the world, it strikes home in that Jesus has forgiven YOUR sins. Those sins that haunt you, the ones that weigh you down, the ones that you simply cannot forget or lay aside, those are the sins that are forgiven, and that forgiveness is yours through baptism.
Many of us walk around in life feeling guilty for many of the things we've done. We think of words or actions that have hurt others, and we still keenly feel the sting of our guilt. And yet, there is God's promise. They have been forgiven through your baptism. That guilt has been paid for and removed. Sure, you may still deal with some of the consequences, or the regrets that come along with your actions or words, but from God's standpoint, they have been washed and forgiven through the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
God has forgiven your sin, and that forgiveness is yours like it is for no one else. Every one of us has our own set of sins and guilt, and in your baptism, that sin is forgiven. You have been washed and cleansed by the Holy Spirit, who now works to constantly remind you that you are God's forgiven child.
How can such assurance in your forgiveness be apparent in your life? In what parts of your life are you still dealing with guilt that God has forgiven through Jesus? How does the assurance of forgiveness change the way that you live your life?
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