What do I do after salvation? What’s next?
Now that I am saved, and made a choice to follow Christ, what’s next?
As a follower of Christ, the bible gives us our first commandment of baptism. Baptism is the most beautiful thing, and once you understand you will immediately want to grab your bathing suit, and run to church!
Baptism is as outward expression of what was done on the inside of your heart.
I’ll get into the scriptures shortly because what God has to say about everything matters way more than anything I do. I’m going to first give you an earthly example of baptism. For me, it’s like a wedding ceremony. Yes, it’s that serious and committing! Baptism is us publicly saying we are one with Christ. Just like marriage is saying I am one with my husband. Our lives are joined.
If I take my wedding ring off, that doesn’t mean I’m not married anymore. It’s not the ring that makes me married. I’m married because I became one with my husband.
Baptism is the same way, you can get dunked in water all you want, and not ever go to heaven or know Christ. The baptism is like your wedding ring, it’s a symbol of the commitment you have made to God. My ring isn’t what got me married, it’s just a sign that I am married.
Your baptism itself doesn’t save you. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection are what saves you. Your acknowledgment that faith alone in what He has done for you is what saves you. Repenting from your old life and ways, and turning to Christ is all it takes.
Let’s get into what the scripture says about baptism now!
Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Colossians 2:12
Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Galatians 3:27
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothes yourselves with Christ.
Colossians 2:12
Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Ephesians 2: 8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.
Baptism is a perfect picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Let’s break it down. When the pastor stands in the water, he represents Christ. He holds you, and helps you immerse into the water, which represents his death when he was buried. When the pastor pulls you back out of the water, this represents Christ coming out of the grave on the third day.
By being baptized, you’re making that choice to take on a new life and leave behind your old one. You’re dying from your old life, transitioning into a new life after baptism. This transition is now you living for Christ’s life.
The entire process represents what Christ did on the cross. However, you are agreeing to take on His life too by being baptized. You are publicly announcing that you are dying to your old life when you go under that water. When you rise out of the water you are saying you will walk like Christ did. Your old life is gone, and the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation, old things are passed way; behold all things are become new.
