Monday; July 31

Not long ago, I was asked to baptize someone in the river. I have done several baptisms in the baptistries at church buildings, but I believe this the first one in a river. I was in unfamiliar territory, dodging rocks and other stuff in the water. So when I got to where the water was deep enough, I had to really think about what I was saying and doing. I wanted to get the right words and make sure I did the right things – then it dawned on me, what was happening was between the person being baptized and the Lord. Sure, I needed to do what I was supposed to do the way I was supposed to do it, but the heart of the process of salvation is the commitment of the person and the grace of God. The bond that was being formed was between them, I was just a tool being used.

We must be careful to understand our purpose – especially in evangelism. It isn’t us that saves people – nor even our message that converts them. We are merely a conduit through which the message of salvation is spread from the Word of God to the heart of a new believer. Jesus reminds us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). When we truly understand the principals (and principles) involved in the process, it takes the pressure off of us and places the focus where it should be.

Think About It!

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