NEXT STEPS: BaptismEsimerkki

WHAT IS IT? [Illustrations included in this devotional are not visible in this view. Illustrations are only supported in the Bible App for iOS, Android, and at Bible.com] If you're reading this Bible plan, it's because you're considering getting baptized, so we'd like to start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS! This is a great next step to take after deciding to make Jesus the Lord of your life. In this plan we want to help you to understand just exactly what baptism is, why we do it, how we do it, and who should take this next step. So let's dive right in! To explain what baptism is, we have to look at where it first shows up in the Bible. In Luke 3, we see a man named John reminding the Israelite people of their need for God. He travels through the surrounding areas of the Jordan River, encouraging his listeners to be 'baptized' as a sign of repentance for walking away from what God had; returning to God and His commands. When we say he 'baptized' them, we simply mean that he immersed them in water, bringing them back up as a symbol that they would be a new person from that point forward. That's essentially what baptism is: a picture of what God does in our lives when we surrender our will to Him. We came to Him broken and sinful. We leave His Presence made new and full of hope and grace. In the same way, when we enter the water, we enter as men and women who were broken, lost, hurting. When we emerge from the water, it represents that we've been washed of our sins, freed from our chains, and made into a brand-new person! Baptism is a symbol of an incredible work that is going on inside of us!