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Dedication and Declaration

Baptism. You have probably seen this in action. Some guy gets in a kiddie pool and willfully allows another person to dunk him under the water for however long they see fit all for the glory of Jesus! But really, why do we do this? What’s the point? As believers in Jesus, we engage in baptism for dedication and declaration.

Notice that we didn’t say salvation. We don’t get baptized to be saved; we get baptized because we already are saved. We do it to identify publicly with Jesus and show everyone who witnesses it that we’re committed to Him.

Jesus Himself was baptized by His cousin, John, at the beginning of His ministry. This is how Matthew describes the scene:

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17 NIV

Not only did Jesus model baptism to us as something to be done publicly to dedicate our lives to God, He also commanded it as a part of the Great Commission, His final charge before He ascended to heaven:

Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

Baptism publicly identifies us as followers of Jesus. In fact, Paul, one of the most well-known leaders of the early church, compares baptism to Jesus’ burial and resurrection. We’re buried with Him through baptism and then raised up into our new life! Baptism is our declaration that we’ve been made new, and we’re going to walk in that new life.

Challenge: Now that you’ve made it to the final day of this Bible Plan, don’t stop reading! Take another step and continue on your journey toward becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ by starting the Fully Devoted Bible Plan. Invite your friends, a nd keep learning from Jesus about what it looks like to follow Him.

Bonus: Watch this video to learn even more about the importance of Baptism.