All In: Pre Baptism ResourceSample

Day 1: Where do I start?

If you have started this plan it's because you have decided you want to learn what it means to go ALL IN and be baptized. This is a significant step and one that is meant to be the launching point for you to grow in your faith! This is exciting! So where do we start? Let's start at the beginning and recognize we all are sinners.

All throughout the Bible, we read about men and women who messed up and needed a Savior. In Genesis we read of Adam and Eve sinning against God and believing the lies of the serpent. Later in the Old Testament we read of King David who committed adultery with one of his army officials' wives and then had him killed not long after. Jonah ran from God and Paul persecuted Christians. The accounts of people falling into sin throughout Scripture is overwhelming.

And we know it’s not any different today. Look around the landscape of our culture, and you can clearly see the results of sin in our world. It’s common to see people who have abandoned good to give into sinful acts or desires. On a daily basis, it’s often easy to see the fallout of sin and the way other’s sin may have even impacted our own lives. It’s not so fun, however, when we must look inward and evaluate our own personal sin. No one wants to admit they have messed up or fallen short. That’s not enjoyable for anyone! But in order to fully grasp what it means to follow Jesus and surrender our life to Him, we must start by admitting our own sin and recognizing our need for a Savior.

Romans 3:23 states it clearly when Paul writes...

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

God’s Word clearly states that we are ALL sinners.

No one is without sin.

We all need a Savior.

Why is this an essential step in your faith? Because by admitting our sin and our need for a Savior we can better understand the gravity of why we must take this step of following Jesus.

Without the forgiveness of our sins, we won’t be able to enter heaven to spend eternity with God. Because God is a just and righteous God, a price must be paid for the penalty of sin. But the good news is that God sent His Son Jesus to pay the price and to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says …

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

Jesus’ death on the cross erased our sin and bridged the gap that sin created in our lives between us and God. By confessing our sin and admitting we can’t save ourselves, God is able to start the redemption process in our lives. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin. He sees His Son Jesus who took on our sins when He hung on the cross.

Reflection:

• Why is it hard to admit we need a Savior? How does that go against what our culture promotes?
• Why is this an important step as a Christ-follower?
• Where do you recognize sin in your life specifically that you need Jesus to take away?