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After a long
life of service to God, I learned this year why I was so happy when I became
a Christian. Though I have had my share of heartaches and sorrows, my life
has been mostly one of joy and happiness. That should be true of every
Christian. When Peter preached to the Jews in Acts 2, he convinced them that
they had crucified the Son of God (verse 36). Then they asked Peter, “What
shall we do?” Peter told them to repent and be BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus
Christ for the REMISSION OF THEIR SINS, and they would receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit (verse 38).
I had never
connected the receiving of the Holy Spirit when people were baptized with
the way I felt at that time. I knew that when the Ethiopian Nobleman was
baptized (Act 8:38), he went on his way rejoicing (verse 39). I had not
connected what Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit that gives life,”
with the way many people felt when they were baptized.
This is
confirmed by the sequence of events related in Romans 8:11 – 17. Look at
this:
In verse 11
we find that the Holy Spirit gives life to our bodies. We had natural life
from our natural birth. The capacity for spiritual life that was in us was
activated when the Holy Spirit came into us at baptism. The birth of the
Spirit that Jesus spoke of (John 3:5) happened at baptism.
The Holy
Spirit has been in us since our baptism (Acts 2:38; 5:32). Paul reveals (Rom
8:14) that we are led by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave us God’s word
(Corinthians 2:10). The Psalmist said, “Send Thy light and Thy truth, let
them lead me"(Psalms 43:3).
In 1946 Sue
and I had a study with a couple in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We studied about
what the Bible teaches us about how to be saved. As a result of our study
Mr. and Mrs. Hammer asked to be baptized. We went to the church building
where the baptistery was filled with warm water, and clothing was prepared
for them to wear for the baptism. When I “buried” Mrs. Hammer with her Lord
in baptism, and brought her up out of the water, she threw her arms up and
shouted, “I never felt so good in life!” Why did she feel that way? She had
been “born of the water and the Spirit.”(John 3:3-5) She felt a surge of
peace, joy, love, and hope. Others I have baptized showed emotion in other
ways, but everyone born of the Spirit in this way feels so clean - forgiven
of their sins - and so happy to be a child of God. When we believe that
Jesus is God’s Son, repent of our sins, and are “buried” with Christ in
baptism, we receive all the spiritual blessings God has for us, because we
are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). God has other blessings we shall explore in
our
next Web message.
Harvey
Childress, servant of Jesus Christ. |
Harvey Childress |
