What does baptism mean? Our Baptism Story

Welp.

Tyler and I did something pretty exciting on Sunday. We decided to get water baptized.

I can’t tell you how many times we have been convicted by the Holy Spirit with certain aspects of our lives just to have it spoken into our lives by the people around us.

Baptism was one of those things.

To the world, baptism probably looks kind of silly. It probably looks like some sort of dunkfest. In some ways, it is a dunkfest. It’s a celebration that is caused by people getting dunked underwater… but the purpose of this “dunkfest” runs much deeper than just that.

Baptism is a symbol that we belong to Jesus and have committed our lives to Him.

Tyler and I were both baptized as babies. We both have grown stronger in our faith throughout the years and lately really felt like there was this nudge to make that public declaration ourselves that we belong to Jesus and have committed our lives to Him.

After this nudging, we went to church last Sunday and listened to our pastor give a sermon on baptism. We knew it was time.

So we went right up to him after service and told him we wanted to get baptized that next Sunday. He smiled and put us on the calendar.

After the news was shared with some of our friends, one of the church leaders asked if anyone else would want to get baptized, which led to six more people deciding to do so! 

Baptism is about going public with your faith and telling the world about the change that’s already happened inside of you.

Much like a wedding, a baptism serves as a ceremony to celebrate the change that Jesus has made inside your heart. The wedding itself isn’t what changes everything for you and your partner - it’s simply a way for you to tell those you love that you have chosen to be with your partner for the rest of your lives.

This is exactly what baptism is. It’s telling those you love that you have chosen to have a relationship with Christ for all of your days.

Baptism reminds us that the old is gone, and the new has come!

In Matthew 3, Jesus is baptized by a man named John who wore camel’s hair for clothes and ate locusts and wild honey. The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus, and His healing ministry really begins.

Baptism marks a fresh reminder that the old is gone and the new has come. 

Before I got baptized, I told everyone out in the crowd that the best decision I ever made was choosing to have a relationship with Christ. That through the fears, trials, and struggles of life, it always comes back to this beautiful choice I made to live for Him. 

And I just pray that you make that decision too.