32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”        

Baptism is the symbol of your conversion experience. It is a testimony of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although this ordinance is commanded by Jesus, it helps me to compare baptism to my wedding ring. It is symbolic of commitment. It tells of my love for Judi and my commitment not only to the institution of marriage, but to her.

Does this ring make me married? No. There was a vow and I said yes to her and she to me. We exchanged rings to declare the intent of our commitment. The clergyman, as an instrument of the state, witnessed our pledges and signed his name saying such. That was good enough for the state to declare that we were married.    

If I take this ring off does that mean I am no longer married? No. Can someone else wear a wedding ring and not be married? Yes.

Then why in the world do we have a wedding ring? It is the sign for our culture of a commitment to a man or woman as a spouse. That inward and personal commitment is demonstrated to others by an outward symbol. If marriage is so important to us and we want others to know it, I will wear it and wear it proudly.        

Our baptism of the Holy Spirit saves us when we have that God encounter and open our lives to Him. Our baptism by water is commanded by Jesus to declare our love for Him and our witness to the world. Of course, immersion identifies with the death burial and resurrection of the past, present, and future aspects of our Christian experience.        

Application:   Have you made your commitment to Christ public through baptism? He wants us to. Have you trusted your baptism to save you? Then you are in for a sad surprise. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9.        

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you for the opportunity to give testimony to You of your Salvation through the water baptism.   Let my life be a testimony of your death, burial and resurrection as I crucify myself daily.   So I pray with Paul,   "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."  Phil 1:10-11

Dale