Each year our church holds a special baptismal service at Storrs Pond in Hanover, NH. Immediately after our Morning Service we all head up to the pond and gather on the shore. I preach a brief message explaining baptism from the water as the many onlookers anticipate the actual baptizing of the individuals who are making a "public" declaration of their faith in Christ. As my voice echoes over the water and permeates the corners of the park, it reminds me of Jesus preaching from a small ship in the Gospels. At least I am sure that everyone will have the opportunity to hear God's saving message of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior.
This year we had two of our young men, Andy Kalacinski and Don White come forward for baptism. It was a perfect day as we witnessed these two men publicly affirm their faith. After the Baptism there was a special time of fellowship. There was a cookout provided by our people and we all enjoyed our time in the Lord. Special thanks to Gene and Anna Yeager and their crew.
The message was regarding the "Signs of Salvation." Colossians 2:12 says, "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Baptism is a "sign" or picture of salvation for it represents the death, burial and resurrection of not just our Lord Jesus Christ, but of all who have repented of their sins and received Him into their hearts by faith and have been born again of the Holy Ghost. We see this more closely in Romans 6:3-5, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." So then we see that baptism has 3 purposes. First we do it out of obedience to the one who died for us and freed us from our sin, delivering our souls from eternal damnation. Secondly, we are making a public declaration that we have been saved and that our hope for eternity lies soley on the crosswork of Christ at Calvary and does not rely upon our own sinful flesh. And lastly, we become an open object lesson, revealing the picture of baptism by being "immersed" in the water (representing death & burial) and rising again forshadowing our resurrection from the dead.
When the religious crowd asked Jesus for a sign in Matthew 12:38-40, He responded by giving them another sign of salvation. "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Another sign of salvation was given by Jesus in John 12:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." This too is a picture of the gospel of our salvation. We are not to try and make our lives better through religion and good works, we are to receive Christ and a new life in Him. First we must die to self, and when we live unto Him, only then will we experience true religion and serve him with our works after we are saved.
Jesus warned us about seeking after a "sign." We shouldn't be seeking a sign but seeking salvation. This salvation is found in His shed blood on the cross. He loves you. He died for you. You must repent and receive Him by faith and like Nicodemus, you will be born again.
