Why Do We Believe That?
Baptism was the topic of discussion in the “Dare I Ask?” Wednesday night series a few weeks ago. We explored a variety of great questions. What is baptism? Why do we baptize? Why do we baptize the way that we do? Who can baptize? What if I was baptized as an infant? Do I need to be baptized again? What if the person who baptized me had a moral failure? The discussion was meaningful, insightful, and like all of the “Dare I Ask?” sessions, was very helpful for those of us seeking to grow in our understanding of what we believe.
One of my favorite moments of the night was when Jeff Laird asked those of us in the audience, “What is baptism?” And a member of the church family replied, “An outward expression of our faith.” I rejoiced because that is one of those phrases I love to repeat over and over again. But then Jeff did something very important, and I might add…a little provocative. He followed up with the question, ”Why do you believe that is what baptism is?” His question is crucial. He was asking the person not just what she believes, but why she believes it, and what the source of her belief is. She gave Jeff a great answer…and it was not that she had heard it from someone else. She knows what she believes from her personal understanding of God’s Word.
Few things give me more joy than hearing our church family express the fruit of their study of God’s Word. I love that the church in ancient Berea is honored in the book of Acts. “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11 ESV) They were fact-checking even the Apostle Paul’s preaching, to make sure he was teaching the truth of God’s Word. We must carefully examine Scripture to determine what we believe, not relying only on what we have been taught.
Expectantly,
Shawn
P.S. If you are interested in getting baptized, you can check out our application here. If you are interested in more details about the “Dare I Ask?” Wednesday evening discussion series, click here.
