A Baptism Story

I don’t remember being baptized. It happened when I was an infant. My mother and father brought me to the altar at Inman Methodist Church and there the pastor asked them if they would raise me to come to know the love of God in Jesus Christ. They said they would. He asked the congregation if they would do everything in their power by God’s grace to help me come to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. They sai they would. I know this happened because it is what we do in the church. Then he took the water, put it on my head, and said, “Michael Bernard, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” ‘Ghost’ was the word used back in 1953. My parents made a promise; the church made a promise; and somewhere in the depths of Heaven, God made a promise. God’s promise was something like this- “I will love you with an everlasting love. With lovingkindness, I will draw you to me.” You can read that promise. It’s from God. It’s in the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse 3.

That’s what Christian baptism is- a promise from God. There are other baptisms in the world, and there are other baptisms in the Bible. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sin. But that’s an act of man. As Christians our sins are forgiven not because of our repentance, but because of Jesus dying on the cross for us. Look it up. 1 John 2:2 and 1 Corinthians 15:3 are good places to start. Christian baptism says this- “Jesus died for us even before we knew it (once again, look it up- Romans 5:8) and we’ll do everything it takes to help you come to know how special you are in Christ. One day, you’ll realize it and say ‘Yes!’ to what God has already said.”

So parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents and Sunday school teachers and preachers and neighbors spent lots of time helping me to understand that God loves me, that Christ died for me, and that I can live in his power. With me, it took lots of time.

And one day, when I was 14, it finally clicked. I finally knew. I remember praying “Jesus, I never knew that you loved me this much. Thank you! I’ll live the rest of my life for you.” (That’s a whole ‘nother story.) I had been drawn into God’s love by the power of his Spirit.  It had been there all along (that’s what the word ‘everlasting’ means), and now I knew it.

My parents had tried to keep their promise. The church had kept their promise. And most of all, God had kept, and keeps on keeping, his promise.

Some people tell me that I have not been truly baptized, because I didn’t have anything to do with it. But that’s what Christian baptism is al about. Jesus did it all. He has loved me with an everlasting love, and with lovingkindness, he has drawn me to him.

And if someone tells you that this ain’t baptism, they’re wrong. Because it’s not about us. It’s about God and Jesus. And thank God for that!