Here at the BCEC, we have baptisms lined up for April 26th 2015. I thought it’d be nice to have one of the teens from our youth group write a blog post on his own experiences and thoughts on baptism. It’s always nice to get a refreshing stance and seeing how far God has moved someone since the process of baptism. Read on and enjoy…
Hello, I am Jimmy and was raised at BCEC. I attend both the English morning service and the iD Youth group here.
When I was 13, I started thinking about getting baptised and taking my faith as a serious thing. I have been a Christian for a long time but I thought it was about time that I decided for myself if I wanted to continue being a Christian, and the way to show my dedication to Christ was through baptism. Before my baptism, I had never really seen the the Church and Christianity anything more than a place to hang out with friends or have fun. But now it has become something much more than that.
On the day of my baptism I had to share my testimony, an account of what had led me to my decision to be baptised. One of the main things that made me think about getting baptised was seeing how the life of my friend differed to that of mine. I have known her all my life but until then I never really saw how God had changed her lifestyle for the better, it was something I also wanted to experience, a sort of peace of mind that my God is with me. After my testimony, I proceeded to be baptised. The action for this was being immersed in water and coming back up to simulate the death and resurrection, like Jesus Christ was.
Since my baptism 3 years ago, a lot has changed, both mentally and spiritually. The process of change was slow, but certain that something was happening. Through the situations that He has put me in, I have become more committed to His word, He has equipped me to become more disciplined in everyday life. I have learnt to become more loving and forgiving as I am put through pressures that I would normally break under without the knowledge that God is with me. Spiritually, I have more faith and trust in God, that He knows what is best for me. Trust that even when I cannot feel his presence, His timing is perfect, and He will never abandon me. As I am now, I am far from perfect, there have been and will be challenges before me where my faith can falter, but I know through this God is sanctifying me, shaping me to become more like Jesus.
I would highly recommend baptism to anyone interested and ready to commit fully and wholly to God. In Acts 8:35-38, Philip baptised the eunuch in some water along the road after the eunuch asked “What can stand in the way of my being baptised?” As soon as he believed, he got baptised. Baptism is not a way to get into Heaven, however it should not be put off if you feel you are not good enough, it is a display of your commitment and devotion to following Jesus and realisation you are saved by God’s grace and not by your own works.
Or if you want to find out more as to why we get baptised, click here.