Ever wished life came with an ‘Esc’ button?

All of us have done things in life that we are ashamed of. Then comes the moment when all that junk catches up with you, and you can’t find a place to hide. Friend, have you ever wished that life came with an ‘Esc’ or a backspace button? Have you ever thought, “I wish my past could be buried”? Have you ever felt, “Lord, I wish I could not feel the guilt of some sins I committed four years ago”?

Well, there is good news for you and me. Our loving Father new we would find ourselves in such a predicament one day, and He made a way. God loves us. He always has and always will. And there is absolutely nothing we can do to change that. What reassuring thought! Our maker, the Lord of our lives, tells us that He alone has the power to blot out our past.

He set up a very important ordinance in which we affirm publicly that He has erased our past and given us a new life- baptism by immersion. When you walk into the baptismal pool that “you” that you hate dies and you walk out to begin life all over again. In it we publicly declare whose side we are on. We won’t have to hide anymore. Friend, your answer is baptism. Simply put, it means (Rom 6:1-4):

Dying to old sinful way of life.
Burying our sins in the watery grave.
Rising up again out of the water to walk a new life.

It is the beginning of a new adventure with Christ. You do not become perfect but you become committed to “Him that is able to keep you from falling.”(Jude 1:24). It gives you a new sense of freedom and power in your life. When God calls you to baptism and you are cleansed, He promises you the gift of the Spirit to empower your life. All we need to do is to continually believe on His name and claim His precious promises. Moreover, he adopts you into His family. He gives you power to become a bonafide son or daughter. (John 1:12; Acts 2:47). You are not left as an orphan anymore. You start over with a clean slate.

Reader, how thankful must we be? Who else could ever give us such an offer, to start a new walk without having to look over our shoulders? If it is still your desire, may you surrender yourself to Christ for He alone can save ( Acts 4:12). “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). For those of us who have had the experience, let us ask God to renew us each day. Our cry should be,

“Baptize us anew
With power from on high,
With love, O refresh us!
Dear Savior, draw nigh.

We humbly beseech Thee,
Lord Jesus, we pray,
With love and the Spirit
Baptize us today.” Amen!

Comments

He Washed My Eyes With Tears

Last Sabbath evening I came across a word that at first made me laugh. When I thought about it, it reminded me of the one night I almost shed tears. I'll spare you the details. Lachrymatory- tear bottle. My favourite song this week has been a special one. It was composed by By Ira F. Stamphill, "He Washed My Eyes With Tears." He Washed My Eyes With Tears He washed my eyes with tears That I might see, The broken heart I had Was good for me; He tore it all apart And looked inside, He found it full of fear And foolish pride. He swept away the things That made me blind, And then I saw the clouds Were silver-lined. And now I understand 'Twas best for me, He washed my eyes with tears That I might see. He washed my eyes with tears That I might see The glory of Himself Revealed to me; I did not know that He Had wounded hands, I saw the blood He spilt Upon the sands. I saw the marks of shame, And wept and cried, He was m

Tenderly he watches over you

An old beautiful song by Beverly Shea, reminds us of God's unwavering care for us. Humanly speaking, the thought of His constant guardianship and upkeep is inconsistent with us the yet-sinners. But He loves us still. I have decided to ignore any seeming discrepancy, but to trust His word. For the scripture assures me, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God... casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 Moreover, he promises to continue His past graces towards His people. "The Lord has been mindful of us." Psalm 115:12 . Our preservation proves this, our mercies, our trials, our guidance and our consolations. Everything, even the minutest blessing, represents a thought in the mind of God respecting us. "How precious are thy thoughts concerning me, O God, how great," ( Psalm 139:17 ), and those thoughts go back to an eternity before we came into being. "The Lord hath been mindful of us"; then should

Jesus Our Advocate Part III: In the Heavenly Courts

The advocacy of the Lord Jesus in our behalf, however, is wholly different from this, though the same general object is pursued and sought, the good of those for whom he becomes an advocate. The nature of his advocacy may be stated in the following particulars: (1.) He admits the guilt of those for whom he becomes the advocate, to the full extent charged on them by the law of God, and by their own consciences. He does not attempt to hide or conceal it. He makes no apology for it. He neither attempts to deny the fact , nor to show that they had a right to do as they have done. He could not do this, for it would not be true; and any plea before the throne of God which should be based on a denial of our guilt would be fatal to our cause. (2.) As our advocate, he undertakes to be security that no wrong shall be done to the universe if we are not punished as we deserve; that is, if we are pardoned, and treated as if we had not sinned. This he does by pleading what he has done

Jaus' Notebook

Search This Blog