Water baptism is not just a reminder, symbolism, a visual of your salvation or a ceremony, but on the contrary, extremely powerful. When we believe and are baptized, we have died to our old life – it was destroyed. By having been planted into Christ’s death, we are also planted into His resurrection life. Christ died once and having been being resurrected, now lives for God – even so we do not have to keep dying to sin, we have died once in baptism. After baptism, there should be a difference in your life since by grace you are now effortlessly living for God through His life which is in you. We live our lives for God by: Having a Word-based God-consciousness which requires a moral response to that which Jesus did on the cross. We have a consciousness that God is with us all the time, seeing everything which we do. Secondly, living a holy life with Biblical-based moral values in the midst of an evil world where good has become evil and evil good. Thirdly, we are to live lovingly – a life or no judgment, forgiveness, mercy and grace towards people, serving them. Fourthly, we need to our lives purposefully and not (as we previously did) by instinct, by investing in time spent in prayer, the Word, etc. thereby disciplining yourself and exercising your spiritual muscles. Lastly, it should be a reality for us that our time, talents, and treasures belong to God. We need to freely give that which we have freely received. There are no secret agents in the Kingdom – the testimony which our lives are, is of great importance to the world.
