Baptism

 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Luke 3:3 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.3.3.ESV

At first, John the Baptist's message sounds easy. All we need to do is to be dunked in water as a sign that we're turning from our sins to find forgiveness with God, right? Wrong!

John started berating those who came to him for baptism. Imagine asking a pastor for baptism only for him to call you a snake! What John wanted to see was fruit in keeping with repentance.

It's one thing to talk the talk. But God expects us to walk the walk too. It's not enough to say the right thing, we need to do the right thing.

Water baptism isn't a fad. It is an outward sign of an inward act of God. If there's no evidence that God is at work in our lives, we probably shouldn't get baptised. There needs to be a radical turnaround in our lives.

'God, please baptise us in Your Holy Spirit, if You haven't already. Having done so, and begun transforming our lives, may we have water baptism as a sign of Your work in us, for Your glory, amen'

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