Don\u2019t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romans 6:3,4<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How was your New Year\u2019s celebration? Did you spend time with friends and family? Did you stay up until midnight? Did you sleep in on New Year\u2019s Day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s another question: How has your New Year\u2019s celebration impacted your life in the new year? I imagine not much. It may have been fun, but now you\u2019re back to life as usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In today\u2019s Bible reading, the apostle Paul tells us about an event that is more than a one-day celebration, an event that changes the rest of a person\u2019s life. The event is a person\u2019s baptism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christian baptism, you see, is not simply a ceremony. Paul tells us that when a person is baptized, they are spiritually covered in all the benefits of Jesus\u2019 death on the cross. Their sins are forgiven. And because their sins are forgiven, they can look forward to an eternal life in heaven one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there\u2019s more. The apostle tells us that baptism also empowers a person to live a new kind of life, a life that no longer wants to do its own thing but rather wants to do God\u2019s thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s much more exciting than any New Year\u2019s resolution. It is God\u2019s promise to empower those who have been baptized to live a new, God-pleasing life. How could those who have received such a gift have anything but a happy new year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prayer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you, Lord, for reminding me today of the remarkable blessings of baptism. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"