Today’s Devotional Theme
What Now?: Life After Baptism
Daily Scripture
2 Corinthians 4:13-17; Ephesians 4:17-24
"And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."
Encouragement
So, you have been or am about to be water baptized. What does life look like now? Outwardly, life will probably look the same to you. You will have that same job, same friends, same family. Oh, yes, and you will probably still have the same issues in your life before you were submerged. Encouraged yet? There is now an forever will be a difference after your conversion and baptism. Let's take a look at that together today. Let's quickly recap what we have learned this week. We have learned that the word baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo, which means “to submerge”. We saw Jesus as our Perfect Example, fulfilling all righteousness in baptism. Next, we discovered that God Himself will open up the Heavens for us, pour out His Spirit to us, and speak to us more clearly and concisely. Then we found out that we are raised to new life in Christ and have become free from the chains of sin in our lives. Finally, we were challenged to take the next step and plunge ourselves (pun intended) fully into the things of God's kingdom. That brings us to today's question of “Now what?”.
The answer lies in the passage found in 2 Corinthians 4. The latter part of verse 16 States that even though our outward man is perishing, our inward man is being renewed day by day. Our Christian journey of faith is a marathon, not a sprint. Asking Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior followed by water baptism is the starting point of our race! Hebrews 12:1-2 instructs us on how to win this race. The winning strategy is two-fold. First, we must get lean and mean. Verse 1 says to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. The writer of Hebrews then tells us to run the race with endurance. Secondly, we need to keep the goal of the finish line in our mind and spirit. We do that by looking to how Jesus ran His race. Verse 2 states that he endured the cross even while despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God.
Apply God’s Word
Paul tells us very clearly in 2 Timothy 4 how to apply today's encouragement in our lives. In verses 1 through 4 he tells us in advance of the obstacles we will have to overcome to live out our Christian faith. Then in verse 5 he instructs us on what we are to do to win. He says be watching in all things. In other words, live purposefully. Then he says endure afflictions. I call this being eternity minded. We can get through anything when we keep the reward in our mind. He continues by telling us to do the work of an evangelist. This, simply put, means share with others what Jesus is doing in your own life. Share the good news! Finally, he says to fulfill your ministry. In layman's terms, be obedient to whatever God gives you to do and do it with all your might, passion, and enthusiasm! If you and I will do these four things, then there will come a time that we will join Paul in saying, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”!
Come into His Presence
Father, we have obeyed You in baptism. Now, we ask for Your grace to run our race. Help us daily to be renewed from the inside out! In Jesus' name, amen.
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