Raised to New Life!
“For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.”
Colossians 2:12 (NLT)
Baptism is a celebration of your new life in Christ! It doesn’t create that life. It demonstrates through a sacred symbol of faith and obedience your public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin. It identifies you with the death, burial, and resurrection life of the Lord Jesus, who comes by the indwelling Holy Spirit to take up residence in your redeemed humanity! The Bible says, “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” Colossians 2:12 (NLT)
Think of it. The very power that raised Jesus from the dead offers you new life! When you and I were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, the Holy Spirit quickened us to new life in Jesus! We’re not the same anymore! I love the way the Living Bible paraphrases 2 Corinthians 5:17. It says, “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” Have you experienced that life? You can! In faith and repentance, simply ask the Lord Jesus to forgive your sins and trust Him as your personal Savior, committing to follow Him as Lord of your life from this moment on. Turn from your sins to Christ. In Romans 10:9-10 (NLT), the Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Then, in verse 13, it says, “For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.’” Have you made that call?
If you have, then you can be confident that God has heard your heart cry for mercy and in His grace, He has delivered you from sins’s dominion. Rejoice! Sins are forgiven! You have a home in heaven and so much more! Salvation is not so much about getting us out of hell and into heaven as it is God getting out of heaven and into us! We are raised to New Life! That’s why baptism is such a celebration! The Message puts Colossians 2:12 like this, “Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as He did Christ.”
If you haven’t experienced for yourself this refreshing spiritual symbol of Christ’s cleansing power, washing away all the hurts, habits, and hang-ups of the past, then I want to personally invite you to join us for our annual Super Summer Baptism at Woodlands Church this weekend! The Bible says, “In baptism we show that we have been saved from death and doom by the resurrection of Christ; not because our bodies are washed clean by the water but because in being baptized, we are turning to God and asking Him to cleanse our hearts from sin.” 1 Peter 3:21 (TLB)
You can still register here and join us this weekend at a Woodlands Church Campus near you. Invite a friend to celebrate your experience together.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.