I finished 1 Timothy tonight. There's a part in this book that really speaks to my heart.
Paul writes, "I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent oppressor. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." 1:12-14
To symbolize this mercy and grace I will be baptized either Easter Sunday or the Sunday after (depending on what everyone's schedule looks like and weather forecast since I want to be dunked). I was baptized as a child - a ritual that seemed fun and important but had no real meaning for me. I just knew it was something my family wanted me to do and it would make them happy. So, I'm considering this my real baptism. I am going into this with full knowledge of accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior and dedicating my life to His service. I want the water, symbolic of the blood, to wash away all the terrible things I did in the past. I need the water to wash it all away. I still have a lot of difficulty letting go and feeling like, "are you sure, God, are you sure you can forgive me?" I need this symbolic rite of Christians from two millennia to give me assurance that I have indeed been born again under the protection of Christ. Whew. This is a big deal. Just thinking about it overwhelms me.
A friend shared this video with me today: http://youtu.be/Ot6ORdhYR34
I love Duck Dynasty by the way; the openness with which they all speak about their faith just makes me love them more. I hope to be fortunate enough to marry a man with a moral code and family values such as Jase Robertson. <3
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