Baptism at NCC
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
Baptism is one of the most sacred and exciting events at the church. In the past two months, we have baptized 11 people. The public display of confessing Jesus as Lord encourages all of us in our faith. Before we perform a baptism, we interview the candidates, asking them three important questions:
1. If you were to die tonight would you go to heaven?
2. If you were to die toinght and God asked you, ‘why should I let you into heaven,’ what would you say?
3. If you were to die tonight having not been baptized, would you still go to heaven?
Die, die, die. At first glance, they appear to be morbid questions, especially when we ask them to the younger kids. But they direct us to an important concept: How is one truly saved or born again? How do you answer the question? With all the different responses we receive, we try to help everyone understand one fact, that we are saved ONLY because of the work of Christ in our lives. There is nothing we do in our lifetime that will merit going to heaven and the perfection entailed with its citizenship. God’s grace is wonderful because it is unconditional. We did not earn it. When we stand before Him, the only case we can make for worthiness before God is based on someone else’s perfection: Jesus Christ. As we thank God for those who have been baptized at the church, we also recall the reality of our own salvation and the gift God has presented us in Christ.
