Baptism is often likened to marriage and it’s easy to see why. Like marriage, baptism vows are pledging allegiance and faithfulness to God till death do us part, but the difference is that death, instead of parting us eternally, binds us eternally.
Both marriage and baptism vows are like signing a contract where we promise to commit ourselves totally and faithfully to our partner.
We can easily see and understand how cheating and indifference can hurt our partner and our marriage, but for some reason we don’t draw the same conclusions with our baptism. We seem to fall into a rut where we think that if we don’t commit major sins against God that everything will be alright and God with his Holy grace will overlook our minor daily transgressions. Well, good luck with that! Revelation 3:16 writes to the Laodiceans “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
These are harsh and terrifying words, and again, if that would be going on in an earthly marriage where one partner would go lukewarm and indifferent it would be quite clear to see. Lack of interest and care in the one’s partner would be a terrible drain on a marriage and would probably be harder to put up with than a separation or divorce.
Yet that is how we tend to treat our baptism. We generally don’t put enough energy and devotion into our relationship with God and seem to think our name will still be written into the book of life on that terrible day of judgement.
Baptism is a beautiful thing. It guarantees us a place in heaven if taken seriously and righteously, but only if we uphold and don’t break the terms of the contract.
- Do you now acknowledge the teachings of Jesus, which have been laid before you, as being the truth and the true foundation to salvation?
- Do you believe in and agree with the twelve articles of our Christian Faith, and will you witness to them?
- Do you desire the prayer of intercession of the church so that God may forgive and remit the sins committed by you either knowingly or in ignorance?
- Do you desire to yield, to give and to sacrifice yourself to the Lord God in the covenant of Christian baptism?
- Do you sufficiently understand the Word of God and acknowledge it as the only path to eternal life?
- Do you truly and heartily repent of the sins which you committed either knowingly or in ignorance against God and do you desire to henceforth fear God, never more willingly to sin against God, and rather to suffer death than willfully sin against God?
- Do you believe that your sins have been forgiven and remitted by God through Christ and the prayer of intercession of his people?
- Do you desire to accept brotherly discipline and admonition and also to apply the same to others when needed?
- Do you desire to yield, to give and to sacrifice yourself, body and soul with all that you have to the Lord God in heaven, and to yield in obedience to Christ and his church?
- Do you desire to establish a covenant with God and with all his people and to be baptized on confession of your faith?
