Joy of the Redeemed
I was baptized on Father’s Day of 2010.
June 20, 2010, to be exact.
And my dad got to be the one to baptize me.
I don’t think anyone can top the joy he felt in that moment; getting to baptize his only daughter, his oldest child.
The photos taken before my baptism reveal a young girl terrified to be standing before the congregation; not because they were mean or scary or intimidating, it was just something new, and I knew, deep down in my heart, this was a life-altering decision.
That a life-changing event was about to take place.
I remember the water rushing over my head, the feeling of coming up for air, and my dad’s grin that somehow stretched to the stars.
And then I leaped into his arms, a huge smile plastered on my face, hugging him as tight as I could.
Of the redeemed, the book of Isaiah says,
“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
And the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
And the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert,
The burning sand will become a pool,
The thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
Grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. – Isaiah 35:5-7
It’s hard to explain the feeling of being baptized to someone who has yet to experience it.
Though viewed as a ceremonial event, it is so much more.
It is a declaration of belief, a reception of the Holy Spirit, and a promise to walk faithfully.
Yet, it is also one of the most joyous, monumental moments in one’s life.
Every time someone is baptized at our church, young or old, I tear up a little. I can’t help but think of the angels rejoicing in Heaven, of God smiling down upon this person’s declaration of love and faith.
The joy of the redeemed is unparalleled.
And, although baptism washes us clean in the eyes of God, it does not spare us the hardships of earthly life. In fact, it only makes it easier to endure.
Matt Chandler, of Relevant Magazine, sums it up perfectly, writing,
“What made me love Christ wasn’t that all of a sudden I started figuring out how to do life. What made me love Christ is that when I was at my worst, when I absolutely could not clean myself up, and there was nothing anybody could do with me, right at that moment, Christ said, ‘I’ll take that one. That’s the one I want.’”
To anyone who has been debating baptism, interested in baptism, or is just now being introduced to the Biblical practice, I say, don’t hesitate.
Learn what you need to learn about it, consult with trusted Christian friends and confidants, and take the next step toward newness in Jesus Christ.
I promise you won’t regret it.
For there is nothing more amazing than being made new His eyes.
“They will enter Zion with singing;
Everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.” – Isaiah 35:10
