A Brand New Me
Have you ever reinvented yourself because you felt lost or maybe you didn’t like who you saw in the mirror, only to have old friends try to make you feel ashamed for changing? Are you currently going through a change to discover the new you and afraid of what people might think?
Commitment is hard.
This past weekend, we witnessed a few people being baptized during the service. Baptism is an outward sign or representation of a commitment that has already been made in the heart to Christ. When you decide to get baptized, you are stepping up in front of the world to show them how serious you are toward God, who has already sacrificed so much to prove his love to you.
Baptism is a bold declaration. As you dive underwater, you are telling the world that you are saying goodbye to your old self. And as you come out of the water, you are showing the world that you have chosen to live a new life through Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:12-14
12 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.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
With this bold step, there is no need to worry about the people who don’t approve of your new life. As Alicia Keys put it in her song “Brand New Me”: “If you were a friend, you want to get to know me again. If you were worth a while, you’d be happy to see me smile.” The one who really matters approves—God already gave his blessing.
Questions:
Have you ever made a public declaration of your new life by being baptized? If you haven’t, what is holding you back from taking this step? If you have, are you still committing yourself daily to your union with Christ?
Next Steps:
Consider being baptized this month at your local campus. Visit cedarcreek.tv/baptism to sign-up and receive more information.
If you have already been baptized, take your next step. Dive into your new life with God by joining a group or use your gifts to serve others by joining the DreamTeam. Share your love for God with everyone. Pray for family and old friends who don’t support your walk with Christ.
Prayer:
God, thank you for choosing me before I knew you had. Guide and protect me as I continue to grow through your word. Thank you for giving me the strength to dance out of my grave clothes as I continuously discover new parts of the person I was always meant to be. Grant me patience and understanding when my walk gets hard. Amen.
This post was written by Jaron Camp, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Bible Study.
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