| Getting Ready
Once a person admits that he or she is a sinner and turns to Christ
for salvation, the Bible says that a person should proclaim the
life change that has occurred: the watching world needs to know.
Baptism has always stood as a kind of public testimony for people
who have moved from being a seeker to being a believer.
Believers are those who have realized that their sin has separated
them from God. They have given up all efforts to reach God through
good works or religious activity. They have concluded that Jesus
Christ's death on the cross for their sins is the only thing that
can bridge the gap between them and God. A believer is someone who
has decided to trust Christ alone for his or her salvation.
If you have come to this point in your spiritual journey, then
you are ready to be baptized. Just as a bride and groom tell of
their love for one another through the symbol of rings, you should
also want to show the world, through Baptism, of your union with
Christ. Let the miracle that has happened in you show through the sacrament
He ordained for you.
| The Ethiopian asked Philip, "Tell
me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone
else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture
and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along
the road, they came to some water and the Ethiopian said, "Look,
here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?"... Then they
went into the water and Philip baptized him. — Acts 8:34–38
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