Getting Ready
… 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
Baptism has always stood as a kind of public testimony for people who have moved from being a seeker into being a believer. Believers are those people 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. You do not have to be baptized to have Christ in your heart any more than you must exchange rings to be pronounced man and wife. But if the inner commitment to trust Christ alone for salvation has been made, then the outward symbol of Baptism should be as valued and as visible as the ring on a newlywed’s finger.
Willow Creek’s Statement on Baptism
