Saturday, afternoon was a letter day for many. Our church was concluding our 4th annual all church camp out. One of the traditions we have is a baptism service. Six people made public commitments through the act of water baptism to be a follower of Christ and made it known to some 75 people who were watching on. I have always said that one of the best indicators to identify a person that has truly become a follower of Christ is through water baptism. Asking people to raise their hand or go do a area of the church to be prayed with are all great, but to me, water baptism is a clear demonstrations shared and seen by others.

Here is a short devotion on baptism, enjoy it as you read

WATER BAPTISM IS A SIGN

Mark 16:16 "He that believed and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believed not shall be damned." MARK 16:16

Water baptism is a command of Jesus and is the initial action taken upon believing. Mark's statement could be rendered, "He who believes with saving faith (i.e. faith that produces actions) will be saved." In this sense, water baptism is very important. It is an opportunity to act on your new profession of faith. Anyone who refuses to follow Jesus' command to receive water baptism, may be suspected of not really believing, there are scriptural examples of people being born again before they were baptized in water. Cornelius and his friends were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues before they were baptized in water (Acts 10:44-48). John 14:17 records Jesus saying that an unbelievers cannot receive the Holy Ghost, so Cornelius and his friends must have been born again before their water baptism baptism is the sign of the new covenant in the same way that circumcision was the sign of the old covenant. The apostle Paul made it clear in Romans 4, that although Abraham was circumcised, his circumcision was only a sign. Abraham was justified in the sight of God before his circumcision. Paul goes on to state in Galatians 5:1-6, that anyone who trusts in circumcision has fallen from grace; Christ will profit him nothing is faith in the redemptive work of Christ that produces salvation - not our actions. However, James writes that faith without works is dead (Jas. 2:20).

Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone; it must be acted upon is what
Mark is referring to when he speaks of baptism.