Baptism is an important sacrament of the Church. It is not just a ceremonial washing with water that is done in order to bring family and friends together to celebrate a life event. Baptism is most serious because it leaves a indelible mark upon the soul of the receiver which means that it permanently changes the soul’s relationship to God and can never be erased, even by sin and death. To be baptized means that we are incorporated into a relationship with Christ and His Church.
Saint Paul speaks to the seriousness of this sacrament by stating, “Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” Therefore, when you were submerged in the waters of baptism, your old self bound to sin was buried in Christ’s tomb. When you rose forth from those life giving waters you emerged as a new creation infused with His divine life.
Despite receiving such a wondrous gift we must move forth from those waters conforming our life to Christ. It is easy for us to cease regress to a life old; that being a life on sin and a lack of care for the spiritual life. We not profess baptism to be the end of our walk of faith, but the beginning that moves us forward infused with the gift of God’s grace.
Just because we have received the sacrament of baptism does not mean that we will be judged as worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. To be baptized is to put of faith into action and not squander the time that has been allotted to us. At the earthly life we ought to want to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
In light of this we are told by Christ, “Whoever does not take up his cross…is not worthy of me.” This is a reminder of the importance of the active and daily outworking of our baptism. The cross becomes our “old self” that buried in baptism and tries to crawl back out. We have to put it to death in order that we may continue to place our trust in the Lord and choose to live for Him.
Taking up the cross means that we come to accept the daily sacrifices of this life. This is the friction that exists between choosing love over selfishness and the trails of this life. The cross and choosing to take it up is a recognition that your life is no longer your own for it is to be lived as a true disciple of the Lord.
It is true that the Church teaches that baptism is the necessary starting point for salvation for it washes away original sin and infuses the soul with sanctifying grace. This is not a one time guarantee of heaven for we are called to undergo the lifelong process of faith, obedience, and relationship with God. Baptism is the gate and not the finish line, so let us choose to strive daily to rise from these life giving waters to live for Christ.
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