What would you say if you were a pastor, officiating at a wedding ceremony and the bride decided that she was going to decline accepting the wedding ring? Can you picture that?
A wedding is the establishment of a sacred covenant. The wedding ring is the symbol of the establishment of that covenant. If I was officiating at a wedding where the bride refused to accept the ring, I assure you that there would be no signing of the wedding license after the ceremony.
What would you say if you were a pastor and the bride refused the ring?
Or, let me ask it to you this way. What would you say, if you were the pastor and someone in your church said they have professed faith in Christ, yet they prefer not to identify with Jesus in baptism? Scripture said that Jesus established a New Covenant with his people by the breaking of his body and the shedding of his blood. We participate in this covenant by professing true faith in him. We publicly identify with his death burial and resurrection by being obedient in baptism.
The idea of someone saying that they are a follower of Christ, but refusing to identify with him in baptism, is as troubling as a bride who takes a pass on the ring ceremony at her wedding.
I am Pastor Chris Brauns at the Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley. If you have professed faith in Christ, and yet have not yet been baptized, I encourage you to call your pastor today and commit to baptism.
I like the ring analogy.
I’m still amazed at how many people today come into church and join, yet who are tentative about baptism. I’ve run into this a few times, and it usually turns out well, but still it takes some convincing to show them that baptism is not viewed as an option in the NT.