I was privileged to participate in a special baptism service a few days ago at our Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, VA.
That day, I joined with some of the faculty and leadership of LCA and Thomas Road Baptist Church in this amazing service where 29 young people made a public profession of their faith in Christ through baptism. I can tell you that in that service there were tears, shouts of joy, many hugs and an amazing spirit of Christian unity that I have not often been a part of.
Baptism is a very important step for the believer following salvation. Colossians chapter 2 tells us that our baptism signifies that we are buried with Christ as well as “raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (NKJV).
The Liberty Bible Commentary notes, “Baptism symbolizes our experience of death to the old life and resurrection to the new life (Romans 6:3-5). It is an outward expression of an inward experience.”
As a pastor, I get to participate in quite a few baptismal services and they are always wonderful, but this one was particularly extraordinary. The world offers so many dangerous temptations to kids so it is particularly exciting to see young people joining together to announce that Jesus is their number-one priority. Our world certainly needs a wave of kids who will say no to the whims of the world and yes to the call of Christ.
This was an additionally special service for me because I am a graduate of LCA and I often recall the wonderful times I spent there, forging lasting Christian friendships and having my life shaped for service to Christ. Today, we continue to follow my dad’s legacy of having a Bible-based setting that offers kids the opportunity to go from kindergarten to terminal degree while under the watch-care of Christian faculty members and officials.
Of course, Satan will be working hard to tear these kids apart and break up their unified commitment to Christ. Theologian A.W. Tozer wrote about Satan’s effort to defeat new believers. He wrote:
“The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God. Satan never knows from what direction the danger will come. Who knows when another Elijah will arise, or another Daniel? Or a Luther or a Booth? Who knows when an Edwards or a Finney may go in and liberate a whole town or countryside by the preaching of the Word and prayer? Such a danger is too great to tolerate, so Satan gets to the new convert as early as possible to prevent his becoming too formidable a foe.”
Please join me in praying for these young people, as well as for their generation. Our nation is in such turmoil and we need revival. As followers of Christ, we must be working to raise up young people who are compassionate and bold for the sake of the Gospel. Let’s also be praying for more and more kids like them to be added to the fold in our churches across the land.