I grew up in a Christian culture that taught water baptism was replaced by baptism in the Holy Spirit. I never felt qualms about the security of my salvation, yet, to my surprise after leaving that culture, with no prompting from anyone, without seeing baptisms at churches I visited, without hearing any teachings about water baptism, inexplicably, a desire for water baptism began to grow within me. When I began to quietly share my desire with friends who had come from the same Christian culture as me, I was surprised to find individual after individual who had the same burgeoning desire for water baptism.
No one I’ve talked with the last five years has ever indicated that they believed water baptism was essential for salvation, but all have felt moved in an incredibly internal, intimate way to do this public ceremony, this public declaration of an internal, invisible relationship. I kept my eyes open for a few years for the time and the place to be baptized. Last February I was water baptized and I am inordinately pleased with the decision and the action. I was thrilled when my beautiful friend, Destinee got baptized at Calvary church in Albuquerque recently. I was so excited to witness Desi’s children being dedicated a month or two later. One of her daughter’s had also chosen to be baptized. Then our lovely and much loved friend chose to be baptized that day as well.
I am so happy and honored to share my life with these ladies and so happy and humbled to be a Christian who can understand the beauty of the experience of water baptism. I still know all of the teaching I learned about a move from water baptism to a spiritual baptism to house the spirit of God within and manifest power from on high. I have no interest in arguing theology. Many in the culture I grew up in were critical of people getting water baptism, treating them as ignorant and unlearned. But I’m thrilled to be where I am today and to be able to admit I can’t explain it, but I’m thankful for water baptism
