I was baptized as a baby. I don't remember any of it except for what I have seen in pictures. Different religions believe different things and have different rituals. I do not want to dive into a debate here about rituals or sacraments or regulations. That is not why I am writing this. I am choosing to write about my personal experience. That's it!
For me personally, my life was not altered because of my baptism or even my confirmation. These were rituals that was expected to be performed at a certain age. Of course my baptism was chosen for me by my parents. It was what was expected of them and they truly believed in what they were doing. I am grateful for their guidance through my faith. I went through Catholic schools and went to church every Sunday. I watched my parents pray every night, I watched them recite the rosary at funerals and in times of trouble. Their faith instilled a deep faith inside of me.
For my confirmation I was given a list of prayers to have memorized along with certain questions I had to answer correctly. I had a choice to wait but felt that if I did I would be ostracized and criticized. After all it is what was to be expected. I pictured a flame of fire appearing above my head, that didn't happen (never has). I thought I would feel different, or special. Nope! I thought confirmation was being "born again". I was wrong.
Now before any of you get in a tissy and through a fit and hurl accusations at me, let me finish. FOR ME, none of these ritual sacraments changed me. Oh my faith in Jesus Christ was strong, I was one of those weird Catholics who actually listened to the prayers I repeated over and over. I believed what those prayers said, that Jesus Christ was my Savior. I took my time and actually concentrated on the words and soaked them into my heart. In fact I would get angry and upset when I would see others say those prayer like some rogue routine. The attitude of "let's get this over" upset me. Let me be frank, there are many people who sit in churches of all denominations and act this way, not just Catholics. Jesus was clear though when He said this fooling verse.
John 3:3 Jesus replied, "Very truly I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
What is born again? A born again Christian is someone who has repented of there sins and turned to Jesus Christ for their salvation and as a result has become a part of God's family forever. All this takes place when God's Holy Spirit comes to work in our lives. It doesn't depend on your age or what knowledge you have, it's a heart issue. It's an acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Savior issue. Buddha cannot help you be born again, only Jesus Christ can!
Jesus Christ became my Savior in the Catholic church, but honestly I wasn't born again until I verbally, out loud, in front of 17,000 people, stood up and proclaimed that Jesus Christ was my personal Savior, that He died so that my sins could be forgiven, that He rose from the dead so that I could have a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. That was the one point I missed out on in the Catholic church. I thought I had to go to a priest, who would go to God for me. Or pray to a saint who would pray to Jesus on my behalf, who would go to God for me. Wrong!
I am sorry if that offends you, but I am not concerned about offending you (ouch) I am concerned about offending God. Like I said I am not here to debate to argue, this is my personal truth and my personal experience with God. When I was born again through the blood of Jesus Christ, I was forgiven of my sins. Instead of going to a priest, I went directly to God (still do). Instead of praying to a saint for help or guidance or healing from God, I go directly to the true source, the tone true God.
Baptism didn't make me born again, confirmation didn't make me born again, I was born again when I verbally declared that Jesus Christ is my Savior and allowed Him to change my heart. That day I said that, my life, my world, my heart and my soul changed forever. I felt different, I felt new, I felt clean. Being born again is a heart issue. It's about surrendering. It's about falling to your knees and letting go of the steering wheel of your life.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are my Savior! Come into my heart today and create me anew through your blood that you shed on the cross. Forgive me for my sins and create in me a new heart that longs for more of you. I surrender to you and give up control of my life. Fill me with your peace in Your Holy Name I pray, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment