Washd by the Water

"For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." -Romans 6:4

Man. Romans 6 just brings it. The whole thing. I love it's use of the illustration of death and life in our lives so vividly. That we've died with Christ that we may have new life is one of the most liberating things a person could ever hear.

We're no longer slaves to sin. I think a lot of the time I still live in the mindset hat I have no control or choice, that sin and Satan's power over me are too strong, and it's so clear that that's just one of Satan's many lies he spews into our lives because he KNOWS he's been overcome. Hah!

I think even in finding freedom from perfectionism and Satan's lies about who I am, in a lot of ways I simply translated that perfectionism over to my walk. I started to beat myself up about how crappy of a Christian I am.

I was given freedom from that lie last night.



Josh uses a great analogy when he talks about baptism. It's like a wedding, you don't go to a wedding and watch a couple fall in love, they're already in love. You're watching them make a public proclamation of that love. Baptism is the same way. The 9 people at the Ring who were baptized yesterday didn't fall in love with Jesus and enter into a relationship with Him as they were dunked under the water. We were already there. We just made public declarations to our family, friends, church families, God, and ourselves.

All day leading up to my baptism, the words to Needtobreathe's "Washed by the Water" ran through my head. "Even when the rain falls, even when the flood starts rising, even when the storm comes, I am washed by the water."

It doesn't matter what comes my way, I'm free.

And while I didn't become a believer yesterday, I feel just as free today as I did the day I made that choice. It feels like a fresh start. I feel like I can go through today living with one goal. His glory. His kingdom. Him. Going through every day with my favorite verse stamped into my brain,

"Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." -Hebrews 12:1

And I'm taking that freedom and running with it.
Fearless.