Righteousness by Faith

GOD. He beheld sin, lived amongst sinners, yet was without sin. He chose not to sin; what about you? Living amongst sinful men and women as the man Jesus Christ, God was tempted, but He did not fall. Today, if you will have faith in Jesus, He will help you overcome sin. Even in this cesspool of sin, you can emerge victorious!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

23/09 Sabbath: Baptismal Service

Into the Waters and Up Again
by Cheong Fong Eng and Victor Ong

This is a flash report; more details will be added later.

Yeo Wei Cynn and Victor Ong Yong Jen were baptised today in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; both vowed in the presence of God, Pastor Samuel Money and the congregation to follow Jesus -- the Way, the Truth and the Life -- and to commit their hearts to the learning of His principles, precepts and royal law of love.

This baptism comes after a variety of back-room, sometimes one-on-one, lessons with Elder Robert Lee on a range of theological topics, e.g. salvation and the process of sanctification; the triune God; the royal law of love that is the 10 Commandments; the unique Adventist doctrine of the heavenly sanctuary and its cleansing since 1844; conversion; baptism; Creation and the seventh-day Sabbath, etc.

Wei Cynn was all smiles as she emerged from the depths of the baptismal pool -- an official-sounding name for a simple tank of water -- having her wish fulfilled. We congratulate her on her 'birthday', as Ps, Money so eloquently put it, and pray that she'll run the race, fight the good fight and be faithful to Christ unto death, never denying Him even amidst the trials and persecution of these last days. He "shall then reward thee a crown of life", see Revelation 2:10.

Shirley Tan, sister of Elder Timon Tan, is glad that Victor is part of God's kingdom and a new member of the JB church. "Welcome to the family", she says, and this echoed by a host of other churchgoers.

By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, become His people, and are received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings. (Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts 16:30-33; 22:16; 2:38; Matt. 28:19, 20.)

Photos will be upped in early October, courtesy of Cheong Fong Eng (a.k.a. Mrs Ng Chong Hah) SDA

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