Yesterday morning, Kaity, Joe, Selah and I had our usual Bible time that begins our school day. At the close, we always take turns praying aloud. When Kaity and I finished, it was Joe's turn. After a moment of hesitation, he prayed the sweetest prayer ... "God, please come into my heart and forgive me for my sins."
"...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Romans 10:9-10
We are rejoicing in Joe's salvation! He's been asking questions for quite a while, and usually concludes with telling us he's not ready yet. It's been some time since he asked us anything, though, so this prayer was definitely a surprise! The next step for him is going through a "New Christian" class for kids at our church - a four-week study of salvation and Christian growth and discipleship. After that, he'll be baptized -a Greek word meaning "immersion in water" - symbolizing his new life in Christ. Baptism offers a beautiful picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ:
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism
into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Romans 19:4
I called Jeff to tell him the news, and when he arrived home, he asked our son about what had happened that morning. Teary-eyed and shy, Joe said, "I repented of my sins!"
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17
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