JDL - Direction Twenty-six - How God works - through means part one (Holy Baptism)

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38-39 (ESV))

In the Old Testament, the putting on of God’s name was something very important. When God put His name on something, that meant that it was His. He was claiming it as His. He was marking it as His. When God put His name on the children of Israel, they were His. When God put His name on the children of Israel, after calling them to be His people, they stood out as being His people. They belonged to Him, and the nations around knew that they belonged to the Lord.

In a very similar way, when water and God’s name are put on us at our baptism, that is God putting His name on us. God uses the pastor’s hands (or the hand of any Christian in the case of an emergency) to put water on us and to speak His name on us. God’s name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is put on us. This is very important because, as God puts His name on us, so He is claiming us as His own. Of course, as we have said before, He is also putting faith in our hearts, giving us forgiveness of sins, and with forgiveness is always life and salvation.

Remember when you were growing up and first going to school? Your mother put your name on everything. She put your name on your lunch box or lunch bag. She put your name on your coat. She put your name on your books. She put your name on your pencil box. You may have even had pencils with your name on them. Everything that was yours had your name on it. This was so that you knew what was yours and so that others knew what was yours.

Name recognition is important. We each have a name, and that name is what identifies us. We also have a surname which identifies the family to which we belong. This naming, this recognizing and belonging is very important. Likewise, as Christians, we have a name and we have a family to which we belong. We have our own name, and we also bear the name Christian. This name identifies us and sets us apart as belonging. As Christians we belong to the one name Christ; His name is in our name. Because we belong to Him, we know we are His. Because we bear His name, we know we are His. And because we bear His name, we know that He claims us, and ultimately that claiming means eternal life.

Certainly, God would never confuse us with anyone who does not belong to Him, and He would never miss those of us who do belong to Him. His name is on us. We bear His name. His name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are so important, because His name marks and identifies us as His.

A Jesus-directed life understands the importance of the right name. We know that unless our name is His name, unless His name is on us, we would have no hope. But, as His children, as ones bearing His name, we know that He is with us to guard, guide and lead us through all of life.

Think About
Do you have your name written on anything that belongs to you? Did those items claim you and put your name on themselves or did you purchase and/or claim them and put your name on them?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for claiming me, for purchasing me with Your blood, for putting Your name on me through the water of Baptism. Forgive me when I forget Whose I am and help me, rather to live as Your chosen, purchased, and claimed child, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.