GraceUnlimited

Jesus goes against the expectations of self-righteous religious people and eats with sinners. He is not defiled by them, rather he calls them to himself. As Jesus prepares to die for the sinners he loves, he has a meal with them and tells them to have a meal like this again and again until he returns in glory to take every one of them, and all who would be saved, away to eternal glory. So in communion, we remember and proclaim that Jesus died, that he died for us-his people, that just as our Lord loves each one of us, so we also love each other, that we are totally dependent on Christ, that Christ still loves us, that all of the blessings Christ purchased for us are still reserved for us. Because communion-Jesus' meals with sinners-means so much, we respond in faith and abandon ourselves again to his wonderful intentions for us, his people.

God is actively engaged in one glorious activity. He is removing individuals from the family of Adam that is terrified by death and the continual misery of the consequences of sin. Where pain and destruction last forever. And he is adopting those individuals into the family of Christ, where overwhelming grace flows continually. A household of endless life, light and joy. Because this reality is so significant, God has given us the symbol of water baptism by which an individual can declare to the world that this is true of them- Everyone who knows them can see they have new life in them and are convinced by their joyful profession of faith. We baptise them by full immersion because God has already baptised them into Christ fully. Today we celebrate the wonderful work of God in the lives of those to be baptised-