God’s Family
[By Matthew Russom]

I don’t remember exactly when I started to seriously consider baptism and following Jesus. Many years in the Milton Bible Scholar’s Club filled my mind with events like Nicodemus who was given the command, “Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the Sprit is Spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you ‘You must be born again” (John 3:5-7, ESV). I understood what baptism was in the physical and spiritual sense, but never understood the importance of the action. Before I was a Christian, I thought it was just something to check off the list, or an initiation ceremony to be a part of the club. The events that took place struck my heart and changed my viewpoint of what baptism really was.

I remember reading the story of Felix, which made me think about the urgency that is needed for baptism. The event in Acts 24 doesn’t talk about a man who hears the word and realizes that he needs to be saved that very day. But unfortunately, a man who heard God’s word and was not urgent as he said “Go away for the present. When I get the opportunity, I will summon you” (Acts 24:25, ESV). Felix did converse more with Paul never seemingly had the urgency I needed to have to accept God’s word. Reading this as in the MBSC made me realize the importance of doing the most important thing I can do with the most urgency.

Studying with my Dad and the MBSC made me closer to accepting God’s Word. On one Sunday the congregation sang “God’s Family” with a lot of spiritual things on my mind. When singing the song all the pieces fell into place as I understood how I wanted to be with Jesus and to be a part of God’s family. I needed to be baptized so my sins could be forgiven to be with others whose lives are led by Jesus.