Marie’s daily verse: 1 Peter 5:6-7Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time,casting all your cares upon Him,for He cares for you.

DAILY DEVOTION, May 8, 2023

So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-28).

I want to reflect on the second sentence in the text. When we are clothed with Christ, a marvelous change happens. We are united with Christians all over the world. The differences we observe between people are gone forever. We no longer distinguish between a Jew and a Gentile; a male and a female; a black or a white; a Russian or a Chinese, etc. All persons of every race and background are united together in Christ. Prejudice disappears.

Yesterday we saw that baptism brings this change. It is the baptism Christ performs when we come to Him by faith – – – the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Water without the Spirit cannot bring about this change. Note that water and Spirit baptism are joined into the one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). I was baptized in water in 1950. I did not expect anything to happen, and nothing happened! I was baptized by the Spirit into Christ about 13 years later. Together they constitute one baptism. Normally, the person with a penitent heart enters the waters of baptism after the baptism of the Spirit (I guess that makes me abnormal!). But, like the Trinity, baptism is a mystery. How can two baptisms be one? How can three persons be one God? It’s in the Book!

Father, blessed be Your name! I confess that at age 14, I did not understand the two sides of baptism. However, you brought them together into one baptism, although they were separated for many years. Thank You so much for the gift of the Holy Spirit, which makes Jesus real in my soul. In His name, I pray, Amen.