Family Reunion

That if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved  (Romans 10:9-10 NIV).

At the baptismal site on the Jordan River in Israel, I was observing a number of our friends and new acquaintances being baptized by our pastors. My attention was drawn to a lot of other groups being baptized. I marveled at all the different forms of baptism that were occurring. There were full immersions backwards, full immersions forward, immersions from waist forward three times, pouring water over the head from a special vessel, pouring water over the head from a Coke bottle, baptisms with prayers, and baptisms with singing.

My heart was moved by all the styles of baptism, languages, and native dress. This is the Body of Christ!  This is The Church!  This is the Family of God! I tried to imagine God smiling as He viewed His children gathered there in His Name. This is what heaven will look like!  That day enlarged my view of God’s Kingdom.

The Body of Christ, The Church, or The Family of God is made up of everyone who accepts God’s offer of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Everyone is welcome to accept it.  Christianity differs from some other religions in that it does not teach that all people will eventually go to heaven. It, also, does not teach that you can earn your salvation or your way to heaven through good works. Christianity teaches that salvation is a gift from God to mankind, and that people can accept it only by faith in Jesus Christ, the ONLY way to God.

All are welcome to accept God’s gift of salvation through belief in His Son Jesus Christ and become a part of THE FAMILY OF GOD.

Claudia Jackson