Have you ever gone through a life experience only to ask yourself, “Now what?”  This is something that could be facing any individual responding to the Gospel message of God’s love.  They have heard the wonderful news, accepted what it is God is offering and by responding in several ways they have demonstrated their faith.  These have recognized their sinfulness and resolved to turn from it, declare publicly their belief in Jesus as God’s Son and have been buried with Him in baptism having our sins washed away!  What wonderful news!!  But, now what? 

After His baptism, we see a few things in Jesus’ life that are manifested or made known through the writers of the Gospels.  While coming up out of the water we read of Jesus in prayer as the heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon Him.  As children of God upon our baptisms we too can now call upon our “Heavenly Father” in prayers of praise, thanksgiving or supplications (requests).  Upon His baptism, we also find Jesus beginning to “teach and do.”  Jesus was sent here for a purpose and after His baptism we find Him embarking on that ministry.  As a new child of God, we too, have a mission or ministry and in following Jesus’ example we will find ourselves also embarking on the work God has for us to do.  One other thing we see immediately following Jesus’ baptism is His confrontation of temptation.  For forty days and nights Jesus fasted in the wilderness and was tempted by Satan.  As being made in the likeness of man in every way, Jesus was also susceptible to temptation, just as we are.  The up side of that is that in His life Jesus never gave in to temptation, thus making Him that perfect sacrifice we all need to cleanse us from our iniquities.  Praise God!

So you have committed your life to God and have been baptized, what can you expect to be doing?  Look to Jesus as your guide!!  Begin your relationship with God by establishing communications with Him; seek to fill your place in His kingdom right now by determining what gift you can use to further His kingdom, and last but not least, confront and defeat, with God’s help, the temptations this life will put before you.  God bless your walk of faith!

Copyright © 2005, Nolan P. Rutter