And the Lord added…
I was just privileged enough to attend the baptisms of 28 inmates at the Grant County Jail. They have immersion services twice a year. Some of the men and women who gave themselves to Christ I have never seen before, some I have preached to in chapel, others I have just met while working as a Deputy there. It was a wonderful thing. That is over 11% of all the inmates there. How wonderful.
In Luke 15:10, right in the middle of Jesus’ three parables on the lost being found, which includes the story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus tells us “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Can you imagine if your church or mine had an 11% baptism rate every six months?
The chaplains who do bible studies with them performed the baptisms as several of us sat in the back and watched. I found in interesting that, since they were being baptized in their jumpsuits, as they came out each of them was handed a fresh set of clothing to change into. To me this was an appropriate symbolic action.
Galatians 3:26-28. 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.
I don’t know the future for any of these men and women. It is my prayer that they would stay strong to their decision to give their lives to Christ and that one day they will see the new clothing that they are given by their Father in Heaven because they chose to put on Christ in this life.