Washed and Risen

Jiamin Choo — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 04:00:00 +0000

It was a special Sunday in December 2010. My 85-year-old grandma, Ah Po, was onstage in my church sanctuary, taking slow, steady steps toward the baptismal pool, where the pastor was waving her toward him. My family and relatives who had gathered had our eyes fixed on Ah Po, excited at what was to come.

As Ah Po lowered herself into the water, she confessed her faith in Jesus before everyone in the sanctuary. The pastor pronounced, “I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Then he guided Ah Po backward into the water, and when she was raised up again, the entire congregation burst into song, singing, “Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!”

As the sanctuary resounded with claps and cheers, my eyes glistened with happy tears because Ah Po, who had placed her trust in Jesus a few years before that, was now sealing her faith covenant with God through this act of baptism. And like my family members, and the great cloud of witnesses who had gone before us generation by generation, Ah Po had been baptised into His one body, His one Church.

The act of baptism is not only a powerful symbolism of uniting oneself with Jesus in His death and resurrection, which reminds us of the stories behind Good Friday and Easter. It is also a testimony of commitment to follow Christ for the rest of one’s life. This means choosing to turn away from sin so as to live for His glory, and not thinking, “Now that I am saved in Christ, I can sin whenever I want because He will forgive me anyway.”

This is why in Romans 6, Paul urged the young Christian community not to return to their old sinful ways of living with impure motives and breaking God’s law, but to pursue holy living because of their new identity as Jesus-followers. Paul reminded them that “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. … For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin — because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:4–7).

The act of baptism also paints a picture of the glory that is to come. Because Jesus rose from the dead, death no longer has mastery over Him, and so one day those who believe Him will certainly be united with Him in His resurrection (Rom 6:5, 8–9). This is why, as Christians, we no longer need to fear death because we have been promised freedom and abundant life in Jesus.

In April 2018, Ah Po was hospitalised after a fall. She breathed her very last breath on a Friday morning and passed away peacefully. My family gathered by the hospital bed, gazing upon Ah Po’s body. She looked like she was sound asleep, but her heart had stopped beating, and her body was gradually turning cold. Losing Ah Po was painful, but as Christians, we did not grieve as those who have no hope. We have faith that because Ah Po had been united with Christ in His death, she too will one day be united with Him in His resurrection. It was not “Goodbye” but “See you soon”.

PRAYER

Dear God, thank You for the gift of eternal life through Your Son, Jesus, the Risen Saviour. Help me turn away from my old ways, so as to live a new life in Christ, offering myself as an instrument of righteousness for Your glory. Amen.

REFLECTION TIME!

1. What does baptism mean to you? How do you think it reflects one’s commitment to following Jesus?
2. Have you been baptised? If so, what significant changes in your life have taken place since then? If not, what’s hindering you from being baptised?

*Various church denominations may have various modes of baptism (e.g. immersion, pouring, sprinkling). We encourage you to have a chat with your church leaders if you would like to be baptised or to find out more about baptism

DELVE DEEPER

Read and reflect on these passages on “baptism”:
o Matthew 3:11-17
o Acts 2:37-47
o 1 Corinthians 12:13

HANDLES

As the Bible is the Word of God, unlike any other book written by man, one can only understand its deeper truths through the attitude of faith and spiritual discernment. So, pray before you read the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart to receive and understand God’s Word.

Wait For Me

Jiamin Choo — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 16:00:00 +0000

The sky was still dark that July morning. I had woken up early, excited to catch the sunrise on my 21st birthday. There by the beach, I thanked God for His gift of life to me, and made two promises to Him — one, to follow Him all the days of my life; the other, to wait on Him for my future life partner.

I took out the ring that I had bought — a simple band engraved with ‘WAITING 4 U’ — and slipped it onto my left middle finger. The ring represented my promise made in God’s presence to pursue purity — to save myself for my future husband. I wore the ring daily, as a commitment to trust God with matters of the heart, and also as a reminder to pray for my future husband — for him to be a man after God’s heart, hoping he will wait for me too.

Over the years, as friends began to find their other halves, I wondered when it would be my turn. How I wished there was a special someone to have and to hold, but no such person came along. I fought against temptations to start relationships with guys who showed interest in me but didn’t hunger after God. Then, when a potential someone appeared, my heart ached when I realised, “No, Jiamin. He’s not yours.” To numb the pain of loneliness, my eyes wandered off to viewing things I shouldn’t have seen. The images filled my mind with fantasies that stirred an intense desire for physical intimacy, but left me feeling empty and ashamed. I felt guilty for not keeping my heart and mind pure before God who is holy. But each time, with a spirit of repentance, I found forgiveness at His throne of grace. And the wait on God for my future husband continued. The pursuit of purity went on.

One Bible verse that encouraged me was Song of Songs 8:4 — “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” This is spoken by a woman who has found her Prince Charming, and is filled with passion for him. Yet she’s holding back, choosing to pursue purity and saving sexual intimacy for marriage. She encourages the other women, “the daughters of Jerusalem”, to guard their hearts, to wait for physical intimacy, to express love only when the time is right. In Song of Songs, this call to “not arouse or awaken love until it so desires” appears three times (2:7; 3:5; 8:4) to grab the attention of the hearers. It’s an important message to take to heart.

It may be surprising to see such vivid descriptions of sexuality in the Bible, but the Song of Songs has been recorded partly to affirm the beauty and wonder of sexual delight that God created for marriage between a man and woman. The yearning for love and intimacy is all part of God’s beautiful design, not to be shunned as shameful or dirty desires. However, it’s about awakening love at the right time — to wait for the day when a man and a woman pledge themselves to each other in marriage, that the bride will give of herself physically, fully, freely, to the groom who also gives himself to her. This intimacy is a wonderful gift from God.

Until the time comes for love to be awakened, may we spur one another to pursue purity while waiting. Guarding our hearts, bodies and minds is not only guarding what is precious to us and our future spouses, but also our act of honouring God and bearing witness to a watching world.

PRAYER
God, even though it is not easy to wait, grant me the desire and strength to pursue purity, to flee from temptations, and to honour you with my entire being. Amen.

REFLECTION TIME
1. In the pursuit of purity, what are some things that you struggle with? How do you deal with them?
2. What choices can you and your friends make to guard your bodies, hearts, and minds in a way that honours God

DELVE DEEPER
Read and reflect on these passages on why purity matters:
o Ephesians 5:1-211
o Thessalonians 4:1-8
o 2 Timothy 2:22