I am a Baptist, but before that I am a Christian.
Fortunately, the two go hand in hand. Always remember that before you can even become a Baptist, you must be a believer. This is why when we baptize we call it Believer's Baptism. So before you can even join a Baptist fellowship, you must already have asked Jesus into your heart as your personal Savior and Lord. After the Holy Spirit comes, the biggest struggle is to act more and more like Jesus every day. Sometimes our human selves get in the way, and we still get angry or stubborn, or cling to a selfish agenda. It helps me to remember Phillipians 2:5-11. It is the earliest Christian hymn is preserved in scripture:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2:5-11 (NIV)
My earnest prayer for you is that today you would accept Jesus as Lord and finally know true joy, true peace, and true love.
