By Pastor James Noriega

It is hard to put into words what baptizing 196 people this Easter has done for me. Having been arrested minutes after being baptized myself many years ago (read story here), as I stood in the baptismal with person after person professing their faith, each person was a reminder to me of God’s grace in my life.

When I started to ask them the three powerful questions, (Do you believe that your sin has separated you from God?, Have you confessed and repented of that sin?, and Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord, Savior, and God?) and every time they gave me a resounding YES, you could see and experience the authority as they professed their faith before their church and their God–I am yours and you are mine.

As I was asking those three questions, I could see their facial expressions start to change. As they walked into the tank, I could hear the nervousness in their voice transition to authoritative as they answered the three questions. Some wept, some shouted. I had the privilege of weeping and shouting with them. Some of my favorites were when we baptized a husband and his wife was waiting to be baptized too and we would ask the husband if he would like to help baptize. All of them responded with tears–“Could I?”. Or fathers helping baptize their sons and daughters.

In the ministry I am a part of, Biblical Counseling and Redemption Groups, I get to see the atoning work of Christ on a consistent basis in my office and in Redemption Groups. Last Sunday, there were many counselees and Redemption Group members who got baptized. So not only did I have the benefit of baptizing these people but I also had the enormous and beautiful privilege of seeing their story from the beginning. I have seen many of them walk into my office with their lives wrecked by sin and have gotten to watch as Jesus has changed everything.

I really do have the best job in the world.