Ceremonies?
There are a lot of religions in the world today who believe strongly in keeping ancient ceremonies alive. Many Christian denominations do as well. I must admit, no matter how hi-tech our churches get, I’m still moved more by a good ole-fashioned baptism. Ceremonies themselves are fine–many of them were specifically ordained by our God and given to us for a purpose. The problem with ceremonies arises when we give them meaning they were never intended to have. For example, believing salvation comes through baptism rather than through “faith” in Jesus Christ. Here’s another way to look at it:
Abraham (then Abram) at age 84…
“Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6
“Believing the Lord” and receiving “righteousness” was the Old Testament equivalent of accepting Jesus Christ and being “saved”. Nothing more was required–just plain old faith. Abram’s ceremony took place 15 years later!
“Abraham was ninety nine years old when he was circumcised,” Genesis 17:24
In Christ, PastorJimKilby @Kilbin8er