Transformed – teen devotion – January 12, 2025

One key truth: Your baptism is the explicit proof of your adoption into Godā€™s family, and Godā€™s pledge of undying devotion and fidelity to you.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Titus 3:4-6

The Cure for an Identity Crisis

Have you seen the docuseries called, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace?

Natalia was born in Ukraine with a rare form of dwarfism, and subsequently surrendered by her mother for adoption. Eventually, a family from Indiana, the Barnetts, adopted Natalia. But the relationship she had with Kristine and Michael Barnettā€”her foster parentsā€”was anything but ideal: their relationship was abusive, manipulative, and dangerous.

Why? Depends on whom you ask.

Kristine and Michael Barnett depicted Natalia as a sociopathic con-artist who tried to harm them; Natalia, on the other hand, would tell you the actual crimes committed were by Kristine and Michael Barnett; they, according to Natalia, neglected her, abused her, abandoned her, and disowned her.

So, whoā€™s telling the truth?

Right when a particular side of the story sounds more plausible, the docuseries presents you with reason to discredit it. Itā€™s as if the producers want you to be left constantly without any narrative clarityā€”starving for closure that will ultimately never come. Youā€™re left feeling like Nataliaā€™s belonging to a family that loves and cares for her is an ending to the story that is always out of reachā€”where adoption into that kind of family is too good to be true.

Our adoption can sound too good to be true, tooā€”canā€™t it? Thatā€™s what your baptism is: Baptism wasā€”and isā€”a washing of rebirth and renewalā€”a washing of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is the explicit proof that God has adopted you into his family. In baptism, he has adopted you to be his.

As much as we get hung up on the ā€œhowā€ of baptism, our real hangups are on the ā€œwhy.ā€ ā€œIf baptism is not merely a sign, but a seal of Godā€™s grace, why would God both sign and seal himself over to me?ā€

Weā€™re self-righteous and proud. Weā€™re selfish and unsympathetic. Weā€™re users and abusers. Weā€™re liars and cheaters. Weā€™re hateful and hurtful. Weā€™re not even worthy to stoop down and untie the straps Jesusā€™ sandals. Why would God want to adopt us into his family?

It’s when you and I ask ā€œWhy?ā€ of our adoptions that our God takes us to the waters of Christā€™s baptism.

Think about it: why would Jesus need to be baptized? Why would the sinless Son of God need a washing of rebirth and renewal? Why would the blameless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world need to be baptized for repentance and the forgiveness of sins? Heā€™s not being baptized for his own sakeā€”but for yours. It was fitting for Jesus to be baptized as us for us to fulfill all righteousness.

That wordā€”righteousā€”refers to absolute, complete, total perfection and holiness. And if we had any hope of standing confidently before God, that righteousness is something we didnā€™t have and couldnā€™t giveā€”but we desperately needed it.

There at the Jordan River, we find the sinless Son of God emerging from the ranks of sinners to live and die for sinners like us. In Christ, all righteousness has been fulfilled.

Jesus actively kept his word to the letterā€”and not one stroke of the pen fell through his fingers. Jesus has passively suffered and diedā€”clothed with our rags of sin and regretā€”so that we would be clothed with the robes of his righteousness. Your baptism is assurance Christā€™s wardrobe is yours. Your baptism is Godā€™s promise to you that you, in Christ, are completely and totally forgivenā€”that you have been washedā€”head to toeā€”by the cleansing tide of his graceā€”that you belong to him!

Some adoption stories of this world might resemble the story of Natalia Grace; but your adoption into Godā€™s family is a completely different story. No cliffhangers. No lack of closure. Your baptism is Godā€™s pledge of undying devotion and fidelity to you! In Christ, your adoption into Godā€™s family is signed and sealed.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, at the waters of your baptism, you emerged from the ranks of sinners to live and die for sinners like us. But because of you, our primary identity is that we are baptized children of God. Whenever we doubt your love for us, bring us not only to the waters of your baptism, but the waters of our baptism, too. For there, weā€™ve been clothed in your righteousness and adopted into your family. In your name we pray. Amen.


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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International VersionĀ®, NIVĀ®. Copyright Ā©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.ā„¢ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.