by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #42
Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

In the book of Acts, we see that when an individual made a profession of faith in Christ, what immediately followed was baptism. This act of baptism signified both a public identification with Christ as Lord and Savior, but it also signified a public identification with His body, the church. While the act of baptism itself does not provide an merit for salvation, it does provide a significance in that there is a statement of dedication to God that is made public and unashamedly before God and others.

The principle of dedication to God is one that is profoundly simple. We are called to offer up our lives as living sacrifices to God. The Old Testament sacrificial system gave ample witness to the sacrifice of animals. It was a total dedication of an animal as the sacrifice called for a complete dedication. Yet in our salvation, the sacrifice has already been made through the cross as Jesus provided the atonement for our sins by taking our place.

We need to be often reminded of the call to be dedicated to God. It should be witnessed through obedience in baptism. Some of you have not yet shown your obedience in this way. As a slave to Christ as your Lord and Master, it really is not so much about you as it is about submitting yourself to identifying with Him through baptism. It is a testimony that you would give witness to His grace and mercy and that your confession to Him as Lord is true and affirmed through the act of baptism.

In joining the communion of believers, you show your dedication by no longer aligning yourself with the world, but by dedicating your life to the cause of Christ by naming the name of Christ in unity with all who have committed themselves to His Lordship. The true church is made up of those who have submitted themselves to the head of the church and it is an issue of dedication. Living out our calling as the church is seen through our practical commitment to the local church and here we see how dedicated people are to Christ through their participation in the community of believers.

There are also times of reflection when we need to in a sense “re-dedicate” ourselves, renew our love and devotion to Christ, for we often let it wane in light of other pursuits. I think Edwards gives a very real practical application to follow here, that we take time to renew our dedication to God and be reminded of our high calling to no longer live for ourselves, but for the One who died and rose again on our behalf.

Will you take time after you read this to pray a prayer of dedication? Maybe for some of you baptism is an issue. We will have a baptism class soon and if you have not yet been baptized, don’t wait any longer. Get baptized! If you are not yet a member of a local church, become one! Show your dedication to Christ. Don’t be wishy-washy dabblers who are convenience oriented rather than commitment oriented.

Be resolved to be dedicated to Christ alone. It’s the only way.

In His grace,
Pastor John