The majority of converts in Vanuatu are the result of being family or friend of a current member. Such was the case with Leila Bati who is originally from Malekula Island. She has been attending since February and is friends with Flexon and Fiona. We began studying at her request in early June and studied three times a week for a month. She was formerly a member of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination for 8 years and continuing to hold to their practices including keeping the Sabbath. This denomination does an effective job of making their members strong in the beliefs of the denomination. But after studying the Sabbath and other topics she began to feel a change in her conscience about what she had formerly believed. She realized that she was not actually keeping the Sabbath and now had a proper understanding of food laws and tithing. By the time we had finished all of our studies, she took about a week to think it over before concluding it was time to put off the old and put on the new, “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). She was baptized into Christ on August 11th at Malapoa Point.

2Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The new comes at the point of baptism into Christ (Rom 6:3-4). At baptism, God takes away your sin (Acts 22:16), He adds you to His church (1 Cor 12:13), He give you the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), He saves you (Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21). All of this is based upon the baptized persons faith in the power of God (Colossians 2:12). Baptism is not the “how” of these things mentioned above, it is the “when” and God is the “how” and He works these things in our lives at baptism.

The new life is the product of the word of God being preached to all who would listen. Peter told Jesus in John 6:68 “to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life.” Words, and the preaching of those words are the backbone of the work of Mission Vanuatu and the only means to salvation (Rom 1:16).

After the new life starts, out Lord had asked us to diligently follow all of His commands (Matt 28:20). Baptism is just the beginning, the beginning of a new life devoted to God and His ways, a new life with a new end, heaven. Please add Leila to your prayers.

MO