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Touching Home


    My best friend growing up was a baseball player through and through.  I’ll never forget the story for his first “real” home run.  He had been playing high school ball for a year or two and was a good hitter but had never hit one over the fence.  Until that one day when he turned just right on a fast ball and sent it out of the park.  As he round the bases, you could see his smile on his face from the stands.  When he turned past third, his teammates pilled out of the dugout to meet him with a chorus of high fives and pats on the pack.  The jubilation continued until he stepped back in the dugout and was promptly called out.  You see in in all the congratulations and excitement he never stepped on home plate.  So when he left the playing field, he put himself out; the only person on the field that could do so.
    I’m sure Josh hates that story, but I bring it up a reminder of very important spiritual point.  When we put Christ on in baptism is a lot like hitting a home run over the fence.  The deed is done, we know what will happen. In baseball the run will be scored, in life, we have a place in heaven.  No one else can put you out; no one else can keep you from taking that prize.  No matter how slow we run or even if we trip and fall down, we still can get up and keep moving toward home.  No one is going to be able to put take us out of play except us.  If we don’t touch home, we don’t get the reward!  As a Christian, we must know that after our salvation we have to keep moving to the goal of heaven.  If we stop running, or leave the path, and don’t finish, we will cause ourselves to be out.  Jesus said “but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved”(Matthew 10:22  ). Revelation 2:10 tells us 'Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  Our home is there ready for us we just have to make sure we finish the task!
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