Baptism is like the EMA entry badge

At the Evangelical Ministry Assembly, they give you a badge with your name on which you must wear at all times. You can only get in if you have one on. It has programme and the instructions on the back.

Baptism has been classically described as a badge. It's especially like the EMA name / entry / instructions badge.

It gives us a new name and idenity: it marks us out as a Christian, we carry the Triune name.

Baptism permits us entry to the church and to the Lord's Table.

Baptism implies the whole programme and our instructions.

Of course, it is possible to steal someone elses' name badge. Some people had swapped badges. Wearing Marc's badge does not make you Marc nor does it prove you are Marc - but it gets you into the EMA / church, if not to heaven. You can get into EMA if you are neither an evangelical or a minister but you would be an oddity.

And Baptism is normally invisible to us as such. We see it taking place, we have a certificate and a register but we need to live out our baptism moment by moment in word and deed that our Christian profession may be seen. Love, good deeds and witness to Christ as Lord are the badges of the baptised.