MORE THAN WATER · PART 7 OF 9
Quick answer: Baptism is not the destination of the Christian life. It is one of its first faithful steps. After baptism, Jesus calls us to become disciples who are being transformed into His likeness, which Wooddale describes through Five Personal Marks of Spiritual Maturity.
In this article
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
There is something beautiful about watching someone come up out of the water. The congregation applauds. Family members embrace. Pictures are taken. People celebrate. And then, everyone goes home. For many people, that’s where the story ends. But in reality, that’s where it begins.
Baptism is not the destination of the Christian life. It is one of its first faithful steps. Jesus never called us merely to be baptized. He called us to become disciples. Disciples are continually being transformed into Christ’s likeness. That transformation takes a lifetime.
One of the greatest misconceptions about Christianity is that God’s primary goal is simply getting us into heaven. He certainly desires that. But He also desires something more. He wants us to become like His Son. Paul writes,
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…
— Romans 8:29
Notice God’s goal. Not merely forgiven people. Transformed people. Not simply believers. Disciples. The Christian life is not about trying harder. It’s about becoming more like Jesus through the Holy Spirit’s work. That transformation happens gradually. Day after day. Year after year. One step of obedience at a time.
That’s an important question. If someone asked you, “What does a mature follower of Jesus actually look like?” How would you answer? Would you describe someone who knows a great deal about the Bible? Someone who attends church every week? Someone who serves faithfully? Someone who gives generously? Those things certainly matter. But Scripture paints a much fuller picture.
At Wooddale, we summarize that picture through Five Personal Marks of Spiritual Maturity. These aren’t five boxes to check or five achievements to unlock. They are five lifelong pursuits that flow from a relationship with Jesus Christ. They provide a simple way to describe the kind of person the Holy Spirit is shaping us to become.
Let’s look at each one:
Everything begins here. Christianity is not primarily about adopting a new set of beliefs. It is about following a Person. Jesus never invited people merely to admire Him. He said, “Follow me.” Following Jesus means continually surrendering every area of our lives to His leadership. Our decisions. Our priorities. Our relationships. Our ambitions. Our finances. Our future.
None of us does this perfectly. That’s why discipleship is a journey. Every day we learn to trust Him a little more than we did yesterday. Baptism publicly declares, “We belong to Jesus.” Following Him completely is the lifelong process of learning what that means.
Go deeper: Watch “Follow Jesus Completely”, part 1 of our 5 Shifts to Maturity sermon series.
Many people think worship begins when the music starts on Sunday morning. The Bible paints a much bigger picture. Worship is our whole life offered back to God. Paul writes,
Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice…this is your true and proper worship.
— Romans 12:1
Every decision becomes an opportunity to worship. Every conversation. Every act of integrity. Every moment of generosity. Every quiet prayer. Worship is not confined to an hour each weekend. It becomes the posture of a heart that recognizes God’s goodness every day. A baptized believer doesn’t simply attend worship. They become a worshiper.
Go deeper: Watch “Worship God Fully”, part 2 of our 5 Shifts to Maturity sermon series.
God never intended anyone to follow Jesus alone. From the very beginning, the Church has been a family. The Christian life was never meant to be a solo journey. That’s why Scripture continually encourages believers to teach one another. Pray for one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Confess to one another. Encourage one another.
The phrase “one another” appears nearly sixty times in the New Testament. That’s not accidental. Transformation happens best in relationships. It’s one reason we care so deeply about Life Groups, Community Groups, Bible studies and one-on-one discipleship. Growth accelerates when we walk alongside others. Isolation rarely produces maturity. Community often does.
Go deeper: Watch “Commit to Life-Changing Relationships”, part 3 of our 5 Shifts to Maturity sermon series.
When people hear the word generosity, they often think about money. The Bible certainly includes financial generosity. But biblical generosity is much larger than that. Generosity is a way of living. Generous with encouragement. Generous with forgiveness. Generous with hospitality. Generous with time. Generous with our gifts. Generous with our resources.
Why? Because that’s how God has treated us. Everything we have ultimately belongs to Him. When we realize how richly we’ve been blessed in Christ, generosity becomes a natural response, not an obligation. We don’t give because God needs our resources. We give because generosity reshapes our hearts.
Go deeper: Watch “Live Generously”, part 4 of our 5 Shifts to Maturity sermon series.
Eventually every disciple begins looking outward. Jesus came, “to seek and to save the lost.” As we become more like Him, we’ll care more about the people He cares about. Some of those people have never heard the gospel. Others once walked with Christ but have drifted away. Still others faithfully attend church every week but have never truly surrendered their lives to Jesus.
Finding those who are missing isn’t only pastors’ work. It’s every believer’s calling. Sometimes that begins with a conversation. Sometimes with an invitation. Sometimes through an act of kindness. Sometimes by simply listening well. God delights in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.
Go deeper: Watch “Find Those Who Are Missing”, part 5 of our 5 Shifts to Maturity sermon series.
Reading these five marks may feel overwhelming. Perhaps you’ve thought, “I still have so far to go.” So do we. So does every follower of Jesus. These marks are not measuring sticks to determine whether God loves us. They are invitations to keep growing.
Think about children learning to walk. Parents don’t criticize every stumble. They celebrate every step. Our heavenly Father does the same. He delights in our growth. He patiently continues shaping us.
Philippians reminds us, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” The work isn’t finished. But neither has God abandoned it.
One of the greatest gifts God gives us after baptism is the Church. We need one another. We need people who encourage us when we’re discouraged. Challenge us when we’re drifting. Celebrate with us when God is working. Pray for us when life becomes difficult. That’s why discipleship is never merely personal. It is deeply communal.
If you’ve recently been baptized, we want to encourage you. Don’t stop there. Join a Life Group. Find a Bible study. Invite someone to disciple you. Serve alongside others. Build friendships centered on Christ. God often accomplishes His greatest work in our lives through other believers.
Baptism is one beautiful “yes.” The Christian life is a lifetime of saying yes. Yes to forgiveness. Yes to obedience. Yes to generosity. Yes to community. Yes to God’s mission. Every one of those yeses shapes us into the image of Jesus. Not overnight. But faithfully. Patiently. One step at a time.
This article is part of More Than Water, a series on the beauty, meaning and mission of baptism. Start with the complete guide to baptism.
Whether you’re new to faith or have followed Jesus for years, we’d love to celebrate this step with you. Register for baptism, email our pastoral team or call 952.944.6300.
Wooddale Church is a multigenerational, Bible-teaching church in Minnesota with locations in Eden Prairie, Edina and Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota. Whether you’re looking for a church near you, exploring faith for the first time or simply curious about what happens at church, we invite you to join us.
If this article has raised questions, encouraged you or helped you see baptism in a new way, we’d love to continue the conversation. Whether you’re exploring Christianity for the first time, considering baptism or simply looking for a church family where you can continue growing in your faith, we’d be honored to walk alongside you. Following Jesus was never meant to be a journey you travel alone.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
