Sports Spectrum released a new video this week highlighting the importance of baptism, featuring professional athletes and their wives. In the video, which was shared to the Christian sports publication’s Facebook page, these figures explain why baptism is important to each of them, personally, as well as biblically.
The video features NFL players Demario Davis, Matthew Slater and Todd Peterson, alongside MLB players Kyle Gibson, Lance Berkman and Adam Wainwright. It also features two NFL wives, Iris Ramirez and Kelly Davis.
"I want my water baptism to lead to a conversation to people who need to know outwardly, what's happened to me inwardly." Saints linebacker Demario A Davis
Posted by Sports Spectrum on Tuesday, November 27, 2018
“I want my water baptism to lead to a conversation to people who need to know outwardly what is happening to me inwardly,” NFL linebacker Demario Davis said.
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“I need the world to know, and this is why you are going into the water, and that’s why that day is a celebration,” Davis explained. “It’s an outward, public display that I no longer belong to the world, and I belong to Jesus Christ.”
Wide receiver Matthew Slater talked about how one of the first things Jesus did in His public ministry was have John the Baptist baptize Him.
“When we see Jesus starting His ministry, one of the first things that He did was have John the Baptist baptize Him,” Slater said.
MLB pitcher Kyle Gibson added that the public display of baptism doesn’t change one’s salvation, but just signals to those around you that you have made the decision to follow Jesus.
“It was really cool to have that feeling that you are following Christ in baptism and taking that step to just to say ‘hey, you guys know that I’m a Christian but I just want to publicly do this because it is something that we are called to do.’ Not that it changes any of my salvation or the last six years that I have been a follower of Christ, and not baptized, but it’s just something that I felt like was important for me to do,” Gibson said.
NFL kicker Todd Peterson stressed the importance of baptism, calling it a “public declaration” that makes you accountable to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Baptism to me is that public expression — it’s that public declaration. It’s standing before a body of believers and saying ‘look God changed my life, I was dead and now I am alive, would you like to help me walk in a manner worthy of God’s call on my life? Oh and, by the way, I’d love to help you,'” Peterson said.
“I identify now with Christ, I am dying to my old self and I am rising to walk in the newness of light,” MLB player Lance Berkman added.
Pitcher Adam Wainwright added that baptism did not signal salvation for him, for he already had received that, but it let the world know where his relationship with God was.
“I didn’t inherit the kingdom of God when I went under that water, but what I did was, I finally let go and let the world know that I am a child of God,” he said.
NFL wives Iris Ramirez and Kelly Davis were also featured in the video.
“Once you become a Christian and you know that this is God commanding you to do it, then it’s your next step of obedience,” Ramirez, wife to NFL player Manny Ramirez, said.
“Literally when you go in that water to get baptized, and you are raised, you feel that new life. Everything felt different,” Davis, wife to NFL player Thomas Davis, Sr., added.
The video concludes with the text from Romans 6:3-4,
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”