The song “Take Me To the Water” is often sung during baptism services at churches. This African American spiritual contains several stanzas highlighting new believers’ affirmations of faith as they begin their lives as part of the Christian community. Members of the community often recall their own baptisms and reaffirm their commitment to follow Christ. One stanza of the song declares that “none but the righteous shall see God.” Who are the righteous? What does it mean to be righteous? As new Christians identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by being immersed in and raised out of the water, they are signaling that something has changed inside of them.

As new Christians identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by being immersed in and raised out of the water, they are signaling that something has changed inside of them.”

The act of baptism itself does not cause the change, however. More than one preacher has said that without an internal change, a person can go in the water a dry sinner and come up a wet one! Thankfully, God does not wait for us to become righteous on our own, because we cannot. Instead, God, who alone is righteous, makes us righteous by grace. When we believe, the Lord begins the transformation in us that will be completed when we see Him.