Baptism: the Ultimate Marriage?

Our church is excited to witness the baptism of Selena, a new friend and sister in the Lord! The Pastor felt led to draw a parallel between baptism and marriage, and he identifies some striking similarities. Both are one-time, public declarations of a new life which follows from that day forward. That life is only possible because two people both voluntarily lay down their lives for another. In marriage those two people are a bride and groom. In baptism, we are "buried" for Jesus, because he was first buried for us, and together with him, the believer rises to a new life. And like marriage, the struggle is daily. While the public declaration is once, the commitment must be renewed daily. The success of the baptism (or marriage) is not dependent on a person's perfect faithfulness, but by a continued faith that the other person will always take them back. Therefore maturity in our walk with Jesus is not necessarily sinlessness, but an increasing rate of acknowledging our sin, confessing it, truly believing we are forgiven and received back, and then walking once again hand in hand with the lover of our soul.