When my husband and I got married, I asked my mom and dad, my siblings, my aunts and uncles, and my grandmother, who had to be approaching 90 at the time, to travel thousands of miles to attend. My sister even came with her one-week-old baby. You read that right: one week.

Why did I ask this of them, and fully expect that they would comply? Because a marriage vow is considered a very significant event — one that needs to be witnessed, hopefully by people who love me and will continue to be part of my life afterward.

So why the need for witnesses? Do I need them to remind me that I am married? Hopefully not! But anyone making a meaningful vow could use people to help hold them accountable. If I am the only one aware of a vow I have made, it will be very easy to break it. That’s why weight loss clubs like Weight Watchers exist. And why people join group exercise classes. And why Alcoholics Anonymous is so successful.

Vows witnessed by a collection of interested people are more certain to be upheld.

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you have made a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Baptism in Christianity is the same. People usually get baptized in front of witnesses. I was baptized in front of the church I grew up in, literally. There was a little room to the right of the front stage that was curtained off most of the time. In that room was a large tub. When someone was interested in being baptized, they filled the tub with water and pulled back the curtain for the ceremony which was usually tacked on to the end of a regular church service. It was cause for celebration which meant a potluck.

God doesn’t require baptism to be saved. Nor does He require that believers have any witnesses when they first ask Him for salvation. I am saved even if I came to Jesus alone in my car or my bedroom or the shower.

But He knows it’s very helpful to have people in my life to remind me of my vow, to hold me accountable. Jesus Himself modeled the public baptism and confession of faith.

So although I can first come to Jesus in the quiet, by myself, it’s a wonderful thing to “make it official” by inviting many witnesses to my profession of faith.

Dear God,

Thank you for making salvation so simple and easy to attain. But thank you also for your wisdom in the ceremony of baptism. Thank you for all the people who loved me enough to bear witness to my marriage and my baptism. I confess again today that I believe you sent your Son Jesus to save me from my sins because of your vast love.