God measures our spirituality.

Amos speaks about God using a plumbline to see the nation of Israel is fairing in terms of righteousness and holiness. According to God they are falling short. We prefer spirituality that ‘slants’ in our favour—affirming our politics, lifestyles, and biases. But God’s standard is fixed: justice, holiness, compassion (Micah 6:8). His plumb line doesn’t bend to culture.Amaziah responds by rejecting truth that disrupts comfort (vv. 10–13). We see this when he calls Amos a "conspirator" (v. 10)—framing truth as a threat, through his dismissal of Amos and the message"Go back to Judah!" (v. 12)—exiling uncomfortable voices, and deflection "This is the king’s sanctuary!" (v. 13)—hiding behind tradition/power. We build ‘sanctuaries’ of selective hearing—churches that with selective hearing. We hear the ideas around blessings, but sometimes miss the point when speak about our role in the world as well as the costs that we will need to bear. We live in circles were where truth is filtered.In baptism, we renounce Amaziah’s way. We reject compartmentalized faith that says, ‘Don’t bring God into my relationships, finances, or justice.’ We embrace full surrender. Like a builder throwing away a bent ruler, baptism is our declaration: ‘I will measure my life by Christ alone.’ Baptism isn’t just a ceremony—it’s enlisting in Amos’s tribe! You’re saying: ‘I’ll stand on God’s Word, even when culture calls me a conspirator. I’ll seek His kingdom, not my sanctuary.’ Today we celebrate that in Christ, we pass the plumb line test! His righteousness is ours. So, candidates - step into the water with joy. Church - live your baptism with holy courage. The world has enough "pick and choose belief" in the world. In our belief and following of the Lord. let's be resolyte in sharing the truth of the resurrection and gospel!