“All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.” Luke 7:29-30 It is widely acknowledged that believers are called to do two main things in order to begin their Christian journey: (1) repent and (2) get baptized. Repenting makes the most sense to us. It is a complete 180-degree turn away from the lives we were living, asking for forgiveness and chasing after this new life. We no longer live in the sins of our past, satisfying the desires of our flesh. Instead, we become slaves to righteousness, seeking to become holy and blameless in God’s sight. The problem here is that we can never actually become holy and blameless in God’s sight. Even as slaves to righteousness, we still mess up—the only difference is now we know when we mess up and we can then be aware of when we need to ask for forgiveness. We end up living much better lives when we seek righteousness, but we never get it perfect. We are caught in the never-ending cycle of falling, and getting back up. “You must ask for God’s help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given. Never mind. After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again. For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity "The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.” We will never be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to seek after righteousness. And what about that part in the beginning about asking for God’s help? In what way does God help us? Take another look at Luke 7:29-30. Notice the phrase because they had (or had not) been baptized. What did the people, even the tax collectors, gain by being baptized? They could acknowledge that God’s way was right. What did the Pharisees and the experts in the law suffer by not being baptized? They rejected God’s purpose for themselves. I personally believe faith has a lot to do with submitting to God’s authority, or, accepting His purpose for our lives. When we understand that all of creation is under His authority—even the wind and waves, and all demons, and especially ourselves—our faith is strengthened. We stop questioning God when His will for our lives doesn’t match our will for our lives. Jesus was marveled at the faith of the centurion, and look what he said: “But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Luke 7:7b-8 Whatever Jesus says goes. People throughout the Bible are constantly in awe of how He spoke with authority, and how all creation obeys Him. How could we ever point a finger at this God and say, “Why would you let this happen?” when His perfect will is always at work? People today like to think that they are in control of their own lives. They like to think that they earned what they have, when absolutely everything has been given to us by Him. So, back to the point of this post: baptism. Why is that so important? Without baptism, we, like the Pharisees in Luke 7:30, are never going to be able to submit to God’s authority. Maybe we can understand that we need to submit in our heads, but change comes when this conviction reaches our hearts. How do we get this conviction to reach our hearts? We need the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit fills the hearts of His believers when we are baptized. Of course, there are instances where people were born with the Holy Spirit already in them (ex: John), but the general rule is that if we want the Holy Spirit to reside in us, we have to get baptized. I was baptized as an infant. I’m not in any position to say that this is or is not a legitimate way to receive the Holy Spirit, but I can say that up to September 16 of this year, I definitely did not live as if the Holy Spirit was residing in me. God has placed on my heart the necessity for me to get baptized now, because though He has pulled me close to Him and speaks to me through His Word, I am in dire need of the Advocate He has sent to all believers. “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you...I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:7,12-13 How could anything be better than having Jesus directly in front of you, guiding you and speaking to you? But yet Jesus Himself tells His disciples that the receiving of His Holy Spirit is better than His presence on earth. Do you believe that? Then get baptized.
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AuthorFighting complacency and advocating change in myself for the world around me. Posts by Date
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