The Phone Call

Jesus asks, “what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). As we look around the world today, we see so many people who spend so much time seeking to gain wealth, popularity, right relationships, perfect jobs, the best education, the fastest computer, the largest CD collection, or whatever else. I don’t know about you, but I for one am guilty of far too many of these inane pursuits. As Christians, are we mistakenly striving to gain the whole world only to end up forfeiting our very souls? Are our priorities misplaced?

Life seems to be going to well and then it comes. The dreaded phone call. Your roommate’s brother was diagnosed with cancer. Your grandfather is having emergency surgery. Your mom’s car was hit by a reckless driver. In a moment of time, our world can be turned upside down. In the light of these things, how important are worldly possessions? “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Solomon’s wisdom comes all too clearly into focus and the words of Jesus echo again in our minds. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world …” How selfish and shortsighted we have become!
Selfishness is common to us all. Paul lists selfish ambitions among the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. Jeremiah reminds us that, “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). So why must we wait to change until we get the phone call? We have a deep desire to change! Why must we wait? Even though we are ready, willing, and able to change, our body does not want to come along for the ride. Jesus told His disciples, “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). So often, we allow ourselves to be ruled by our sin nature rather than by the righteous standards of God’s Word. Must we always wait for the phone call?

Why Baptism?

Baptism. Have you ever noticed how the mere mention of that word makes the skin crawl on some Christians.

Is baptism a requirement for salvation?
Some say that it is. Some say it’s not. I can see Scriptural justification for both viewpoints. In his so-called Great Commission, Jesus told Christians to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, NIV). Then in Acts, we read on a number of occasions that those who accepted the message were baptized, and many were added to their number.

On the flip side of the coin, the author of Hebrews wrote, “the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:13-14, NIV). The lord spoke to the prophet Hosea saying, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6, NIV). Jesus quoted part of the Scripture as a justification for “breaking the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:7) The parable of the Good Samaritan came about as a result of the following exchange from Luke 10:25-28 (NIV):

Expert in the law: Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus: What is written in the Law? How do you read it?
Expert: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus: You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.

Jesus was about as opposed to legalism as a man could be. Following the letter of the law was never the intention of establishing the law. As Paul wrote in Romans, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, NIV) It would be easy to pick out a verse like James 2:24 which says, “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” (NIV). Anything can be justified by one or two verses taken out of context. The point of the entire book of James is that faith demands action. The whole point is the condition of your heart. James tells us that even the demons believe in God! (James 2:19) But the deeds come as a result of the faith, not as a prerequisite! Paul underscored this fact in Ephesians, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV) Clearly, the answer is that baptism is not a requirement for salvation. The thief on the cross next to Jesus was not baptized and

What, then, is baptism?
In Romans 6:4 (NIV), Paul wrote “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Baptism is a symbolic representation of our death to the world (Romans 6:3), our burial with him (Romans 6:4), and our resurrection from the dead in him (Romans 6:5). Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of symbolism. In a way, this same account is a parallel of the larger life of the nation of Israel. 2 Kings 17 gives a brief history of the last nine years of the nation of Israel’s existence before the 20th century. Just as Jesus spent 3 days in the earth, Israel spent nearly 3,000 years without being a sovereign nation. And yet the spirit of the nation lived on in the hearts, minds, and memories of hundreds of thousands of people through that time. On May 14th, 1948, Israel was resurrected. Clearly this is something I’ll have to do more research concerning, but that’s really not the point of this essay!

Why do I want to be baptized?
Baptism is a public confession of faith accompanied by the symbolic representation of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for all to be saved. He was baptized before he began his ministry. Similarly, in the book of Acts, there are numerous examples of the Holy Spirit filling people or groups of people following their baptisms. Essentially, it shows to me that God honors those who place Him above their own personal interests or desires. Finally, as discussed regarding the book of James earlier, deeds are a byproduct of faith. I definitely have faith and I am interested in submitting completely to God to let Him do everything in my life that He wants to do. Anything I can do to draw closer to Him is what I want to be doing!

Not only that but it is the example Jesus set (Mark 1:9). As I grow in my faith, I have a deeper and deeper desire to become more like Jesus. So it would seem that a good starting block would be to actually DO what he did! I already mentioned Matthew 28:19 wherein Jesus commanded his followers to be baptized. The apostle John wrote, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The many who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:3-6, NIV) I am striving to “walk as Jesus did.”

What method is best?
The English word “baptize” comes from the Greek word “???????,” which means to immerse. I don’t believe that other methods of baptism are necessarily wrong, so long as the motive is correct. However, it is clear that this was the method used in Jesus’ baptism because Matthew wrote that “he went up out of the water,” (Matthew 3:16, NIV) indicating he had gone down into the water previously. Finally, as mentioned above, this method is clearly the best symbolic representation of the death, burial, and resurrection. For these reasons, I believe that the “immersion method” is the most genuine, although no method is invalid so long as the person has the right frame of mind and intentions. This is the Greek word used in John 3:26 to describe the method Jesus was using the baptize people.

Does it matter at what age baptism is done?
No. I will qualify that statement, however, to say that understanding of the meaning behind baptism is essential. Understanding of the symbolism is also helpful. I am 21 as I am planning to be baptized and a number of people I have discussed this with tell me that they wish they had taken this step at a later age when they could remember it better and have a greater comprehension and respect for the symbolic importance of it. I don’t think that someone who is baptized at the age of 10 often understands it, let alone someone who is baptized before their first birthday!

My key point throughout this discussion, however, has been that baptism or failure to be baptized neither secures nor prohibits one’s place in heaven. John wrote in Revelation, “If anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15, NIV) This is the book by which men will be judged. Clearly it is important to have your name there! The way to have your name is not by being baptized. It’s not by completing a twelve-step program of steps towards salvation, and it’s not by being a really good person. Again I quote Paul here, who succinctly states the way to have your name there. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, NIV)