“Provoking Christian Insights” series

Part 24

There is more to being a Christian

There’s more to being a Christian than saying  “the right words” and living “happily ever after.” Many a new Christian has been released from the waters of baptism to drift along and eventually disappear from the crowds of believers. It’s important to realize that your walk with Christ begins when you ask Him to come and save you.

Being raised in the Baptist faith, I have seen many people come, profess Christ as Savior, be baptized, and then be turned loose into the church culture without a lot of training. For some “getting a new sheep” into the flock was a big deal. After all the “Angels in Heaven were singing” when this soul came into the faith.

I guess you were supposed to go home, read your Bible, come to Sunday School and all would be well. And for some this simple formula of Christian obedience worked. For others, they were just there … there waiting for Onward Christian Soldiers instructions … instructions that sometimes didn’t come.

Yes, I was told to “shepherd” the person that I brought to church and make the feel comfortable. I always tried to do that even to the point of being a little pushy about getting them into Sunday School. Maybe I should have done the Mission Impossible thing saying, “Your mission, should you choose to accept Him; is to 1. Be baptized in water; 2. Faithfully attend church; 3. Honor God and your money and all that God has given you; 4. Understand and observe the Lord’s Supper and 5. Worship God. If you don’t accept this mission, your relationship with the Lord and your testimony to others will self-destruct … and most likely it will self-destruct if you don’t do those things.

If you are sports minded you might say; “If you’ve joined the team, now’s the time to get into the game. You’ve received your marching orders. What are you waiting for? Did you ever try to play a game without first learning the instructions? How many times have you observed people claiming to be Christians acting like they had never learned what being a Christian is all about?

Water baptism

KJV: “Why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and was away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

NIV: “What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). 

Jesus not only set an example of obedience by being baptized in water, He also included water baptism in the Great Commission. We know that God wants to bless our efforts if we serve Him. Some of us have been baptized as babies and later confirmed into the church. Others of us who haven’t been baptized can when we profess our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Why be baptized? (Matthew 3:13; 28:19, Luke 12:50; Acts 22:6-16; Romans 6:1-14; Galatians 3:26,27.

First you are simply following orders. Eve Jesus was baptized in water. He knew it was important to fulfill all righteousness. When Jesus was baptized, heaven was opened, and God was well pleased. Jesus stressed the importance of water baptism in his Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).

Second, you are identifying with Christ. We can easily see that Jesus spoke of a parallel between His death and baptism. In Galatians 3:26,27 we learn that those baptized clothe themselves with Christ. Romans 6:1-4 explains the symbolism of water baptism – buried and raised to a new life with Christ.

Public proclamation. Baptism is a public proclamation for Christ, an outward symbol and an inner change. Those who have crucified their old self with Christ should no longer be slaves to sin.

Answering questions about water baptism. Do I have to be baptized to be saved? The New Testament links faith and salvation to baptism. Baptism is the next step after salvation (Mark 16:16). When Peter preached the crowd was compelled to act and 3,000 were saved and baptized that day (Acts 2:37-41). When Peter explained the gospel to the Ethiopian official, he immediately wanted to express his new faith through water baptism.

What is the correct way to be baptized and in whose name and authority? There are several different practices observed in instituting baptism, immersion, pouring and sprinkling are all used. Some Christians disagree on this, and it can cause division. Matthew 28:19 gives us the formula for baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, while acts 2:38 and other places give us the authority behind the baptizing. The important thing is that you are baptized into Christ rather than the name of a church.

Back in Luther’s time people who sprinkled were often being killed for “re-baptizing” by immersion. There is a case for re-baptizing those who wish to be immersed. Paul had the believers baptized again in the name of Jesus because John’s baptism was incomplete.

Some people have put off being baptized, and now they don’t want to look like they’ve just become a Christian. Possibly they’re too proud to stand in front of everyone soaking wet or ruin (believe it or not) their hairstyle. Some people just don’t see the importance of baptism and as a result don’t worry about it.

The bottom line is that God expects us to be baptized once we become Christians. In the early church people were immediately baptized after being saved. It was the commanded, expected and natural thing to do. The whole church will know that you are a child of God.

Faithful church attendance

I’ll write more on this later, but first let me ask you this question; “How should we feel about being in church?”

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4)

Most people, when they analyze their excuses for not going to church, realize they just don’t hold up. Many teens find it difficult to go to church. I’m not sure why. I know that I tried ever trick in the book to get out going to church when I was little and my son became better at it than I.

Please note in the Scripture above that the Psalmist’s joy was going to the House of the Lord. We need to love God’s House as well. A couple who had been to several churches asked me why they should attend the church I attended. My answer was “God is in the house.” It was that simple and that couple, after several other visitations came back and stayed attending faithfully.

One church I attended in my search for a new church didn’t seem too interested in my return. At least that is what I thought. They didn’t have information on what was going on, didn’t have printed signs or posters explaining anything and worse didn’t have the church entrances marked and the front door buzzer/intercom didn’t work and they didn’t seem to see the importance of fixing it. Yet, they did well and the regular attendees seemed to know what to do and where to go. But even they were keeping it a secret.

Another church had “spotters” at the door, who identified us as visitors and handed us a little pamphlet explaining everything about their church and gave us a strong welcome. It was important to them to incorporate us at the level we were when we came in the door. If we were baby Christians we would be nurtured. If we were “mature” in the faith, we’d be incorporated there. It was a nice touch. We can’t expect every Christian we meet to be on our own level. Some zoom right past us in their learning, praying, and open worship. We need to expect and understand that. We also need to be able to confide in other Christians our needs and shortcomings. After all, we are going to church to grow in Gods sight and there is no need to be ashamed or afraid of anyone we meet there.

Those who spend time in God’s House are blessed. Our lives can quickly deteriorate when we stop going to church regularly. Church is a place where we learn important spiritual truths (Micah 4:2).

When we go through difficult times, the church should be the first place we turn. Not only are God’s people a good resource for us, but God himself meets with us and gives us strength and help as we worship and praise Him. I encourage you to be faithful in church attendance.

INSPIRATION: “Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” Psalm 95:6,7. 

Write: croneis@embarqmail.com