Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Baptism...
Baptism. It is one of the things that most defines us as a fellowship. And I think we have gotten it right.
OK, let me get the out of the way the things we have not done well on baptism. Sometimes our practice made it seem as if was a work we had to do to get to heaven. Sometimes it became such a focus that many of our children did it because everyone else did, or they wanted everyone off their back, or it was just something you did if your were raised "Church of Christ".
We probably emphasized forgiveness of sins so much that we neglected the gift of the Holy Spirit. The five step plan of salvation many of us grew up on was horrible. It fostered the idea of baptism as a "step" instead of a commitment. And I still cringe when we baptize children so young they cannot even sit thru worship.
In spite of all that, we in the churches of Christ got it right. The idea that you could be a Christian without baptism is a relatively recent doctrine that primarily took root in the United States. For centuries that would not have even been considered. We continued to hold baptism as the response of faith for someone who was lost.
I am so pleased that it is our fellowship even today leading the way on emphasizing the place of baptism as sharing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We are using the terminology of dying and being crucified with Christ. We have held to the practice of immersion, which I believe is the New Testament pattern.
We are helping to mold evangelical thought on this subject. More and more community and evangelical churches are moving to a position of baptism very similar to what we have taught. We are a position to help them see God's teaching on this.
It will be incredibly ironic if, in our rush to not seem exclusive, we abandon our traditional position on baptism. How tragic if the evangelical world moves closer and closer to a strong position on baptism while we move away from it. I do wonder if that is where we are headed. I hear preachers who say they personally believe it is essential, but if you don't see it that way, we are still brothers.
Personally, I hope God saves those who are not baptized. He is God and he can save anyone he wants. And I would spend more time talking to other believers about unity and less time reading the Scriptures, I could even teach that. But I don't see where God says that. So I am first obligated to speak what I think God said in his word. Not what I think he must mean.
And baptism is different than other doctrinal issues. It is fundamental to the gospel. It is how we are crucified with Christ. Most doctrinal disagreements come under the description of family arguments. This one is about how you become a member of the family.
I still count the day I baptized my children (and my son in law) as the happiest days of my life. Not because they became members of the "Church of Christ", but because they committed their lives to Jesus and were crucified, buried, and raised to new life. I am thankful for those who have gone before me and helped shape my thinking on this.
Two last thoughts: those evangelical churches who are now baptizing non-believers are my brothers and sisters in the Lord. Second, if we abandon this core teaching...we will not exist as a fellowship in just a few years. But there will be the family of God and they will be baptizing new converts. Just as they did in Acts. It will be a shame if it is not us.
Your thoughts are welcome.
OK, let me get the out of the way the things we have not done well on baptism. Sometimes our practice made it seem as if was a work we had to do to get to heaven. Sometimes it became such a focus that many of our children did it because everyone else did, or they wanted everyone off their back, or it was just something you did if your were raised "Church of Christ".
We probably emphasized forgiveness of sins so much that we neglected the gift of the Holy Spirit. The five step plan of salvation many of us grew up on was horrible. It fostered the idea of baptism as a "step" instead of a commitment. And I still cringe when we baptize children so young they cannot even sit thru worship.
In spite of all that, we in the churches of Christ got it right. The idea that you could be a Christian without baptism is a relatively recent doctrine that primarily took root in the United States. For centuries that would not have even been considered. We continued to hold baptism as the response of faith for someone who was lost.
I am so pleased that it is our fellowship even today leading the way on emphasizing the place of baptism as sharing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. We are using the terminology of dying and being crucified with Christ. We have held to the practice of immersion, which I believe is the New Testament pattern.
We are helping to mold evangelical thought on this subject. More and more community and evangelical churches are moving to a position of baptism very similar to what we have taught. We are a position to help them see God's teaching on this.
It will be incredibly ironic if, in our rush to not seem exclusive, we abandon our traditional position on baptism. How tragic if the evangelical world moves closer and closer to a strong position on baptism while we move away from it. I do wonder if that is where we are headed. I hear preachers who say they personally believe it is essential, but if you don't see it that way, we are still brothers.
Personally, I hope God saves those who are not baptized. He is God and he can save anyone he wants. And I would spend more time talking to other believers about unity and less time reading the Scriptures, I could even teach that. But I don't see where God says that. So I am first obligated to speak what I think God said in his word. Not what I think he must mean.
And baptism is different than other doctrinal issues. It is fundamental to the gospel. It is how we are crucified with Christ. Most doctrinal disagreements come under the description of family arguments. This one is about how you become a member of the family.
I still count the day I baptized my children (and my son in law) as the happiest days of my life. Not because they became members of the "Church of Christ", but because they committed their lives to Jesus and were crucified, buried, and raised to new life. I am thankful for those who have gone before me and helped shape my thinking on this.
Two last thoughts: those evangelical churches who are now baptizing non-believers are my brothers and sisters in the Lord. Second, if we abandon this core teaching...we will not exist as a fellowship in just a few years. But there will be the family of God and they will be baptizing new converts. Just as they did in Acts. It will be a shame if it is not us.
Your thoughts are welcome.
