Ridgell's Originals

I appreciate my heritage in the Churches of Christ.  One of the things I appreciate is our emphasis on baptism.  But having said that, I feel the need to apologize for what and how we have taught about it.  I know my reflections may not be accurate for all churches of Christ.  And I am aware that some will not agree with me.  So let me say I am apologizing for how I perceive we have been wrong on baptism.  These are my thoughts.

I am sorry that we sometimes rushed past talking about Jesus to focus on baptism.  We really got the cart before the horse.  We baptized almost all the kids raised in our fellowship.  An awful lot of them never found Jesus.  Salvation is about Jesus, not about baptism.  How you respond to a gift is not the same as the gift.

I apologize if we ever communicated that baptism was just one of a series of steps to be checked off of a list.  Baptism is so much more than that.  It is being crucified with Christ and raised to new life.  Sometimes it was not that we thought too much of baptism, it was that we thought too little. It is not a just a step in a checklist.

I wish that we never gave the impression we were the only ones linking baptism, Jesus, and salvation.  The church has doing that since Pentecost.  The idea that baptism is not connected to salvation is a relatively new idea.  It is not as if everyone was wrong for centuries and we suddenly discovered the importance of baptism.  There was no black hole where baptism disappeared between the New Testament and the 1800's.  Baptism, Jesus, and salvation have been linked for a long, long time.

We should never have given the impression that baptism was just about forgiveness of sins.  We sometimes sounded as if baptism was just a cause and effect action.  Baptism is a where we are united with Jesus.  It is a relationship.  That relationship involves forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and life in the body together.  So much bigger than just forgiveness of sins.

I am sorry if we ever made baptism the basis of judging others.  I believe God is the judge.  If he saves every non-baptized believer I will be thrilled.  But that is his call, not mine.  So I won't tell you that you are going to hell if you are not baptized.

And I apologize if we ever gave the impression it does not matter if you are baptized or not. As if baptism was a Church of Christ requirement but it is fine if your church has a different requirement to respond to Jesus. Baptism does matter.  To all of us.  Not just the Church of Christ.

So am I apologizing for that whole "only members of the Church of Christ going to heaven" thing?  I apologize for that attitude.  I am sorry somehow we acted as if no one but us connected baptism and salvation.  But if you asking me to be judgmental and assure non-baptized people they are saved, then I won't go there.  I will not give assurances that I do not hear God giving.  But of course there have been lots of groups baptizing people into a relationship with Christ.  Not just us.  Body of Christ only?  Yes.  church of Christ?  Yes.  Church of Christ?  No.  

But I am sorry if we ever gave the impression that baptism is on the same level with how the church is organized or how it worships.  (As if the Church of Christ had organization and worship exactly right.  We don't.  Never have.)  Responding to Jesus is much more important than how believers fellowship or worship.  Getting into a relationship with Jesus is much different than how that relationship functions.

And I am sorry about those inane arguments about the person who dies on the way to the baptistery, who can't get in the water, who can't find water, who are just about to decide but die first, who never hear about baptism, etc.  God will handle every situation you can conjure up in a way that is right and just.  My opinion is not binding on God.  Yours is not either.  He will handle every one of those.

So...

I will tell people that Jesus died for our sins so we can be in relationship with God.

If they want that life, they will die with Jesus and be raised to new life with him.

The Bible calls that baptism.

Sorry if we did not make both of those clear.