I remember driving around downtown Rochester NY and seeing half naked dudes wearing signs on their bodies Announcing our need to “repent” and how close “the end is Near.” I remember scoffing at them and laughing as I drove by. Now,I laugh at myself not because I sit here in my office half naked with a sign on, but because I am about to effectively drape the sign over my neglected Blog.
Yet, I want to drape more than just some overused slogan or unexplained bumper sticker statement. I want to lay out a simple yet explained message of Salvation. The thing is, I see a need as a Pastor who has preached the gospel around the world and across the country to put my thoughts and convictions here. Why? I dunno, maybe because its what I do. So here we go…to the beginning of the Story.
Salvation. The topic itself assumes a crises. It assumes a need. It assumes some plot of heroism. That’s one of the toughest things about this subject and sharing it. It’s especially tough to preach it to a culture in a town that has just about no genuine felt need what so ever. Because, before I show an interest in being Saved I need to be convinced I’m in need of saving. So, I’m going to have to make some Giant Leaps here for the sake of Simplicity. I am going to have to make a Grand Assumption along with Moses and his authoring of Genesis 1. In the future hopefully I’ll be able to tackle this one on another page, but for this one, I need to assume some things.
I need to assume things like the idea that God IS. That that God who IS, made the universe. That God is the God who created this eath and all that is in it, who authored the bible, who created me to be within a relationship with him. I need to assume that his word (the bible) is true and trustworthy. Now, do I have good reasons and educated thinking to back my giant leaps and assumptions? I say a resounding “Yes.” though I want that to be the topic of another page and for the sake of Keeping It Simple Stupid…I want to dive into this page having made and admitted those giant assumptions.
So lets dive into the Grand Story. Its starts like this in Genesis 1…”In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” and then proceeds to describe this amazing creation of God as he creates in 6 literal days this amazing world of light and dark, water and earth, fish and animals. The story then climaxes with this ultimate creation of Mankind. And Man would have his purpose as the Opus of God.
This is the answer to the Age Old Question, “What are we here for?” “Whats my purpose?”
All People were created by God in His Image. People are not the product of Chance, happenstance, or circumstance. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NIV). We were created to reflect God’s being.
All People are created for the purpose of being in a relationship with God. God is relational in nature. We see even in the salvation idea that he is this God with tremendous love and capacity to love. ““For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV) “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV). We even get the visual of God walking regularly with the first people in person in the garden. On the day man first sins, we see God show up for one such walk. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” (Genesis 3:8, NIV)
All people were created for the purpose of Glorifying God and in doing so being blessed in return by Him. That was to be the nature of our relationship with this God in the bible. “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16, NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
And after man was created, when he was living in this relationship with God and fulfilling his purpose the bible tells us that everything was Good. “God made … And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:25, NIV) That Goodness is something I believe we all have a need, and a desire to know. Once it was lost, there was no returning….at least not by any Human abilities. Mankind has searched to re-experience that goodness for thousands of years in his own ways and has found his attempts lacking.
U see, because God is a God of relationship who wanted to create creatures to be in relationship with, He gave people a choice. he didn’t want toy dolls, or play things. He wanted relationship. Relationship can only happen when there are two who choose one another. He chose us, and he wanted us to choose him. So, he gave the option, we can choose Him…or we can choose to say no…no relationship, no trust, no following. He gave us this unique ability to choose him or reject Him. “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”” (Genesis 2:16-17, NIV).
Having offered people that choice, All men, starting with Adam and Eve (and I’d honestly say if they didn’t I probably would have) sinned and fell short of our purpose. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”Romans 3:23 (NIV) “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 (NIV).
And before we make light of sin as our culture, even in christian circles is in the habit of doing we need to realize the gravity of the results of sin. Sin breaks our relationship with God. Our sin effectively is saying to God loudly and clearly i dont want a relationship with you. I want to do life my own way. And God being ever the gentlemen, father, and creator, will back away and remove his presence from us. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
The problem is, he doesn’t do that without warning us of the consequences. Because as He goes, He takes His life sustaining power. He takes his” goodness with Him. And the result is our own death, and separation from God. ” Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—Romans 5:12 (NIV)
Additionally, not only is the result a broken relationship with God but broken relationships with people. Immediately after the first sin, and separation there was the first of many broken relationships to come. Adam and eve blamed each other, they blamed the devil, they blamed God. Already dysfunction set in in families. It is no coincidence that Eves kids would be the first to murder. Because Sin breaks relationships. The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”” Genesis 3:12 (NIV)
Additionally, as a result of sin came a series of Curses. Adam and Eve and Satan…but also our world. Thorns and thistles began. Deterioration and entropy set in motion. Disasters began, tsunami’s, earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods set in motion. Death began impacting the universe and the world. What began as an eternal creation now would have a timer set and an end in sight…an end that only God knows. “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”” Genesis 3:17-19 (NIV) “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Romans 8:22 (NIV)
And the result of all of this is the world we know all to well. It is a world filled with Pain and Despair. A world filled with murder, adultery, deceit, atrocity and longing. It’s a world filled with Hitlers and Stalin types not because “God made it so.” but because people chose it so.” They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:29-32 (NIV)
And because of this, we live in a hard, a broken, a lonely, and a sinful world. One where people fill their lives with greed and depravity of every kind. We live in a world of corruption, depression, War, and loneliness. And though most people especially in America today can’t think of a time where they had a real and genuine physical need…most sense they have an emptiness inside and a genuine need for a relationship with God and a better relationship with people. Most people feel this need. Most see it.
Some people try to find their own way to make peace with God. They explore the world religions, they explore cultural myths, they explore even addictions or their own corrupt hearts. Many do this exploration with the utmost sincerity and desire. Its even culturally popular to pat our fellow man on the back today with and say “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just be sincere. I would submit here that Jeffery Dahmer was sincerely hungry. Some people pursue life saying “I will just be a good person. Some approach life as if they were going to earn a better standing with God by being better than everyone else. “Yet, they come up empty and void of result. Proverbs 16:25 (NIV) “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
The problem is, that because we are now flawed and sinful there is no remedy that we might undertake. There is nothing that can mortal be done. The relationship is broken and only God has the ability, power, and wisdom to offer a solution. The astounding thing is, it would have been in his right to simply leave it at that. He created, he offered his creation relationship, we said “no thanks.” its over. At least it would have been in his right to leave it there. But, he would go way beyond the bounds of his rights completely obliterating them in order to offer a solution.
He is now faced with a dilemma. How does he satisfy His character as God who is a Good, righteous, and holy God who sets a standard of perfection. And how does he satisfy that character while at the same time satisfying His character as a God who is loving, and desires a relationship with us. His solution is the person of Jesus the Savior. As a savior he would take on himself all the punishment and payment for our sin and then in turn provide us with the goodness and love and restored relationship with God he earned.
This is a restoration only God can make. It’s a problem only He can solve. Only He, can be perfectly righteous, and just, and at the same time loving. And he does it through Jesus on the cross.b “who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:4-6 (NIV)
God had to make a way for people to return to Him.”You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
In making the way through Jesus God would show both Justice and Love. He Justly punished our sin by taking the punishment himself in the person of Jesus on the cross. “He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:26 (NIV) “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:10-11 (NIV)
Jesus became the person, The God Man, who is the Way God provides us to restore our relationship with Him.”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NIV). As the gift of God to us He takes the results of our sin away. ”For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV)
This was always the plan that God had in mind. Even from the beginning He planned on bringing us a way back to a relationship with him. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV) If there were any other way that would have worked Jesus would have been unnecessary. There would have been no need for the Passion of the Christ. Yet he came. Jesus, the Immanuel who was God himself among us. He came Jesus, totally a man and capable of taking our place. He came, Jesus living a totally sinless life so he could pay for our sins rather than his own. He came and passionately went to death on a cross in order to pay the price for our sin and bring us back into a new relationship with God. He was our sacrifice. “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NIV) He then rose from the grave proving His ability to overcome sin and death and showing all the world that he did in deed know the way to eternal life with God.
And because I believe this Gospel message. I believe this to be truth from God. I have made it my life’s work to preach and teach this message and the word of God. And because I believe I will one day have to answer for what I did about it and with it, I have also carefully and meticulously studied it, tried to apply it to my life, and find ways to share it with others. I have also taken pains to be careful in the way that I teach others about it.
Jesus told His disciples what to do with all of this and I have tried meticulously to pattern my life and ministry and beliefs after Jesus command to His disciples. I am not willing to leave out or add to it at all. Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV). And so, In my ministry I have sought to teach people this gospel lead them in discipleship as a student of Jesus, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey him, while living in his presence.
I have also made every effort to teach people carefully in how people are to respond to this message of the Gospel. Again God will not force his gift on anyone. He leaves it up to people to respond to it. It’s theirs to receive. I have patterned my teaching after the teaching of the disciples as well. I think Acts 2 is a great place to talk about this. Acts 2 is where the church was born. It wasn’t the signing of a legal document or the christening of some cathedral, but the birth of a living and breathing thing with DNA. The story of Acts 2 is the story of the first people to respond to the message of Jesus as preached by the Apostles. All this miraculous stuff took place, putting God’s sovereign stamp of approval on what was happening and being said. Peter preached about mans sin, their need for forgiveness, Jesus as the messiah. And the text will tell us that thousands of those people who were listening were Cut to the heart and wanted to respond. They asked the logical question. What do we do?
“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:37-38 (NIV)
And in talking about our reception of this Gift of God I want to talk about it in terms of steps on a journey. These are Actions. These are Doing types of things. It’s so popular and prevalent today for preachers to say things like “there is nothing we can do to earn salvation” that many people misinterpret that today to mean there is nothing to do at all. Those very same preachers will have you “raise a hand at a church service, or get our of your seat and come forward at an altar call, or sign your name on a commitment card, or pray a sacred sinners prayer.” Yet peter gives these people a checklist for the journey of sorts. And unlike any of the examples above, Peters “checklist is found in the Bible.” While nothing you can do will earn salvation, yet, there are things God says to do to receive it. These are more like things to do, to tell God you want it…You want Him as Lord, you Want Him as your Savior. This is not to be had with a flippant uninterested want….But you Really want it and are serious about it. Jesus often turned away people who came to him half hearted and I think he did that to teach us and warn us…not to treat salvation that way. And in Acts chapter 2 these people really want it and there is no half heartedness. They are cut to the heart.
And that’s what we see comes first. A belief that cuts deeply. A belief in and faith in not only God but Jesus as His solution and way.”“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV) “What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”” Romans 4:3 (NIV). And one thing about belief. One thing about faith is that its more than some mental gymnastic. Hebrews 11 will describe faith but nowhere does it leave faith as something we think and don’t act on. True faith. Genuine Faith. Asks “What do I do?” Simply agreeing to a few facts is not genuine faith. That’s why peter doesn’t leave it there.
In Acts 2:38 he tells them to repent which is a natural result of faith. Paul talks about sorrow and the way that it can lead to repentance that leads to life. Godly sorrow where you realize you have sin in your life and you decide to turn life around. “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (NIV).
Additionally, we see that these people confessed a belief in Jesus and made him Lord which is a natural result of faith. They told the disciples they believed and wanted to respond. They displayed a desire to obey Jesus. They would get baptized, which in a way is like a visible confession. “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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:41 (NIV)
Additionally, They were commanded to be Baptized, which is an act of obedience, which is a natural result of genuine faith. This has been a sticky topic for many. There seems to haphazard approach to this part of Peters command here in Acts 2 among people today. Baptism has become something “you can do if you want to, when you want to” Yet, we never see that attitude practiced in the bible. It was always something done immediately under normal circumstances. (Acts 16:29-34; Acts 18:24-26; Acts 19:1-5; Acts 22:16). Jesus in His authority commanded His disciple makers to baptism new converts as part of their conversion. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)” Even in Acts 2 3,ooo people were baptized that very day.
Because its such a misunderstood and misrepresented piece of the christian experience I’m going to lay out what I understand and personally teach about it here.
The Greek word for baptism is: “Baptizo.” The definition is: to be Immersed, to be buried in, to be sunken as a ship, to dip, to be put under. The Bible does speak of a spiritual baptism which is God’s part and only God can do. It also speaks of a Baptism that is Our part which is the physical baptism in water by immersion. That’s why I have always baptized people fully in water by immersion rather than sprinkling, pouring etc. It’s the picture we get whenever the physical parts of baptism are described in the bible. ” At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” Mark 1:9-10 (NIV) Baptism this way was practiced by the church for over 400 years until around 400 A.D church leaders decided to include sprinkling.
Even the great leaders of many of the denominations who marginalize baptism today taught that baptism was an essential teaching of the early church and in the New Testament. Martin Luther said, “I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the word imports and the mystery signifies.” John Calvin said, “the word ‘baptize’ signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church.” John Wesley explained “Buried with Him, alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first church.” So, I feel I am in good company not only with the tradition of the book of Act, the apostles, the early church, but even the denominational fathers when teaching about Baptism.
There are all kinds of reasons to Get Baptized as a christian. Some people will understand and know all of them and more before they do it, and some might only understand a bit. In the end, I would encourage anyone who really is serious about following Jesus and receiving salvation to consider the following reasons.
One, to follow the example set by Jesus. Jesus himself was baptized at the very beginning of His ministry. ” At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Mark 1:9 (NIV). He said he was doing it to fulfill all righteousness. ”Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.” Matthew 3:15 (NIV)
Two, because Jesus and the Apostles commanded that we be baptized as His followers. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 (NIV)
Three, Because the early church believed it was important. Clement of Alexandria – 1st century said, “this work is variously called grace, illumination, perfection, and washing. Washing by which we cleanse away our sins, grace by which the penalties of our sins are canceled, illumination by which the holy light of salvation is beheld” Irenaeus (the disciple of John the author of the book of John) in 110 A.D said.,“As we are lepers in sin we are being cleaned from our old transgressions by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the lord we are thus spiritually regenerated as new born infants even as the lord has declared, except a man be born again through water and the spirit he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Justin Martyr 133 A.d said.,“in order that we obtain in water the remission of sins” Tertullian 160 A.D, et al. “It has assuredly been ordained that no one can obtain the knowledge of salvation without baptism.”
In the book of Acts, when someone believed the message, repented and confessed Jesus, they were immediately baptized. We went to respond with the same sense of urgency as the first century church had regarding baptism following a confession of faith.”Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.”Acts 8:35-39 (NIV)
Four, Because baptism has a great deal of spiritual significance. Its a physical picture of what Jesus is spiritually doing in a persons life.It’s a picture of Jesus’ death and resurrection.”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.” Romans 6:4 (NIV) “having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12 (NIV). Its a picture of new birth and a starting point.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” John 3:3-5 (NIV)
Five, Its also important because it reminds us all that we have a common message. We all as Jesus people are to get baptized. there is no one to good for it, no one to bad for it. We are all humbled before him, and obedient in a watery grave. Its somthing we are to all have in common. ” I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)
So who then should be baptized? The answer, All of those who believe and have repented. “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16 (NIV).
When should a person be baptized? I would say as soon as you can. That’s what we see in the bible. People who responded to the gospel were always baptized immediately. “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:41 (NIV) “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.” Acts 16:31-34 (NIV)
And so the decision is in each persons heart and hands when it comes to salvation. It is up to every person to believe, repent, confess and be baptized calling on the name of the lord. Then it is up to them to learn and grow as a disciple learning his ways and his word. All are welcome to receive the gift of God. All that’s left is for every man to decide in his heart to follow and receive that Gift that Jesus has to offer.
It is my prayer for all men that all would accept Christ and all would be saved from eternal death and hell. It is my prayer that all would take Him and His word seriously and follow him accordingly. It is my prayer that at the end of my days I will be able to look back on a life and ministry served well where I preached the gospel of this salvation with integrity and love. It is my prayer that I will one day see people in heaven who walked with Jesus because of the work Jesus grace allowed me to do.
