How Important Is Baptism?

I responded to two email questions this morning about the meaning and purpose of Christian baptism. I took some time to respond to the questions. It is not new that people are asking these questions, but in the past decade, more people with a background emphasizing the restoration of the New Testament Church are asking these questions. The questions and my responses follow.

In response to your first question: "Is it your own belief that salvation is through Christ alone or does a person have to add to what Christ has done for us to receive salvation?"

Absolutely not. The first five chapters of the book of Romans are very clear that faith in Christ is the essential element, not law keeping. Not works. Not human effort. That is made very clear in Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

We cannot add to what Christ has already done.

The question comes when we consider our response to the unmerited saving grace of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to search the Scripture for the response of people who heard the Gospel proclaimed. You will not find even one example or instruction for people say a prayer to invite Jesus into their heart, sign a card, walk down an aisle, say the sinner's prayer or come to an altar to pray through.

These responses, actions, or activities are very common in churches across America and around the world. Even in churches that strive to obey the Gospel message. They are common, accepted and defended, even though they cannot be supported by the clear example and teaching of Scripture.

Wayne Jackson has written a very detailed article describing responses to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the book of Acts. You may find his research at  https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1277-conversions-in-acts.

Your second question was: Is baptism more than an act of obedience?

Let's note first a teaching of Jesus from Mark 16:15-16
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Jesus himself tells us that baptism is connected to salvation. He stresses the absolute necessity of faith, "Whoever believes", and then the Master himself tells us "and is baptized will be saved."

His Apostle, Peter, helps us to understand the connection in the very first proclamation of the Gospel in Act 2. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he tells a crowd who have asked how to be saved:

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)

Jesus tells us that when we believe and are baptized we "will be saved." Peter expands on that telling us that when we repent (repentance is just as essential to salvation as faith and immersion) and are baptized two things happen. We experience "the forgiveness of sins" and we "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." To claim that one is saved before baptism is to say that one is saved without the forgiveness of sins.

Peter makes it very clear that Christian immersion is much more than an act of obedience. Of course, Jesus commanded baptism (See Matthew 28:19-20), but it is so much more than "the outward sign of an inward act."

This connection was made clear to Saul of Tarsus after his encounter with the Risen Christ. Acts 9 tells us that for three days Saul fasted and prayed. That was certainly enough time to “pray through,” say the sinner’s prayer or invite Jesus into his heart. And yet, when Ananias arrived, he did not suggest any of those activities endorsed by so many Christian teachers. Please note the instruction, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that Saul was obedient to:
“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16)

Here were learn that in baptism we wash away our sins. Some will want to connect washing of sins with calling on the name of Jesus. Such a connection does not bear the scrutiny of good sentence structure or common sense. Calling does not wash. Immersion in water washes. The connection is clear.

The idea is illuminated further by 1 Peter 3:21:
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Peter recalls how Noah and his family were saved by water of the Great Flood of Genesis. He says the flood water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also. He makes it clear that this washing of water is not about the removal of dirt, but is instead about our relationship with God. We are given the pledge of a clear conscience. We are not saved by our action. We are not saved by a good work. We are not saved by our effort. Instead, it (baptism) saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We are offered an explanation of the connection of baptism and the forgiveness of sins in Romans 6:3-5:
"Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.
"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his."

Those who claim that baptism is only a symbol or merely an act of obedience must either ignore or explain away this very clear teaching. Verse 5 says: we have been united with him in a death like his. The very clear teaching is that we are united with Christ in baptism. We are united in his death, his burial (v. 4) and his resurrection (we too may live a new life.)

Because Jesus alone is our way of Salvation (John 14:6), we must be united to him. We learn in Romans 6 that we are united with Christ in baptism.

This understanding of the passage is supported by
Galatians 3:27 “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

To be clothed is to be surrounded by. We are inside our clothes. This teaches us that baptism brings us into a very intimate relationship with Christ. To say that we are saved before baptism is to say that we are saved before we are united with or brought into a relationship with Christ.

The clear teaching of the Bible is that, in Christian baptism, we are clothed in Christ, united with Christ, washed in his blood (Ephesians 5:26), and are forgiven our sins.

To summarize my response to your questions: We cannot add to what Christ has done to save us from our sin. However, we must respond to the Gospel message. The clear teaching of the New Testament is that the early believers did not say a prayer to invite Jesus into their hearts. They heard the Gospel message, responded in faith, repented of their sins and were baptized.

I am happy to continue the conversation if you choose. Thank you for this opportunity to share my understanding of Scripture.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

The Fort Wayne Police Department issued pagers to 8 new Police Chaplains last week. We now have 13 Chaplains in a rotation for call out to incidents such as auto fatalities, murders and homicides.

There are some really good things about the new system. Our new Chaplains will gain experience that will help them in their work with officers. They will often work side by side with officers. The end result will be that we will provide better ministry to the men and women of the FWPD.

As an added bonus – I will be sleeping through the night more often.

Stretcher Bearers

It’s hard for me to imagine. Although I have witnessed it repeatedly, it is hard for me to visualize myself in the situation. It happens too often, and too often I don’t have a good solution.

As a Police Chaplain I am frequently called to a home, workplace or accident scene where someone has unexpectedly died. Sometimes I have to tell a surviving family member what happened.

It is always painful duty. Sometimes the difficult gets harder.

I always ask if I can phone a minister or someone from the survivor’s church to come be with him or her. I haven’t kept a record, but it seems like about 70% of the time, there is absolutely no church connection.

We also want to help contact another family member or friend to be with them before we leave. Usually someone can be there in a few minutes. But there are those occasions when the survivor has no one to call.

I remember one woman in her late 20’s who had no one to call when I told her that her father died several states away. The lieutenant who was with me and I both offered to stay as long as she wanted, but she refused. She asked us to leave.

Another time I told a woman her grown son had committed suicide in another state. She told me she had recently moved to the area. She had no family within four hours, no friends and didn’t know anyone in her apartment complex. She finally phoned a friend from work who did not arrive for 45 minutes.

Reflecting on that caused me to recall Michael Slater’s book Becoming a Stretcher Bearer, published in 1989 by Gospel Light Publishing. The idea of the book is based on an event from the life of Jesus.

“Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.” (Luke 5:18-19)

The paralyzed man was carried by friends to Jesus. They were good enough friends to understand his needs and find a way to meet them.

We don’t know how many there were, but Mr. Slater assumes four; one for each corner of the stretcher. Mr. Slater then asks two probing questions. Who can you trust to carry your stretcher? Whose stretcher are you carrying?

If something happened, if a Chaplain knocked on your door, if you lost your job, if your house flooded, if you were diagnosed with a terrible disease – who could you call to carry your stretcher?

The best way to develop those relationships is to carry someone else’s stretcher.

Sounds in the Night

What bliss! Sleep. The blessed joy of sleep. At 10:30 PM I was fast asleep.

At 10:58 my pager sounded. I haven’t had this pager for very long and we are not used to the sound it makes yet. Donna asked what it was. When I figured it out, I told her it was the police department.

There had been a single car accident at I-69 and I-469. The driver was alone and critically injured. I went to the scene.

There wasn’t much for me to do. I talked to officers who were blocking traffic. I tried to stay out of the way.

Before leaving, I phoned the hospital Chaplain to see if I could help there. The answer was, yes, I could help. They needed help finding a next of kin.

I found a police sergeant and we went looking. We knocked on the door of the victim. No one there. We tried a neighbor’s house. Now it was 1:00 AM. He was kind, but didn’t know much – except that the neighbor on the other side worked with the injured man.

The co-worker gave us the name of an ex-wife and we were off to New Haven. We told the mother of his children and she was off to the hospital.

Our good deed done.

I am increasing impressed with the men and women of the Fort Wayne Police Department. Two officers went out of their way and out of their jurisdiction to be kind. We were not doing a death notification. Most police agencies would deliver the message of an injury over the phone. But these people went out of their way trying to make a difficult situation a little easier to bear.

So I went home. Back in bed about 2:30. I was instantly asleep. Bliss!

Donna asked, “What is that?” I said, “It’s my pager.” She said, “I thought you already got up.” I responded, “I did. Now it’s 5:30 and a pedestrian was hit on Reed Road.” So I was up and getting dressed again.

After a stop for coffee, I went under the tape again. Talking to officers and trying to stay out of the way. I talked with the driver of the car. I listened to his story. Telling our stories is always important. I prayed with him before he was transported to the hospital for a blood draw.

Once again, it took some time to identify the deceased woman. We are so careful.

And again, some people said they knew who she was, but the coroner’s investigator had to be sure. Eventually, we went to see a relative and confirmed what the grapevine had already told him.

There was another break from 8:30 to 13:00 (1:00 PM.) I don’t usually go to the scene of a natural death, but I heard about one on my police radio and it was just a few blocks away from where I had lunch – so I went.

I gave the surviving mother a copy of a little booklet I developed that is packed with helpful information and phone numbers. I prayed with her. I held her hand and listened as she cried for her grown son.

The rest of the day was productive. I visited with people, made phone calls, planned and prepared.

Two pages in the night is unusual. Three responses in one day is rare. Did anyone check the cycle of the moon today?

Just by Looking

Another human life was senselessly taken in a downtown neighborhood about 3:00 PM Friday. I was near the scene where a man lay dead in the grass between two houses shortly after the report was first called in. I was not inside the inner perimeter, but I was close enough to talk to uniformed officers and detectives who were working the scene.

They were interviewing everyone they could find who had seen or heard anything. They were told about a car that was green, or maybe gray, seen leaving the area. Someone heard loud pops. Someone else saw something. Like working a jigsaw puzzle, the detectives labor to put the pieces together.

One of the missing pieces was the identity of the deceased.

They are very particular about this piece of the puzzle. You might remember that earlier this year one blond white female was mistake for another blond white female following a tragic highway accident. One survived; one did not. It was heartbreaking.

The Sunday morning paper noted that the man killed Friday still had not been identified.

Sure, there were people who said, “Yea, I know him.” “I’ve seen him around.” “I can tell you who he hangs with.”

But identity of the deceased is too important to leave to guess work, supposition or hearsay. They have to be sure. Very sure. Absolutely positive.

I’d like to know. The detectives want to know. The coroner wants to know. But we wait. We don’t guess. This is essential information.

Who are you?

Have you asked lately? Have you wondered? Are you satisfied with the answer?

Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure of your identity? What is the source of your information? Are you confident of the source?

Please answer the question for me. I’d like to hear from you.

cameraandradar@yahoo.com

The Inside Man

I was invited in last night.

Not in from the cold or into a popular night spot. A police captain invited me inside the yellow tape stretched across the intersection at Sherbourne and Vance where a man barricaded himself inside a house.

Next I was invited by a police sergeant to sit in the mini-van where the father of the barricaded man was sitting. It was hot. It was 12:30 in the morning. It was strange. It was confusing.

I invited myself to try to help him understand what was happening. I told him I knew the officers involved. They did not want to hurt his son, they wanted to help him. (I didn’t mention that they wanted to help him into a matching set of shiny bracelets.)

It was exciting to be on the inside when others were kept out. Kept out of the yellow tape. Out of the privacy (and air conditioning) of the mini-van. I was on the inside figuratively because I know something about police officers and police procedures.

As a Christian, I even had an inside connection with God. *

I was in the right place at the right time. I had all the right answers to his concerns.

With all my inside connections, he still kept me out. My explanations were rebutted; my answers were rejected; my attempts to pacify him only stirred his impatience.

So I did what my training and experience told me to do. I listened. I offered a few words acknowledging his difficulty and offering my sympathy. And I listened.

I suppose that is usually why we are invited in. Into someone’s circle of friends or someone’s home or someone’s heart. To listen, to acknowledge the pain, to sympathize. When you and I are all invited in it is usually because we care.

* 1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

The Inside Man

I was invited in last night.

Not in from the cold or into a popular night spot. A police captain invited me inside the yellow tape stretched across the intersection at Sherbourne and Vance where a man barricaded himself inside a house.

Next I was invited by a police sergeant to sit in the mini-van where the father of the barricaded man was sitting. It was hot. It was 12:30 in the morning. It was strange. It was confusing.

I invited myself to try to help him understand what was happening. I told him I knew the officers involved. They did not want to hurt his son, they wanted to help him. (I didn’t mention that they wanted to help him into a matching set of shiny bracelets.)

It was exciting to be on the inside when others were kept out. Kept out of the yellow tape. Out of the privacy (and air conditioning) of the mini-van. I was on the inside figuratively because I know something about police officers and police procedures.

As a Christian, I even had an inside connection with God. *

I was in the right place at the right time. I had all the right answers to his concerns.

With all my inside connections, he still kept me out. My explanations were rebutted; my answers were rejected; my attempts to pacify him only stirred his impatience.

So I did what my training and experience told me to do. I listened. I offered a few words acknowledging his difficulty and offering my sympathy. And I listened.

I suppose that is usually why we are invited in. Into someone’s circle of friends or someone’s home or someone’s heart. To listen, to acknowledge the pain, to sympathize. When you and I are all invited in it is usually because we care.

* 1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

The Inside Man

I was invited in last night.

Not in from the cold or into a popular night spot. A police captain invited me inside the yellow tape stretched across the intersection at Sherbourne and Vance where a man barricaded himself inside a house.

Next I was invited by a police sergeant to sit in the mini-van where the father of the barricaded man was sitting. It was hot. It was 12:30 in the morning. It was strange. It was confusing.

I invited myself to try to help him understand what was happening. I told him I knew the officers involved. They did not want to hurt his son, they wanted to help him. (I didn’t mention that they wanted to help into a matching set of shiny bracelets.)

It was exciting to be on the inside when others were kept out. Kept out of the yellow tape. Out of the privacy (and air conditioning) of the mini-van. I was on the inside figuratively because I know something about police officers and police procedures.

As a Christian, I even had an inside connection with God. *

I was in the right place at the right time. I had all the right answers to his concerns.

With all my inside connections, he still kept me out. My explanations were rebutted; my answers were rejected; my attempts to pacify him only stirred his impatience.

So I did what my training and experience told me to do. I listened. I offered a few words acknowledging his difficulty and offering my sympathy. And I listened.

I suppose that is usually why we are invited in. Into someone’s circle of friends or someone’s home or someone’s heart. To listen, to acknowledge the pain, to sympathize. When you and I are all invited in it is usually because we care.

* 1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Some Fun Stuff

Today I got to do one of the fun things a law enforcement Chaplain gets to do. I saw a healthy baby!

A police department employee is a new mother and I went to the hospital to see mom, dad and the baby. He is a healthy boy who is eating and sleeping.

I went to pray. I prayed for the mother’s recovery. I prayed for the dad to have wisdom. I prayed for the baby to grow up healthy and strong and close to Jesus.

I went to demonstrate to the new parents that the Chaplain genuinely cares about them.

I also went for me. I try not to miss any opportunity. I want to make the best of every moment as a Chaplain, as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as a follower of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to miss anything.

However, being able to do something lighthearted with lots of smiles is a little bit rare for police Chaplains. Much of what we do involves people who are frustrated, sad, in pain or dead. So I made the most of fussing over a healthy baby!

It was part of being obedient to the instruction of Ephesians 5:15-16:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Some Fun Stuff

Today I got to do one of the fun things a law enforcement Chaplain gets to do. I saw a healthy baby!

A police department employee is a new mother and I went to the hospital to see mom, dad and the baby. He is a healthy boy who is eating and sleeping.

I went to pray. I prayed for the mother’s recovery. I prayed for the dad to have wisdom. I prayed for the baby to grow up healthy and strong and close to Jesus.

I went to demonstrate to the new parents that the Chaplain genuinely cares about them.

I also went for me. I try not to miss any opportunity. I want to make the best of every moment as a Chaplain, as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as a follower of Jesus Christ I don’t want to miss anything.

However, being able to do something lighthearted with lots of smiles is a little bit rare for police Chaplains. Much of what we do involves people who are frustrated, sad, in pain or dead. So I made the most of fussing over a healthy baby!

It was part of being obedient to the instruction of Ephesians 5:15-16:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.