My
Decision
(An chapter from CAN I GET A WITNESS)
Becoming
a Christian was the best decision that I have ever made in my life. I want to
show the dynamics of my conversion. Everybody’s decision of faith comes about
differently but I am sure there are also similarities.
First
and foremost I was convinced that Jesus Christ was the Son Of God. This
conviction came solely from the reading of the Bible, in particular the New
Testament. In fact I hadn’t even read the Old Testament when I was baptized. My
friend Frank always liked to rave about a book he read called, “Lord, Lunatic
or Liar.” I never read it but Frank may have given me a copy of it. The basic
premise of the book is that if you dissect Jesus’ words there are only three
conclusions that you can come to. That he is either the Lord or a lunatic or a
liar. I believed He was the Lord.
Secondly
Frank’s Bible studies taught me the plan of salvation at least in a primitive
form. The study he shared with me was something he developed as an offshoot
from his experience with the International Church of Christ. I can’t remember
much of it. However I did discover a study when I was searching in the
basement. I had to laugh at the simplicity. The study presented a scripture and
then there was a question regarding the scriptures. Then four answers were
presented making it multiple choice test. I recall reading a question, “When
the Eunuch heard the gospel how did he respond?” One of the answers was to say
the sinner’s prayer, another was of course baptism.
Frank
also used the book of Joshua to help me understand the nature of the gospel. It
just so happened that we were studying the book of Joshua in Bible study at the
time. In particular we talked about the walls of Jericho falling. God gave
Israel what seemed to be some outrageous and illogical commands. They were to
silently walk around the city day after day and then on the final day shout.
Israel obeyed God’s command and they were successful. The principle is that if
God commands you to do it then we are to obey, even though it doesn’t make
sense. So getting immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of
the Holy Spirit, (Acts 2:38) might not make sense to us but it is what the
Bible teaches. Now I understand that at baptism we join Jesus on the cross and
the blood washes us from our sins, Romans 6. (We will look at this in depth
using scriptures.)
Thirdly
I had a lot of people who were great Christian influences in my life. They were
warm and accepting and showed me genuine Love. I cannot overemphasize the
importance of this. If the Love wasn’t present I may not have accepted Christ.
I
had announced to Frank that I had planned to hitchhike across the country. So
what he did was teach two studies on one night. I believe it was a Thursday. As
a result of the studies I was convicted that I needed to get baptized. My
motivation was to get my business right with God and to do what He wanted in my
life. I remember driving to Patty’s apartment who was Frank’s girlfriend at the
time. I was praying with all my might that I wouldn’t die along the way. When I
got to Patty’s the bathtub was full of water waiting for me. I was baptized.
Frank
said something to the effect, “When you got baptized you shoulder wasn’t under
but it doesn’t matter.” This statement always pricked at my heart from time to
time. I certainly didn’t believe I wasn’t a Christian. My life had drastically
changed for the better. However from time to time, the devil would torment me
with those haunting words. Then I said to myself, ‘why are you being so
foolish?’ I simply went into the water once more making sure I was completely
buried in the water. Now all doubt is settled in my mind about my baptism.
Three
important things happen at baptism. As we mentioned before one’s sins are
forgiven and the new Christian receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38.
The third is that the person is reborn and enters the kingdom of heaven, or the
Church of Christ. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God,” John 3:5. No matter what the age of the Christian
they are a babe in Christ spiritually immature.
Babies of course must be treated
with special care. If ever a Christian needed the love and the support of the
congregation after baptism is the moment. The presence of a young Christian
should make us use our tongue with care, especially when talking about others
and church problems. A new Christina needs to be fed with milk and not meat.
The Bible in Hebrews 6:1-2 defines what milk is. “Therefore leaving the principles of the
doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of
the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the
dead, and of eternal judgment.”
Even if
you do your best to help a new Christian some are going to leave the faith, it
is what scripture teaches. Luke 8 depicts the conversion process as planting
seeds in four different soils. The first seed lands on the way side and there
is no conversion. That is the person who doesn’t believe. The second falls on
the rock. These people start to grow but have no root. They eventually fall
away. The third group falls among thorns. These grow but are eventually choked
by the cares and riches and pleasures in life. Only the last group consisting
of those with a ‘good and honest heart’ hears the word and keeps it bringing
fruit, so based on that if one out of three people remain faithful you are
doing well.
Mind you
that it is not your position to determine who is a genuine Christian and who is
going to fall away. Some of the strongest Christians I know had a shaky start in
their faith. Personally, several months after my baptism, I was committed to a
psychiatric hospital. I am very glad not everybody gave up on me. Also you have
to understand that not everybody in the church is a genuine Christian. Mathew
13 depicts the ‘kingdom of heaven’ as being full of wheat and tares. The wheat
is the children of God and the tares are the children of the devil. Over time
it may become evident as to which member is wheat and which member is a tare.
People are known by their fruit. So we can go to Galatians chapter 5 and see
the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Those who do evil are for
the devil and those who do good are for God. But we are not to judge, that is Jesus
job. We don’t know the heart. The parable of the ‘wheat and tares’ commands us
to let them grow together. At the harvest, or Judgment Day they will be
separated. The reason giving is that if we pull up some tares we might
inadvertently pull up some wheat in the process. Also when wheat and tares are
young they are indistinguishable in appearance when compared to the wheat. Best
policy is Love everybody and hope for the best.
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