Don’t miss the point…

I was part of a discussion recently in which we were speaking of baptism. When you get a group of baptists together and start talking baptism, the conversation always seems to get to Romans 6, in particular verses 3-5:

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

My dear baptist brethren(it’s okay if I pick on them, I am one) love to take these verses and start proof texting believer’s baptism by immersion. Not only that, as we continued, and I think many people make this mistake, as we went on through verse 11, it seemed that what we we’re being told is that the resurrection that Paul is talking about is our resurrection from the dead at the end of the age, or our “going to heaven”.

In my estimation, this is a horrible, and dangerous misunderstanding of the text. While I believe that we do see an apt description of what baptism is, and an illustration of how it was and should be done, I don’t believe that is the point Paul was here trying to make. Paul’s main point here, and throughout Romans 6, is the “newness of life”(v.4) we have in Christ. Yes we do hope in the resurrection, and we do have that hope because as Christ was raised from the dead, we too can look forward to the day when we too will rise. (1 Cor. 15:20-23) The “newness of life” Paul is talking about here though, is now. Paul is here, and throughout Romans 6 talking about the “new birth” Jesus refers to in John 3. Paul himself also refers to this in 1 Corinthians 5:14-17:

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

You see my friends? Our newness of life starts at the new birth. When Christ saved(saves) us, we are new creations then and there. If we’re all sitting around, waiting for Christ to come back, or for the rapture, or whatever your eschatology leads you to believe, then you are missing it. Right now you are a new creation. You have already died with Christ. The death Paul speaks of isn’t our physical death at the end of our lives, he is speaking in Romans 6 of our deaths to ourselves. He is speaking of our being “dead to sin” and “alive to God”(v.11)

Context is so important. Before telling others what a passage is talking about…Read the entire passage, read the chapter, read the book, cross-reference, but don’t miss the point. This is such a crucial passage in the book of Romans, if you miss this point, you miss so much, maybe even the entire point of the book. I believe Romans is really Paul’s understanding of the Gospel, and how that works itself out in our lives. If you think the Bible, and the Gospel is all about some future time when we are going to leave earth and go to heaven…You are missing out, you are missing the point.

The Gospel is now. You must live the Gospel in your life. You must not only know the Gospel, you must “BE” the Gospel. Allow the “newness” of life that Christ has already given you to overwhelm you. That is what Romans 6 is saying…Please don’t miss the point.

There is no escape…

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
(Psalm 139:7-12 ESV)

As I was meditating on Psalm 139, these verses struck me. As a child of God, it ought to be such a joy and a comfort to know that there is no place we can go that is away from the presence of God. I think generally we all know this in principle, or have a general head knowledge that this is true, yet I don’t know that we live as if it is. If we do get it, I don’t know that we actually take joy in it. I think there are times where we wish we could escape the presence of an all knowing God.(yes that sentence is a bit ridiculous, but aren’t we ridiculous sometimes in our walk with God?)

Many times I think we want to “make our bed in Sheol”. Even if it isn’t a conscious decision on our part to do that, that is precisely where we’ve ended up! The great thing though, is that even in that place, God is there. Many times in our walks with God, we’ve tried to flee as far away from God as we could. God would not allow that to happen. Many times we try to hide in the darkness, so that others cannot see our sin. Yet there, God is still present. Not only is He there, He is not hindered, for “even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” Many times I think it is in these periods of darkness, or our periods of trying to flee from the presence of God that His light shines the brightest, as He draws us back, and even closer to Him.

God’s presence, God’s love, God’s grace, isn’t a burden. It shouldn’t scare us, it should bring us joy. We should delight in it! How do we not find joy in the fact that God is holding us, God is caring for us, God is loving us?!?!

Stop fleeing from God, stop trying to hide from God, perhaps I should even say, stop trying to make God love you. If you are His, he already does, and He is with you right where you are. Receive Him… Receive His love. Let Him hold you, let Him lay His hand upon you(v.5)…

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
(Psalm 139:13-18 ESV)

I think Keller just nailed me…

I’m currently reading Timothy Kellers, “Counterfeit Gods.” Wonderful, convicting, and challenging book. I was reading tonight and the following passages really stuck out to me as he began discussing the idols that many Christians and Christian communities have set up, and the damage it has and is doing. You can find it on pages 131-133 in the book.

“An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake. The sign that you have slipped into this form of self-justification is that you become what the book of Proverbs calls a “scoffer.” Scoffers always show contempt and disdain for opponents rather than graciousness. This is a sign that they do not see themselves as sinners saved by grace. Instead, their trust in the rightness of their views makes them feel superior…

Wow, I think Keller nailed me. I like to think I don’t have this issue, but when I search myself and am really honest with myself, there are many times that the above passage here sums me up quite well. Forgive me Lord, I am indeed a sinner, in need of Your grace.

“…the Enlightenment abandoned religious orthodoxy and put in God’s place things like the American system or individual self-fulfillment. The results have not been good. Putting Nation in place of God leads to cultural imperialism, and putting Self in the place of God leads to many of the dysfunctional dynamics we have discussed throughout this book. Why did our culture largely abandon God as its hope? I believe it was because our religious communities have been and continue to be filled with these false gods. Making an idol out of doctrinal accuracy, ministry success, or moral rectitude leads to constant internal conflict, arrogance and self-righteousness, and oppression of those whose views differ. These toxic effects of religious idolatry have led to widespread disaffection with religion in general and Christianity in particular. Thinking we have tried God, we have turned to other Hope, with devastating consequences.”

Again, I think Keller nailed me, and many people I know. Certainly a need for much repentance within the Church…

I encourage everyone, especially Christian leaders to go out and get this book.