The stories I shared this morning from our heritage are some of my favorites. I especially love the B. F. Hall story about the freedom he found when he realized the connection between forgiveness of sins and baptism. Through the years some of that joy became tainted as we failed to stay true to the second half of Thomas Campbell's famous motto: "We are silent where the Bible is silent." When we strayed from our role as proclaimers of good news to become the judges of those who don't understand baptism exactly like us, the doctrine of baptism began to feel more like a burden than a blessing. As we are now rethinking some of our past teachings and practices, I find great encouragement from reading the stories of the frontier preachers and their earliest views on baptism. Truly, they understand that God gave us baptism as a gift that we might know the assurance of salvation. There is no need to struggle and cry out to God hoping that maybe he will forgive us. Rather, we place all our assurance in the atoning blood of Jesus. We are baptized in full assurance of faith that our past is forgiven, our future is assured and with confidence in the Holy Spirit we set forth to live the new life!
2 comments:
I took a lot of pleasure in the idea that Jesus didnt need to be baptized, but he did it any way, because it was the right thing to do. Not because it was required but because it was a gift.
Thinking about our relgious traditions as gifts instead of burdens allows me to focus on why they are so important. Because they mold and shape me to be holy as Christ was holy, even when I think myself unworthy i'm handed this gift of movement from the Spirit who enters into my heart and ignites the flame of change that burns throughout my soul.
I really get that too Tommy. That it wasn't a "requirement" for him either, but it was what was right (righteous) for him to do. It is a very humbling example of how there may be things that we do not "have" to do, but we should do because they are right (lead to righteousness).
Reminds me of what Paul said about how things may be permissible, but not beneficial.
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