Scripture

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized 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, NASB

Quote

Truth will always make demands, and grace will always be there to meet them.

~Watchman Nee

Practically everyday in my reading, I scribble NTAT in the margin. It means, “Never thought about this.” The other day, I had some thoughts that I have never had before. We all know that there is a denomination that uses Acts 2:38 as the basis of their theology or gospel which is not really a gospel because it is laced with pride and human achievement. You might fault Peter for starting this sect. Why did he not simply say “Repent.” Jesus said, “Repent or perish.” He did not mention baptism, so why did Peter put baptism with repentance? Because John the Baptist linked the two together. Baptism is not a part of regeneration; it is the first step in sanctification.

Josh baptized four young men two Sundays ago and with each baptism, the congregation stood and applauded. It was not that way in Peter’s day. Being baptized in Jesus name could mean persecution. The bible says in Acts that many of the priest became believers: what do you think happened to the priest or one of the members of the Sanhedrin like Nicodemus when they followed the LORD in believers baptism? They were ostracized immediately. They not only lost their position like say a member of the court or priesthood; they could lose their possessions also. Many people believe this is why Jerusalem believers were poor; the Jews cut them off and tried to starve them to death.

The reason Peter mentions baptism is that it verifies true repentance. Peter didn’t say, “If you want to follow Jesus raise your hand or fill out a card,” but repent and follow the LORD in believers baptism. He didn’t want any hypocrites in the church. In our culture baptism has no risk but in first century Jerusalem, it was a sure sign of commitment and an act of courage. An insincere person would not dare follow the LORD in baptism.

Extra

Hoping to get some much needed quiet time today. My schedule has been tight lately, too tight and I am excited about spending some uninterrupted time with Jesus this morning: LORD willing.

I do appreciate your prayers. Courtney’s service went really well. I felt the presence of God in the church and at the grave side. They broadcast it live so the girls watched it on line. I got a thumbs up from all my children. And my greatest encourager family wise is Lori. If I fell out of my chair backwards, she would help me up and says, “Grand daddy, no one can fall out of a chair as well as you can. You are the best!” We must continue to pray for Shannon, Billy and the boys.

GRACE POINT family. We are having a special called business meeting tonight and with the week I have had, that may be all we do. I do love Proverbs and I hope to get some study time in but we are going to make the decision about the bible study tonight. We may do the business and go home.

I hope you have a good hump day and thanks for reading the blog.