iGo -Day 3-more on the Command of Jesus

The command of Jesus in the Great Commission is three-fold.  First, as we discovered yesterday, is the command to make disciples. We looked at what that means in terms of the relationships we build with unbelievers.

The second part of making disciples is this command to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. By the way, this is the one place in the scriptures where all three parts of the trinity are mentioned together. Our modern picture of baptism does not match up completely with the ancient practice. In ancient times, one would be mentored for the better part of a year by followers who were strong in their faith. Then, usually at Easter, the person would be presented to the church upon the testimony of these mentors as a candidate for baptism. 

But what does baptism really signify? In the early days of the church, it was a sign of identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Consider Romans 6:3-4...

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. 

In this context, baptism is a public profession of a private decision person has made to follow Jesus. It is a way to identify oneself with Jesus and with the church. In other words, it is a way to declare that not only do you believe, you also BELONG to Christ and His church.

This was part of the command of Jesus...not just to make converts, but to call the lost to belief in Jesus AND to find life by belonging to the local church. It is highly doubtful that a person will ever become everything God created them to be without the encouragement that comes from being a part of the body of Christ. This is why it is so important that our church be a place of love and acceptance and grace...a place where God works miracles we could never take credit for.

Dear God, as I obey your call to go out and make disciples, help me remember that it Your desire to see others commit to You AND Your church. Help me be a part of a life-giving church that that helps grow others to be everything You created them to be. In Jesus name, Amen.