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 “This
fellow was on the way to be baptized, see! And this limb fell on him,
and killed him. Now, what about that fellow?”
Repeatedly,
this ancient question is asked — often by people who seem to think
they have originated the Gordian knot — as if every commandment of the
Lord relative to baptism must now be cast aside.
Suppose
we have that same man on his way to hear about Christ, for the very
first time? A crocodile jumps up out of the bar-ditch and gobbles him
down. Now, what about that fellow?? In both cases the untimeliness of
his death, or what he may have done had he lived, have nothing to do
with his spiritual fate. This is determined by what he did do— the “things
done in his body” while he lived. (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 2:6)
Was
he a sinner? If so, the wages of sin are death. Rom. 6:23) But we are
reminded that “the gift of God is eternal life.” To which we reply
that this is “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Christ’s death on
the cross is the REMEDY—-it made possible the salvation of sinners;
but the remedy must be taken, or appropriated, before its benefits are
realized.
Citizens
of the proverbial “far-away” island who have “never heard of
Christ” are just as lost as those in Suburbia, U.S.A., who know of
Christ, but ignore him. Those islanders die of physical disease, in the
absence of modern medicine, just as we do who have the medicine but
refuse to take it. The same principle is true with reference to
spiritual sickness. Spiritual death is due
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to sin — here, or there, or anywhere.
One
of the plainest of Bible doctrines is the Remedial aspect of
the gospel of Christ. The laws of God’s revelation do not impose a
burden upon mankind; but are a part of God’s gracious remedy, to
correct and deliver us from the consequences of a spiritual
condition we brought upon ourselves.
Man
was already a sinner when our Lord died for us. (Rom. 5:8) In Matt.
26:28 Jesus said, “For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” “FOR
REMISSION OF SINS” means, in order that sins may be removed. He
did not die because sins were removed, but so that may be
removed. That is clear to all Bible readers.
Then
Peter uses the same expression in his instructions to the believing
portion of the Pentecostial multitude. “Repent, and be baptized
every one of you— for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38) The
obvious facts are: these people were sinners, they believed Peter’s
statements re. Jesus Christ, and they must now repent, and be
baptized, (by Christ’s authority) SO THAT THEIR SINS WOULD BE
REMOVED. God’s instructions were a part of the remedy for sins—
the means by which God saw fit to test their faith, and the
conditions upon which he saw fit to offer salvation through Christ.
Recognizing
your sinful condition, have you faith enough to obey God??
(Reprint, Vol. 1, No. 11)
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