Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize, break bread and wash each others’ feet. These are external activities that the Lord expects His believers to do. The first one would happen once, the second should be repeated as often as we can, and the third must be done continuously. But why would Jesus give these as commandments that cannot be ignored and must be obeyed? Are these activities sacraments or rituals that every believer must practice without which one cannot hold on to eternal life? Did Jesus recommend works for receiving salvation? Why are these practices retained as traditions in the Church?
None of these three external ‘works’ would qualify one for heaven. A believer can reach heaven without doing any of these. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: - Eph 2:8.
If these are not essentials, why did the Lord ‘command’ His disciples (and believers) to practice these acts?
Baptism
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: - Rom 6:3-5.
When a person is baptized, he / she testifies to the people around (and to the world), “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me”. - Gal 2:20. It is an external act of witnessing for Christ about the ‘born again’ experience that has happened inside already.
Baptism does not save a person. However, a person who has repented of his / her sin and is already saved ‘by grace through faith’ must at the earliest possible instance be baptized to demonstrate to the world that he / she is a believer in the saving grace of God. If there has not been an opportunity to be baptized until the believer’s death (untimely or due to sickness), it will not be deemed as disobedience. The person will certainly reach heaven with the eternal life he / she has already received at his / her moment of salvation.
‘Being born of water and of the Spirit’ (John 3:5) does not mean baptism in water and baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is the spiritual act of being born again, not physically born with ‘spirit, water and blood’ (1 John 5:6, 8). Spirit is the breath of life; water is serum / plasma (that yellowish fluid that gushed out of the side of the Lord’s body at the cross); blood is the RBC, WBC and platelets, the components that float in the plasma.
When Adam was created, he came with water only, no blood. After the fall of Adam, every human being is born with water and blood. It is this blood that needs to be shed for the remission of sins. (Heb 9:22). Even Jesus (the second Adam) came by water and blood, not just water only. He, as our substitute, shed His precious blood as the price to pay for our sins. Jesus shed even the last drop of His blood at the cross. So, at our born-again experience, we are planted / united together in the likeness of the Lord’s resurrection. We are born again of water and the spirit– no blood as in the case of the originally created Adam. The Spirit of God who is working in our spirit makes this spiritual experience real for us.
When somebody answers the question, “Are you saved / Are you born again?” with a statement, “Oh, I am baptized”, it is always an incorrect answer. A person should not be baptized if one is not born again yet. (Do not upset the order; do not tie the cart before the horse!). And, after being born again, one does not have to wait a long time to be baptized and thereby to witness to others about Jesus’ work of salvation in his / her life. The earlier the better. A mere water baptism without the born-again experience only makes him a ‘wet sinner’; baptism in water without the inner experience is a dead work and needs cleansing by the blood of Jesus. Repent!
Breaking of bread
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. -1Cor 11:23-26.
When a person takes part in the ‘communion’ he / she testifies to the people around (and to the world), “I am solely dependent on my Lord for my spiritual sustenance”. It is an external act of witnessing for Christ about the ‘growing in Christ’ experience that is continuously happening inside.
After one is born again, he / she needs to grow ‘unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ -Eph 4:13. Every believer needs good nutrition for this growth. And, where can one find this fully satisfying nourishment except from His word? His Word Jesus? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. -Matt 4:4. Jesus is the source of all energy and power that anybody needs to live the life of Christ here in this world. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life”. -John 14:8.
While there might be some genuine reason (God knows!) for the delay or impossibility in being baptized due to sickness or otherwise, a believer needs not hesitate to take part in the communion. And, the Pastor needs not withhold the bread and the cup from the believer.
Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst”. -John 6:35. Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him. John 6:54-56.
A believer who is already born again needs to be continuously in communion with ‘the true Vine’ so that we can derive life and nourishment from Him to produce ‘much fruit’. “I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing”. -John 15:5.
If a believer breaks off from the Lord and looks for nourishment – food and drink – from other substandard, degraded and filthy sources, he / she is an unsatisfied person who has not really tasted ‘that the Lord is good’. It is useless for him / her to take part in the ‘holy communion’ if the believer is seeking to satisfy himself / herself with inappropriate stuff from books written by men, content in internet sites and videos and YouTube. Participating in the breaking of bread as a ritual adds to other dead works like being baptized without the born-again experience. This also requires cleansing. Repent!
Washing of feet
Peter saith unto him, “Thou shalt never wash my feet”. Jesus answered him, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me”. Simon Peter saith unto him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head”. Jesus saith to him, “He that is washed needs not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit: and ye are clean…”. - John 13:8-10. If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. - John 13:14.
When a believer washes the feet of another believer, the one who is being washed testifies to people around (and to the world), “I need the Lord to wash me off every day all the dirt that I have accumulated (throughout the day) during my walk in the world”. It is an external act of witnessing for Christ about the ‘continuous cleansing’ experience that is happening inside.
It is natural to be defiled by the world as long as we live in this flesh and when we do not yield to the Spirit when He warns. We might have lost our temper at someone, lusted after someone or something, lied at our work, or indulged in one or more works of the flesh (even though we are born again). If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. -1John 1:8,10.
Yielding to the voice of the Lord is essential for a continuous transformation ‘from glory to glory’ unto the Lord’s image. -(2 Cor 3:18). However, at times, while we are in the world and with evil company knowingly or unknowingly, we are likely to feed the flesh and submit to it. Then, we have our feet dirtied / soiled by the filth of the world. But, even then, the Holy Spirit continuously keeps speaking to us about our carnal behavior and urges us to turn away. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1John 1:9. If we turn our ears away from that ‘still small voice’ without repenting of our sin(s), we will soon quench the Spirit. The Scripture warns us: Quench not the Spirit. -1Thess 5:19.
Water washes off our uncleanness externally while the word and the Word wash away our sins internally. Jesus keeps sanctifying and cleansing His Church which is His bride, continually. (Eph 5:26).
If we keep doing this ‘washing of feet’ as a weekly, monthly or an annual ritual without realizing the significance of this external act, we add to our dead works which again, needs cleansing. Repent!
Repentance from dead work -Heb 6:1 is a basic principle or a foundational Christian doctrine. If we repent of these dead works, the Lord’s blood will cleanse us. “(How) much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” -Heb 9:14.
Are you religiously practicing all these rituals as traditions? Come back to Christ. Christianity is not a religion. It is Christ living in and through us practically. Here. Now.
Comments