Incomplete Directions

Imagine with me...if you will...

I'm throwing a BIG BASH for everyone that I know...everyone is invited and the party is going to be awesome I want everyone to be there. This party is really important to me and it will be a uplifting and beneficial to everyone I know.

So...I send out the invitations - hundreds of them. The invitations tell about the party and how great it's gonna be, how much I want them to be there, how they will be glad that they came. It also tells them the date and time, the name of the hall and the directions to the hall...

Wait...

Not exactly I tell them how to get within about half a mile from the hall, but the directions are missing the last bit - it gets them to the vicinity of the hall, but not all the way there. I figure that's good enough - I mean getting them close to the hall is better than them staying home and not going anywhere. Besides, I would confuse them with all those details - I don't want to scare them away!

Here's what happens:

1) Some of my friends read their invitation and realize the missing information, go to the phone book or better yet just hit the Internet and their favorite map site and find the specific directions themselves. They make the party without a hitch.

2) Some of my friends read their invitation and just know they'll figure it out once they get there and they do. They make the party.

3) Others take off for the party, get to the end of the directions and spend a while searching, stopping for directions, asking people on the street and just happen upon the hall by luck (maybe they just see all the cars parked around the hall and recognize my car) or the good-will of passers by. They make the party, but are confused why it was so hard to get there.

4) Others take off for the party and never make it. They wander around aimlessly, some give up - others (really wanting to make the party) spend the entire duration of the party searching... They don't make the party.

5) Others read the instructions and see something fishy and never even leave their house. They don't make the party.

My attempt to keep my potential guests from being confused or bogged down with details means that some never make it, some are smart enough to figure it out for themselves and others just eventually fall into place. Why not just give them the complete directions to start with!

Obviously, this fictional story has a real life connection... Enter the "Sinner's Prayer" (A.K.A. "A Simple Prayer", "Prayer of Repentance").

By itself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the versions of this prayer I have read. It IS a simple prayer that recognizes Jesus as Savior, asks for forgiveness and repentance. These are all great things and a great start (just like my instructions above), but the prayer itself does not get us all the way. Some who commit themselves to Christ in such a way will read God's book (the Bible) and immediately see the missing piece, others will be shown the piece, others will eventually stumble on to it, others will never get there.

My question is this - why give a lost soul an incomplete road map to salvation when the complete directions are so easy to follow?

This is NOT about EXACTLY when we are "saved" - I realize that my belief on the subject of the exact point a person is saved is extreme to some and I don't force that understanding on others. However, even if you take the whole, "at what point are we really saved", discussion off the table "The Sinner's Prayer" is STILL incomplete. You don't have to look very hard to figure it out, start with the last instructions Christ told his disciples.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19,20

Otherwise known as "The Great Commission", it was the last set of instructions Christ left with his disciples. Kind of like "don't forget to turn left on Main street and look for the big building with the statue in front of it!".

Another quick message from Jesus himself:

"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned..."
Mark 16:15,16

So I just have to know - why give out incomplete directions?

The "B-word"

It's just a word, but it's much more. For some it's statement of faith, for others it's a line in the sand, still others see it as a choice, some just scratch their head and don't get it and for the rest of us it's a necessary part of the plan of salvation. It's one of those explosive words that can bring instant harmony or certain distress into any conversation. It has divided families and Churches, been the undoing of thousands of trees for the paper used to print the millions of books on the subject.

Baptism.

At this point in many of my thoughts I would say..."for me...", but not on this one. I just don't get it. It's as plain as the nose on my face (and trust me, you can't miss mine). Baptism is essential to salvation. God, through his holy, inspired word, has made this clear. We can debate things like instrumental/Acapella music, or preaching styles or missionaries all day long because there is some room in many aspects of Christianity for interpretation. However, baptism is a straight-forward, salvation issue. God commands it, he shows us time and again examples of those being saved when they are baptized...so...what's the big deal?

In my humble opinion, I think part of it is simple laziness. Why bother getting all wet and putting yourself out there for everyone to see, when you can call yourself a Christian just be uttering a few words? When you do that, it's more like a new year's resolution..."I'm going to be a better person, I'm going to be Christian", then when you fall short you can just forget it all happened and be done with it and go about the life you had before all this. Christ knows we are going to fall short and disappoint him, but we are saved by his blood, his sacrifice, his pain...he died for us, can't we just do a simple act that he asks of us? When you give yourself to Christ and are baptized you die to the sin and pain of your old self and come up out of the water a new person, cleansed by the blood that Christ bled on the cross FOR YOU.

Every "serious" person of Christ that I have every met has been baptized even if they didn't think it was essential to salvation.

Maybe that's why the muslim faith is growing so much, there's no such thing as baptism in it. you can be a muslim just be uttering a few words. Yes, to be a "super-muslim" you have to visit Mecca, but how many of the 1.2 billion muslims have actually done that?

Just something I was thinking about. Yes, a little venting.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:37-39

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:26,27