Beginning a life for
the Lord is a very important and significant time for a believer. Digging
deep and building a solid foundation of faith serves to bolster the novice
pilgrim as he begins to walk anew and follow the Savior.
For an Apostolic Christian the intent to follow the Lord goes
far deeper than "accepting Christ", “making an objective decision for the Lord,”
or completing confirmation classes. It involves the making a complete and
unconditional surrender of self-will to Christ – the putting away and
”crucifying” the old man of sin and taking on the righteous of Christ by faith.
A seeking soul comes to the foot of the Cross in a broken and contrite state.
This regenerating process is all made possible by the atoning work of the Lord
Jesus Christ who bled and died on Calvary’s cruel cross.
The experience of turning to the Lord is called “repentance”. It
embodies many steps and is culminated, after much prayer and supplication, by
forgiveness of sin and the wonderful peace of God that “passeth all
understanding.” (Philippians
4:7) This peace can only be realized and fully understood by a
sinner who has had his sins forgiven by a benevolent God. Related to repentance
is the process of conversion whereby the soul, after repenting toward God,
subsequently experiences a dynamic change in lifestyle – from a life of sin and
darkness to one of righteousness and circumspection. In this sense repentance
is only viable if it is followed by conversion. Repentance without conversion
is meaningless. Essentially, repentance is the beginning of a change life
which, if the believer remains faithful unto life’s end, will lead to eternal
life in heaven.
The intention of the convert to humbly carry out the commands
of God should in no way be interpreted as a form of legalism which stems from
man’s own strength and merit. Salvation is totally a work of God.
Man, however, must order his life to live in conformity with the wishes of God
as revealed in Scriptures. A believer’s most sincere wish is to “serve God
acceptably with reverence and Godly fear.” (Hebrews
12:28) He is created unto good
works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians
2:9,10)
Repentance --
Its Meaning
In order
to begin a new life in Jesus Christ a soul must come to the Lord in a meek and
childlike way. Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Mark
10:15)
In connection with this the Lord said, "except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God." (John
3:3)
The overall seriousness associated with beginning this
new life stems from the exhortation by the Savior, who said, "enter ye in at the
strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way. that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate
and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
(Matthew
7:13,14) Jesus also said, "If any man will come unto me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake,
the same shall save it." (Luke
9:23,24) The Apostle Paul writes in this context, "For if ye
live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the
deeds of the body, ye shall live." (Romans
8:13)
The experience of repentance and conversion embodies
the act of crucifying the old fleshly nature: "Our old man is crucified with
Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin." (Romans
6:6)
Repentance --
The Experience
Faith
Conviction
Profession
Contrition
Confession
Restitution
Separation
Forgiveness
Proving
Covenant
Baptism
Laying on of Hands
Sanctification
Perseverance
While the sequence of
personal experiences involved in turning to the Lord may vary slightly from
individual to individual (due to the extent of previous sins), the general
process is similar among most souls who undergo a true repentance.
The first step, of course, is to have FAITH. One must first
believe in the existence of God and have confidence that His Word is revealed in
Holy Scriptures. Faith can exist in one's heart even though a soul does
not live for the Lord. This is a dead faith, not a saving faith.
However, as a person goes to church and hears sermons, attends Sunday School,
and/or is taught at home from Scriptures (and by example), he may soon come
under CONVICTION. This is a time when a soul becomes burdened because of
sinful guilt, feels eternally lost, and can readily recognize his lost and
wretched condition before God. This conviction is often compelling and
unceasing. Day and night one is reminded through a "still, small voice" of
his need to do something about the impending doom, eternally, of his soul.
His thoughts often turn toward God, toward the suffering Savior, and toward the
positive example he witnesses among members of the church. This provokes a
longing in his heart to follow the Lord and live in peaceful contentment.
His desire for redemption, however, is met with another force.
Satan cleverly provides a way to drive out these thoughts and to delay the day
of repentance, this reducing the strong desire for a changed life. The
desire to serve the Lord may wane for awhile, but it almost always comes back.
One longs for a new life - for the courage and grace to hurl oneself into the
Lord's bosom - but the prince of the world still maintains a tenuous grip on
him.
The time eventually comes, for many, when the sinner can no longer
tolerate his sinful condition and the prospect of eternal doom. It is then
that he breaks down and makes an outright PROFESSION of his desire to seek the
Lord and to turn to Him, unconditionally, in repentance.
It is at this time that the seeking soul is able to receive a
measure of grace, however meager, to penetrate the wall of darkness that
previously kept him in the clutches of Satan, to openly announce, without shame
or regret, that he wants to repent and serve the Lord. This act of turning
from darkness unto Light is a miracle that can only come from a merciful God.
Repentance is defined as "feeling sorry or self-reproached
for what one has done, or not done, in his former life of sin." In this
realm, the seeking soul exhibits CONTRITION and deep sorrow. He is truly
conscience-stricken, His regret and dissatisfaction concerning his fallen
estate causes him to entirely abandon his old, carnal-oriented life and turn in
a new and positive way to God. His former direction, toward eternal doom,
is turned completely around, and he now, by the grace and mercy of a loving
Savior, turns to travel on straight and narrow pathway that leads to heaven.
He remembers the Scripture, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew
7:7) He thus casts himself in humble prostration at the foot of the
cross and begs the Lord Jesus to forgive him for his former sins and iniquity.
The throwing off of the old life of vanity and pride is a
serious matter. Old habits are often difficult to abandon. A
conflict between the flesh and the Spirit ensues, causing much internal
distress. This battle, along with sorrow for sin, often causes much
supplication and many tears, although the intensity of inner turmoil is often
commensurate with the degree of sin in which one was formerly involved. In
this realm, the soul moves ahead within the framework of yieldedness, humility,
and submission to God and to the earthly authority He has graciously placed over
him. The Biblical teachings of "humble yourself in the sight of God and He
will lift you up" and "God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble"
are taken literally and put into practice. It is at this time that the
seeking soul becomes totally aware of his nothingness in the sight of God.
His turning from sin unto righteousness is often painful (because the old habits
are cast away). The soul's estate is accurately expressed in the following
verses:
"Oh, Jesus look upon My helpless situation;
My heart feels deadly fear; My
spirit, condemnation.
Within me is the wish, But not
the power to do,
Because my weary soul is full
of grief and woe.
Have mercy then, Oh Lord! Before Thy feet I'm bowing;
Let into my weak heart the
stream of grace be flowing.
I pray I'll leave Thee not
until Thy blessing's pow'r
Can conquer death in me, and
bring life's blessed shower."
-- Zion's Harp hymnal No. 45
The burden of sin is so
heavy that it can no longer be contained inwardly. CONFESSION of sins to a
church Elder is therapeutic and gives great relief to the new convert.
Confession to man is done after the example found in the book of Saint Matthew
when believers came for baptism to John the Baptist, "confessing their sins" (Matthew
3:6). Also later at Ephesus, "many that believed came, and confessed,
and shewed their deeds." (Acts
19:18)
Another important step in repentance is making RESTITUTION
for past wrongs. In order to be an effective "light" to the world, the
convert seeks to be at peace with God and man. Previous
disagreements, offenses, and disputes are "made right". Humbly and
sincerely the convert approaches all persons he has wronged to ask for
forgiveness and to explain his intention to follow the Lord in newness of life.
This is done according to examples found in the New Testament. (Matthew
5:23,24;
Luke 19:8)
It is very important in being "re-born" to come from the
world of sin and darkness and walk in newness of life. Because as Jesus
stated, "they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world;" (John
17:14) the new convert takes to heart the Master's words, "Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1
John 2:15). SEPARATION thus represents an adherence to the narrow way
that leads to life eternal and offers protection from worldly trends and lusts
which "war against the soul." A careless lifestyle could result in
apostasy. Love for the things of the world which bear no spiritual fruit
crowds out the Spirit, makes one weak in the things of the Lord, and blurs one's
power of discernment.
Following confession and restitution, the soul soon finds
FORGIVENESS from a benevolent Savior. Joy and peace then flood his
cleansed and purified heart (Hebrews
12:11;
Romans 5:1). The Lord's profound nearness and kind providence are felt
with a deep impact.
When a seeking soul finds peace with God and man and becomes
overjoyed and content with the solace found therein, he is not immediately
baptized. A period of time is allowed to elapse in order for the soul to
reflect the sustaining grace of God and to indicate his worthy intentions of
living for the Savior. If a soul is able to remain in a state of grace,
can remain humble, maintains an identity with the holy church, and zealously
desires to continue in faith, he then requests the sacred rite of baptism.
Prior to baptism the soul enters a state of PROVING.
Actually this begins perhaps at the inception of the new life. In the
ensuing weeks and months the convert proves, both to himself and to God, and
also to others, that he has found the grace and stamina to live for the Lord,
enduring the temptations and frustrations associated with rejecting the flesh
and living devotedly for the Lord. The proving becomes official, or
public, when the convert comes before a special session of the congregation to
give his testimony of faith and conversion and his willingness to follow the
ways of the Lord within the framework of the church. This testimony is
given to the satisfaction of the church. If it is evident to the brethren
that the soul is humble and sincere and has gone through a common conversion
experience, he is then ready for baptism.
Immediately prior to baptism, as a candidate stands in the
baptismal water, he makes a COVENANT of lifetime fidelity to God. This
two-way promise between God and man will remain valid so long as the believer
upholds his end of the covenant. This is a very serious promise that is
striking in its impact.
The making of a covenant is immediately followed by BAPTISM.
This is done by immersion, a method patterned after the Scripture found in
Saint Matthew 3:13-17. Baptism represents a symbolic burial of the old
sinful nature (which must be symbolically dead before it can be buried)
into the death of Christ and the arising of the believer out of the baptismal
waters to a new life in Christ. Since the act of baptism is a symbolic
burial, water baptism by immersion is more reflective of a "burial" than
sprinkling or pouring, which seemingly have no association with a burial.
Baptism also reflects the "answer of a good conscience toward
God" (1
Peter 3:21). It further demonstrates a vivid expression on the part of
the believer of his new life and his total commitment to God.
The LAYING ON OF HANDS rite follows baptism. This act,
whereby an Elder lays his hand(s) on the believer's head and prays over him,
represents God affixing His seal of the Holy Spirit in the believer's heart (Acts
8:17-19;
Ephesians 1:13). It also officially documents the believer's actions
to date (concerning his new life) and is his official entry into the
congregation of saints.
Sanctification --
Set Apart as Holy
Repentance and conversion
represents a vitally important beginning of a life of faith and obedience.
To those who continue to overcome evil until life's end, a glorious and eternal
heavenly bliss awaits. Yet, it is only reserved for those who remain true
and faithful. To this end, and for the believer's benefit, God has very
wisely and mercifully called him to a life of SANCTIFICATION. This aspect
of faith represents one of the highest ideals of the Christian life and is an
honor for the believer. To be "set apart as holy," at the Master's request
is a serious calling. Jesus, in His high priestly prayer, indicated, "They
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through
thy truth." (John
17:16,17) The term "sanctify you wholly" is used in
1 Thessalonians 5:23.
In this realm, then, the true believer strives to set aside
all in life that is carnal, worldly, and of no benefit spiritually. His
motive is to keep his eyes of discernment clear so that he may prove the perfect
will of God. As one who dead unto sin and alive unto Christ, he abhors
evil and rejects anything that closely resembles the unfruitful works of
darkness or the "appearance of evil" (I
Thessalonians 5:22). His focus is on spiritual matters and on things
that build up the kingdom of God.
The Apostle Peter exhorted believers to live in holiness, "As
obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in
your ignorance: But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1
Peter 1:14-16)
The Apostle Paul exhorted the church at Rome, "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God. (Romans
12:1,2)
The high calling of God in Christ Jesus remains very sobering
to the believer. He thus orders his life after the Scriptures, striving to
please his Lord and Savior. It is imperative that his life reflects the
virtues of Christ and that his friends and neighbors see this "light" in him.
As an ambassador for his Lord, he does nothing that will bring reproach to the
Savior. Where he goes, how he looks outwardly, and what he says either
reflects positively or negatively for the Lord. As a living epistle, known
and read of all men, he is careful to walk circumspectly in order that his light
will shine out to the world, to the honor and glory of God (2
Corinthians 3:2). With a heart full of grace and love, his life is one
of joy and peace; his days are filled with doing good works and engaging in
those things which reinforce and build up the kingdom of God. His foremost
aim in life is to be obedient and to "redeem the time"
In the tradition of the saints of all ages, he strives
diligently toward heaven, realizing he is a stranger and pilgrim in this present
world, and remembering the teaching of the Apostle Paul, "I press on toward the
mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians
3:14)
The doctrine of PERSEVERANCE remains as a vivid reminder to
the true pilgrim. The book of Revelation teaches, "... To him that
overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God." (Revelation
2:7) The themes of perseverance and overcoming are further reinforced
several time in the book of Revelation. (Revelation
2:17;
2:26;
3:12;
3:21;
21:7)
Now therefore ye are no more strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of
God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building
fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also
are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.