Baptised by Water?

Our text today is found in Acts 8.14-17. It’s part of a larger story involving Simon the Samaritan who is a Magician. Who with a large number of others hears the gospel and gets baptized by Phillip the Apostle. And so we read:

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Of Chameleons, Clown fish and butterflies

I did some reading over the past week into some unusual, even miraculous happenings in nature. I was reading about chameleons. Maybe you know about these lizards. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and the really cool ones can do something amazing. Some breeds have pockets of yellow or red or blue coloured cells just below their skin that mix on cue to make the skin change colour. So depending on the situation, the lizard can change according to how much off each colour lays upon the other – everything from pink, orange, green, black, brown, turquoise and purple.  

Now, the main reason for the colour changing is social, to tell other chameleons what’s on their mind. When they are mad or are ready to attack they go black, but when males show lighter, multi-colored patterns they are cruising for girls.  

I also took a look at creatures that can change.

Has anyone seen Finding Nemo? It seems that Clownfish have a very structured society. Typically in every group there is about six fish. Dominance is based on size, the female being the largest and the male being the second largest. The rest of the group is made up of progressively smaller fish, which are neither male nor female. If the female dies, the male gains weight and becomes the female for that group. The largest non-breeding fish then sexually matures and becomes the male of the group.

Not only will the size, color, and markings of fish change as they change sexes, so too will their sexual organs and the sex cells that they produce. How exactly this works is unknown, but what is known is that the determining factors are often social. To keep the family going.  

And then there is the butterfly. They start as an egg hatching into a caterpillar; then the caterpillar wraps itself into a cocoon and the caterpillar changes completely into a butterfly. It now is mature, can fly and looks nothing like its original form. It’s a new being made out of the same stuff it always was.

So, clown fish and butterflies have one thing in common. It’s called the change process of metamorphosis. Creatures who for social reasons undergo an obvious and permanent change in their bodies, habitat or behavior.  And the chameleons? They just seem to change according to the situation they find themselves in. But by now you must be wondering, what has this to do with Acts 8.14-17.

Change is the key word brining these creatures and God’s word together. Change within the human being. How it happens – or not and why. And maybe most of all how to recognize when a human being say Brad or Denver have undergone their own genuine metamorphosis.

Acts 8 is one of many baptism texts in the New Testament and yet it is unique. Here we see that people are baptized but they do not immediately receive the Spirit. People puzzle over this. According to Acts 2, it seems the Spirit must come to a person in baptism. What’s going on? Some then say that what Acts 8 means is that they didn’t receive their spiritual gift yet, but still got enough of the Spirit to be saved. The special prayer gave the people a second dose, if you will. Others will say, no, this proves that baptism of infants or children and a later anointing of the Spirit is how it works. Both positions can be supported by good arguments; both positions are missing the point.  

In fact there are at least two points in the passage, they both matter and lead to one application that I believe is essential for us today.

Point One: baptism is not magic. Simon the Magician finds that out in verses 18-19:

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money ¹⁹ and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

John tells us that the Spirit blows where it will. John 3.8. God’s Spirit cannot be bought, sold or commanded. Water baptism is a sign of the Spirit and the promise of God to be present. The down payment – not the full payment of our salvation. Water baptism is the sign of being included in the body of Christ. That only becomes an inward reality when the Spirit is received by the person who has been, will be, or may never be baptized. Sadly it is misguided to think that a baby cannot receive the Spirit or that in every adult baptism the Spirit is received.

Baptism is not magic. The Spirit comes as the Spirit will. Nevertheless baptism is the right start. Simply because baptism proclaims the promises of God and that the individual baptized has been invited into the family of God.

Point Two: Receiving the Spirit results in change. We could ask how sincere Simon was in his belief. Uncomfortable ground. Did he change and become a new creation in Christ rather like a clown fish or butterfly, or did he become a chameleon, able to fit in but not truly changed at all?

The text suggests the second one.

In Acts 8 Simon is playing at being a Christian and he’s found out. And he’s warned and loved and we really don’t know what happened to him after that. That’s what happens to chameleons.

What about the others who were baptized with him?

I frequently have conversations about baptism, faith nurture and growing into maturity as a believer. I believe that our children should be marked with Christ’s sign of belonging because Jesus welcomed children to sit in his lap. I believe the promises that parents and the congregation make are important and I believe that the children of believers deserve the best nurture parents and the community of faith can provide so that our little ones can receive the Spirit for themselves, be changed and grow into maturity.

I frequently wonder how it is our little ones see and experience the church community. How many butterflies do they see, how many chameleons? How many have undergone an obvious and permanent change in their bodies, habitat or behavior? Because that’s what the Spirit brings.

I sometimes hear young adults say they don’t what to do profession of faith because while they believe in Jesus, they don’t want to be criticized about their behaviour, or they don’t want to take on adult responsibility yet. But isn’t that comment already a profession of faith? Who are we fooling?

Who else has learned a lesson of faith from those who young; some of whom haven’t formally professed their faith yet, but who clearly are living by the Spirit?

I believe that one of the primary tasks of the church is to enfold, teach, train and encourage our little ones to recognize the voice of the Spirit. To teach them to work out their faith with fear and trembling. To teach them what community is. To pray for the Spirit to come on all the children, youth and adults of the congregation. To come in power so that parents and all the believers in the community do everything they can to live by the Spirit giving glory to God.

My prayer is that everyone who is baptized is truly changed by the Spirit’s power and I trust is that it’s yours as well. Good enough may be good enough in everything else. But in the Church being moral, nice, helpful or capable isn’t the goal. It’s about hearts being transformed by God. 

What will the children born into the congregation see as they grow up? What will they come to believe about God and life because of our testimony? What will they understand about failure and forgiveness, about holiness and authentic faith? Will they see people who are growing in grace, growing love, growing in hope? 

Changes?

Today is the first Sunday of a new year. For many this is a morning when thoughts of resolutions come and go. Lose weight, spend more time with the family, quit smoking, get out of debt, learn something new, are but a few of the more popular ones.

The trouble is that many who make these promises fail to keep them and there is at least one reason why. It seems like these are good goals. It seems like these would be worth the effort. It seems like they would make life better.

Is it possible that in spite of making such resolutions the will to change isn’t strong enough? Or is it that the benefits aren’t clear enough, important enough to make the effort?

Take any one from my list: debt, smoking, weight, family time – whatever – why change those things at all? Why wait until January one to even think about it? Isn’t it possible that waiting is just another way of putting things off because it just doesn’t seem that important?

Isn’t it possible that many of us don’t change because we’re actually okay with how things are? In fact to change would cost more – we think – than staying the same. Can there be any other explanation for those who continue in dangerous activities be it smoking, over-eating, drinking or driving too fast?

Today is the first Sunday of a new year. As a congregation of Jesus’ followers we have a choice to make. Are we willing to change over the coming year? And if so in what way? Don’t decide just yet; let me explain the question as we go through a text in Galatians chapter 4.

We’re reading verses 4-7 where Paul is explaining to the congregations around the province that with Jesus’ coming things have changed. God’s plan to bring Jesus into the world through the Jewish people is complete and everyone else is now invited to share in what God has done. The trouble is that some of the people have gone back to the old ways of trying to please God to earn his love and that says Paul is a deadly mistake. They haven’t embraced the change.

Galatians 4.4-7

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, ⁵ to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. ⁶ Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Heirs not slaves

In the ancient world there were slaves. Paul uses that term a lot. Slaves were subject to their masters on pain of death. There were laws to prevent harsh treatment, but that would be similar to the SPCA today. A slave was owned by his or her master. In the letter Paul uses that blunt word to explain the relationship between people and their bad habits. He calls those who live to satisfy pleasures and willful urges – anything from physical lust to greed to envy – slaves a to sin. They are controlled by sin; owned by sin; can do nothing but be driven by sin. In today’s world we call some consequences of sin a disease and some demonic activity and some the consequence of choosing a dark path. The Bible seems to suggest that it may be all of the above, but the result is the same the individual is a slave of sin.

Over against this, Paul also likes the word heir. An heir or erfgenaam in Dutch means a son or daughter who will inherit some or all of the estate. Everything that has value; everything that makes like worthwhile. It’s not just stuff; it includes the responsibilities that go along with the inheritance.

Take Prince Charles. He’s the heir. When Elizabeth dies he will receive a lot of money, cars and palaces and he will receive the responsibility of being king. Acting a certain way and fulfilling the role for the good of the British people. To be an heir is a wonderful thing; to be an heir comes with responsibility. 

So, Paul makes the contrast clear: slaves have no choices while heirs have choices and responsibilities. Heirs are free. They are not forced to obey sin any longer, even though they may choose to. And that’s the problem we all have. Sin is often attractive. Attractive and deadly.

So Paul by the Spirit casts a vision. Our text reminds us that Christ came to give freedom by reuniting us with God as his heirs. In his coming, living and dying Jesus set slaves free – to all who will believe – says the Bible. Free to follow him and learn how to make healthy choices; free to follow him and learn to serve others in the world. That’s what we call the response of gratitude or a life of worship. It takes an entire life to learn it and by the Spirit we can. In fact, Paul says, that because God knows you there is no reason to be a slave any longer. There is no good reason to resist changes in attitudes or habits. Certainly some attitudes and habits are harder to set aside than others, but as the Bible also says: He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. That is, God is bigger than my weakness every time. So why be a slave any longer?

The truth is that God himself invites each person into life. Invited – not forced - except by force of love. God helps us to see the value in change, in becoming his heir. Yes, becoming a child of the most high. And the inheritance? To reign with Christ – Revelation 20, to partake of the divine nature – 2 Peter 1, to know the peace of Christ, the love of the Father and the power of the Spirit.

In verse 15 of Galatians 4 Paul asks people who are rejecting God’s ways – where is your joy? Where did it go?

The sad fact is that they had decided that life with God by faith was too hard. They liked the boundaries of religion: laws, rules, punishment better. They’d rather live by shame and obligation because then they no longer have to think for themselves and make hard choices. Freedom is too hard; being a slave is easier.  

That’s crazy, isn’t it?

God invites us into the journey of faith. Where mistakes will be made, so what?  Living by faith is filled with trial and error; in learning how to serve others, in learning how to set goals that bring life and wholeness. In learning how to love God and neighbour and learning to love ourselves. It’s an adventure rewarding, pure and holy. It’s worth everything that matters.  It’s the reason to change and change and change again: priorities, passions and habits.

So why live by dead religion? Trying to pay God off with money or scraps of time? In the hope that maybe disaster won’t strike; in the hope that maybe, just maybe God will leave you alone?

Again, that’s crazy! God is the source of life, who doesn’t want that?

God is inviting all of us every day to live by faith. That’s where the action is. The real action. That, I think is a vision large enough to live by. Have you taken hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you? Have you taken hold of your inheritance in Christ Jesus?

2011 was a full year; how was it for you, for us? Were you able to hang on? Was the journey of faith a bit rough or surprising? Did you see God at work?

In what I think was my hardest year, I was speaking with a friend who lives in Michigan and I told him that throughout the pain and confusion of that period, I hadn’t lost my faith. I thought I’d reassure him. In response he said to me, but William, it’s not your faith to lose. God gives faith; God grants the status of heir; God does not take back his gifts.

So here’s what I witnessed in 2011. I found myself in a community that walked by faith. In fact I saw a community where the hard things drove people toward God. Sometimes in confusion and anger, but that’s the place to go at those times. I saw a community where others knew joy, forgiveness or reconciliation and ran to God in celebration. In either case, faith won out and God’s promises remain firm.

I found myself in a community where there is by God’s spirit strength. Strength to face what comes, both joy and sorrow. Strength to help each other by not passing judgment, by owning up to sin, by sharing the journey together.

Obviously we are not there yet. We’re not perfect, we still fail each other. But the vision Christ calls us to is what we need.

Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

If there is a change to be made for 2012 it’s to take Jesus at his word, rely on him more fully and cry out to him more often that we may know the surpassing greatness of God more fully. Have you seen the reason to change? It’s now time to choose.